Why Does It Feel Good To Scratch An Itch?

Dogs, cats, bears, birds, squirrels and humans all have to scratch themselves sometimes. In fact, just about all animals do! But why? What is an itch and why does scratching make it go away? To help us answer this burning question, we turn to our friends at Farmer’s Almanac.

Have you ever had an itch that just wouldn’t go away? The feeling would keep returning no matter how many times you scratched. You may have heard that scratching it will only make the itch worse - which can be true.

There are many causes of itching - mosquito bites, rashes, allergies, sunburns and more. Sometimes even reading about itching can cause your body to feel the need to scratch. An itch is your skin's way of telling the brain that there is something wrong with an area. See, your skin is covered with little receptors that take in information of the surrounding area. It’s a warning system telling the rest of your body that something is hot, sharp or possibly dangerous. 

When you feel the urge to itch, it’s because these receptors are sending that message to your brain. So, when you take your fingernails and scratch the surface of your skin you are temporarily damaging these receptors which cause your brain to send pain-relieving chemicals to the area (one such natural chemical is serotonin which creates feelings of happiness). 

That’s why it feels good to scratch. On one hand, you are damaging the things that are telling your brain about the itch so they can no longer send that signal, and on the other hand, you are getting a rush of serotonin. 

But be careful! You don’t want to scratch too much, or you could damage your skin and even cause bleeding. A better way to stop the itchy feeling is to rub the area or even give it a light slap. That will help turn off the receptors telling your brain to scratch without actually damaging the skin itself. After all, your skin is your first line of defense against germs and so when you scratch it with your fingernails you are making it more likely something bad can get inside.

So, the next time you feel the need to scratch, think about what is happening and why it may feel good to use your fingernails, but also why you should think again.