Atopic dermatitis (eczema) can cause dry, scaly, itchy skin rashes. You can moisturize regularly, cool your skin, avoid irritants, and relieve stress to stop scratching. While some people find relief ...

What’s common between a scratchy sweater, a mosquito bite, and poison ivy? A brush with any of them guarantees an itchy spot on the skin. Scratching that itch is extremely tempting because of how ...

It’s a universal childhood admonition: resist the urge to scratch that irritating bug bite or rash, lest you exacerbate the problem. Yet, the immediate relief scratching provides often makes this ...

Scratching an itch can bring a contradictory wave of pleasure and misery. A mouse study on scratching, reported in the Jan. 31 Science, fleshes out this head-scratching paradox and could point out ...

Is it true that you shouldn’t scratch itchy skin? What should I do instead? Scratching an itch can damage your skin and make the urge even worse. Instead, try rubbing or gently stroking it with your ...

One of the greatest pleasures in life is to scratch an itch — in both the real and figurative sense. Although scratching an itch provides immediate (albeit temporary) relief, it may actually trigger ...

Despite the saying “happiness is having a scratch for every itch,” itching often makes the itchy skin condition worse. So why is the instinct so strong? In a study with mice, researchers from the ...

When you scratch an itch, something tells your brain when to stop. That moment of relief, when scratching feels "enough," is not accidental. Scientists have now identified a key molecular and neural ...

Itching is an unpleasant feeling that may make a person want to scratch their skin. Other sensations, such as stinging, burning, or prickling, often accompany it. They also suggest that itching, and ...

Sarah Jividen, RN, BSN, is a trained neuro/trauma, and emergency room nurse turned healthcare writer. As a journalism major, she combined her love for writing with her passion for high-level patient ...