Home > Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine > Itching

Definition

Itching is an intense, distracting irritation or tickling sensation that may be felt all over the skin's surface or confined to just one area. The medical term for itching is pruritus.

Description

Itching leads most people instinctively to scratch the affected area. Different people can tolerate different amounts of itching, and anyone's threshold of tolerance can be changed due to stress, emotions, and other factors. In general, itching is more severe if the skin is warm, and if there are few distractions. This is why people tend to notice itching more at night.

Causes & symptoms

As of 2002, the recent discovery of itch-specific neurons (nerve cells) has given doctors a better understanding of the causes of the sensation of itching. Another factor that contributes to itching is the release of endogenous...