Itch-Scratch Cycle (IMAGE)

Washington University School of Medicine

Itch-Scratch Cycle

Caption

In the vicious cycle of itching and scratching, we scratch an itch to cause minor pain in the skin, and then the brain releases serotonin in response to that pain. However, in addition to tamping down pain, serotonin also reacts with receptors on neurons that carry itch signals to the brain, making itching worse.

Credit

Washington University Center for the Study of Itch

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