Why Do We Itch?
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- Опубликовано: 19 авг 2024
- Virtually everyone has experienced an itch at one time or another - but what is an itch exactly? What causes it, and why can having one be such a maddening experience?
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Hey there. I'm Josh Clark, and this is BrainStuff. And this is the BrainStuff where I talk to you about itching.
Just fair warning here: you are going to itch. Because I am a puppet master and you are my puppet. Just FYI.
So let's talk about skin. It's your birthday suit! And skin allows us to experience that ever so important sensation touch. Touch, in and of itself, is a very complex thing. It's multifaceted. And one of those facets - one of the chief facets among all touch - is the itch.
For a while, people thought that an itch was just a low level type of pain. And it makes a lot of sense. Because itches and pain (and actually the sensation of heat) all follow the same neural pathways from the skin to the brain. But a recent closer examination of your skin has found that your itch triggers a specific kind of receptor, called pruriceptors. Which is tough to say, but actually, it's a pretty legitimate term because another word for itch (the clinical term) is "pruritus."
Which is why everybody just calls it itch.
So these special receptors (pruriceptors) are attuned to just the most minute sense of touch. They're triggered by something like the ever-so-gentle pressure of a fly's legs. And, even closer examination of itching has found that these pruriceptors use a specialized neurotransmitter called MPPB to send the itch signal from the skin to the brain.
So, it turns out that itching is not pain. It's its own thing. A good analogy is that itches and pain might follow the same highway from the skin to the brain, but they start from slightly different points of origin, and an itch uses a different kind of car.
So science has a better handle on itches than it did before, but they're still a big mystery. Why should scratching an itch bring any sort of relief?
Well, itching appears to be a built-in warning system for us to say that there's something small but potentially dangerous that's just alighted on our skin. Right?
When we scratch whatever's causing that itch, the prevailing theory, is that we activate more skin cells than just the pruriceptors. Which means that the pruriceptors' itch signal is either drowned out by these other signals or potentially turned off somehow.
And that makes a lot of sense, because when you scratch an itch, your fingernail is exerting enough pressure, and is big enough, that it can destroy or get rid of whatever was causing the itch in the first place.
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Got a deadly itch on my balls as soon as I saw the title
Lol😂
😂 so did I
😂😂😂😂😂
LMFAO 😂😂😂
+UmasCreativeLife! what was I supposed to say after he asked at the end of the video how many times did you itch?
jokes on you, I was itchy before I even clicked the video
I scratched myself like 8 times during this video
15
twice
2
i knew i was going to find this comment
Zero, have I a problem? :/
just the WORD 'itch' makes me itch.
+Gingam Stop Saying Itch! Ahhhhh!!! I Want to Itch More! xD
...fucker.
Cause it's contagious.
Itch.io
Anyone else watching this in the middle of the night? 😂
I have no idea why, but this guy is my favorite dude to watch.
He seems like the type of stoner that always thought about space then became a scientist.
It's probably a bad idea watching this considering I have eczema.
+Matthew Mitchell Also have it and i scratched myself like 4 times :'D
I have dermatitis and I scratched myself through the entire video.
Matthew Mitchell me too
Same ahaha, but then again I wanted to know why we itch to get a better
understanding of it
But eczema is the worst I've had it my whole Life
can't stop scratching
I always presumed we get itchy, cos our cells are dying, and as they lack oxygen, we get an itchy sensation, so we remove the old layer, and free the younger...
Maybe his explaination and yours are both correct. When your cells die, as you said, we "remove the old layer and free the younger" kind of the same as our finger nails can destroy or get rid of whatever causes the itch. But, do dead cells cause an itch? Maybe the nerves linked to these dead skin cells understand it this way :)
_Pollux_ can you stop being smart it makes me feel dum
As soon as I start watching.. I had an unbearable itch on my back that I couldn't reach and it drove me insane.
Great...now I can't stop itching. Thanks.
My back is itcHy everytime
I couldn't stop scratching
Same path ways as pain... That makes a LOT of sense! I have severe nerve damage in my legs and they often "itch" and cannot be satisfied no matter how much i rub or itch them. I knew it made sense that it was the nerve was either misfiring or the pathway is damaged so the information can't get through clearly. The analogy really helps make it more clear though! Thanks!
