Any doctor—or parent—will warn you that scratching an itch will only make it worse. But it turns out it has a surprise benefit. The act initially turbocharges the skin’s ability to fight off bacteria ...

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 ...

If you love to scratch an itchy rash, good news! A new study reveals scratching a rash has upsides -- along with the downsides your mom warned you about. suriya - stock.adobe.com Scratching an itchy ...

New research published in the journal Science uncovers how scratching aggravates inflammation and swelling in a mouse model of a type of eczema called allergic contact dermatitis. "At first, these ...

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 ...

Scratching a mosquito bite can offer a moment of bliss, and now scientists know why: scratching activates an immune response that helps to protect the skin against harmful infections, at least in mice ...

When normal mice were allowed to scratch, their ears became swollen and filled with inflammatory immune cells called neutrophils. In contrast, inflammation and swelling were much milder in normal mice ...