I actually scratched twice watching this lol
1:39 seriously thought he was gonna carry on into a rap 😂
When did I itch? Last week when I put on my Pajama top in the dark. Something had crawled inside & when I removed said garment in great haste & turned on the light, a black spider fled the garment. Dunno who was more frightened, the spider or I.
One more thing can you make a vid about paralysis
We'll add it to our topic idea list! Thanks for watching :)
I don't want to get paralyzed while watching it doe
wish I had hair like that...
why
@@byon5041 because he's bald as shit
I think your hair is awesome. Although I am biased, being bald and all :-)
My grandma has the same style.
loved this guy
i have eczema and itching is one of the symptoms
So why do we itch when there's nothing there at all? If something's misfiring, then the whole mechanism is pretty shoddy considering how often it happens. And what about certain neuropathies, which are experienced as itching rather than pain? Got that round my left shoulder blade, and my back scratcher is my new best friend. But that would seem to bring up the pain/itch correlation again. Help! Answers needed!
Your my favorite host Josh! Keep being awesome.
You are my favorite brain stuff host
Searched up itching and burning, this came up and now I'm here
still itching. but thanks for the explanation.
Hey Josh, thanks for all the HowStuffWorks podcasts!
I didn't stop itching!
I can't stop itching now
I have rough skin passed down from my father who was in his 40s when I was born
I need help my back itches so bad I can barely move
My hand and feet itched probably about 15 times...thanks man
What if we itch because the skin gets inflamed? Because my cat’s fur gets stuck to each other along with the skin underneath (he has a genetic condition). Well when that happens that area makes him itch profusely, so I kinda pull the hair and skin apart slowly, and thus curing the itch. So maybe it’s not that complicated and our skin just gets twisted up on a microscopic level and therefore it itches. That would also explain why it “moves” since we’re just moving that knot around instead of “untangling” it, and only when we fix that tangle does the itching go away.
Josh - Please please PLEASE make more "Don't Be Dumb" videos. they were so funny and informative
Itchy hands. It starts between my fingers and spreads over much of each hand. Nothing seems to help. I am just starting to get it again.
Why is it when I get an itch on my hand, I can't seem to find it? I scratch my hand all over but can't find the spot that itches!
I kept scratching!
the root seems similar to prurient just wondering if itch=discomfort and prur.. share it
I only itch from my back and i can still scratch it with my fingers cuz im thin i can reach my chest from the back you can use your left arm to reach your right back to under and right reaching left back under.
I, for one, like your hair, Josh.
An itch, also known as pruritus, is a general sensation arising from the irritation of skin cells or nerve cells associated with the skin. While it can be a nuisance, pruritus serves as an important sensory and self-protective mechanism, as do other skin sensations such as touch, pain, vibration, cold and heat.
ok but what about times we feel itchy inside our skin cuz that definitely happens to everyone. Pls explain that
Serious question: do normal people who are good at body language have thoughts like, "I better not scratch my ear right now even though it itches because I don't want to seem dishonest" or do they just not get itchy at random moments? Is there a way to subtly reassure the person that you're telling the truth and you just have an itchy ear? I've been accused of lying before because of stuff like this, when I wasn't lying, my ear just itched. Or, another example, "I better not cross my arms even though I'm cold because I might look angry." Or is crossing your arms for warmth something which normal people don't do? I've been trying to figure out these little human nuances for years, and while I'm better, there are still some things that I don't quite grasp.
Yes, people who understand body language (and how to use it to their advantage) have those thoughts. They have random itches and urges to shift in some way, but it's that conscious decision to keep a certain composure that causes them to refrain from acting impulsively. I'm speaking from personal experience, but I'm certain many others do the same, especially people I have watched who do well with this. I think it just takes practice; by purposely ignoring the impulse, you develop self-discipline and it gets easier. The reason why we try to control our impulses is because we recognize the power of body language.
It's the same as if you were feeling angry and a stranger bumped into you. Being angry already, you might feel an urge to shout at the stranger or maybe even push them. (Hopefully), you don't act on these urges because you recognize that it's the wrong choice. So when you're in a meeting and feel the urge to slouch, you don't act on it because you recognize that slouching conveys disinterest as opposed to leaning forward or sitting up straight. Does that help?
I was already itchy
I scratched like 29884927428402838328937392739 times in my life
You know when there is a super itchy spot eg. on the back, you scratch it then the itch just hits you elsewhere immediately. Got to know why that is!
I LOVE YOU JOSH
I scratched my butt, I think that counts for like 5 itches.
Scratching while watching this lmao
It actually is my birthday soon my birthdays in 2 days
something about your hair.
NO
dude i learned so much from this channel especially from josh clark thanks!
Your hair was the first thing I noticed. Nice do:-)! And I had 3 itches while I learned about itches..
Oh so I haven't put enough pressure then? I just did that and I'm not feeling well anything any mroe
Try watching without scratching
i m itching becuz mosquito effed me up.. tell me how do mosquito byte us with their soft little niddle and why do we feel that pain..
Mosquito bites itch because of stuff in their saliva. Learn more here: animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/mosquito3.htm
Thanks very much..
I've noticed that when watching a video about itching I've itched more often then watching any other video
Why does oil turn paper semi transparent ?
Yesterday my back was itchy because of a bug
who else was itchy during this vid
Itch is not a painful thing, but tickles, scratching feels good though. Thankfully we only itch in our skin.
hi
About as enthusiastic as one can be with a toupee
0, because I'm a G
It’s interesting seeing a face with the voice I only hear in my car radio while listening to the SYSK podcast,
omg I itched so much
I was really itchy the whole episode!
is it the same for eczema
This video gave me eczema.
I have ezcema do i never stopped itching
I itched twice
And I thought itch was caused by really small insects biting you or something.
Not to be confused with the purrreceptors of cats :D
IM *DYING* I AN itching so much
help me please,
You stole my Xbox icon.
Give it back now plssss.
I itched more than 20 times... I take a lot of showers too. Why am I so itchy?
Josh can talk at a normal tone and speed?!?!?? What is life?
I itched like 18 times!!
I scratched 2 times in this video XD
I have the I chest spot on the side of my foot
I changed the vedio . inched and came back
Pro level out of the box
I didn't count, but quite a few. I'm still doing it. It's funny how talk of itching can elicit it, I wonder why that happens? But this raises a couple of questions for me: I take codeine for back / neck pain and this makes me itchy especially on my right tibia and fibula for some reason, so much so I've bruised myself and drawn blood there, and my hands and feet can get incredibly itchy after they have been in hot water. Such as after a hot bath / shower or after washing up, though not everyone experiences this. Many an ex partner has found it funny when I've asked them to scratch there after a wash due to them itching so badly, what is the cause of this do you think, and do you have a vid on how codeine works?
Yes, but why does scratching an itch feel so good?
I itch literally all the time, so saying he made me itch is kind of like saying he made me breathe.
I itched 5 times 😂😂
I was just scratching my balls...
Is it compulsory to take shower after exercise or may be later
As some on internet says good and other says bad for health.
Also which water to use medium hot or medium cold water
,,yaeh..ok,,I've taught that commenting on this and giving hypothesis on this would've lead me to riches... but i chose to become a beggar and pretend to he an idiot.
I itched my arm and it traveled to the side of my gut.
Mine went from my eyebrow to the back of my neck, back and forth.
RogaineForEwoks awesome!
Don't watch this vid, I've been itching for 6 mins now
I itched a lot because I have a bug bite on my arm and I think I have lice so my hair is super itchy constantly 😩
Ummmmmmmmmmm lol might want to go get your possible lice infestation checked out lol
R u ok now
where can I read more on MPPB?
Normal people have trouble pronouncing it and don't know what it means, so the scientists know what they're talking about.
Had it for around 7 years approximately, it's horrible and annoying lol
i think the title of this video should be "how do we itch"
It'sNPPB NOT MPPB, which stands for Natriuretic Polypeptide B. (Looked them up in some literatures)
I have itch more times in the three-minute video then I've beeitched all day
should've talked about how scratching an itch is bad.
Sshhhiitt me being black when I have to scratch an itch Down stairs I need 2 hands. Lololol. Seriously....
Want me to scratch your balls for you? You said you need to hands and I have 2 hands so I can scratch your balls for you!