Why is it that when something itches and we scratch, the more it itches and the more we want to scratch? A team of researchers from the San Luis University School of Medicine (USA) has carried out a study that answers this question . The key, according to the journal Neuron, is the serotonin that is secreted when we scratch our skin.
This substance, a neurotransmitter that helps transmit messages over and over again between the nerves of the body, is responsible for the classic phrase repeated by all mothers "the more you scratch, the more it will itch" has gained scientific weight.
The scientists blocked serotonin production (by blocking the 5HT1A receptor) in a group of laboratory mice that had previously been injected with an itchy substance. Another group of mice was assigned as a control group and serotonin production was not blocked. After comparing the reactions of rodents, they found that those that did not produce serotonin scratched much less .
“Scratching can relieve itching by creating a little sore on the skin. The body responds to pain by releasing serotonin, which increases the itching sensation . Serotonin is involved in growth, bone metabolism and mood regulation, and blocking it would eliminate the natural way of controlling pain, ”Zhou-Feng Chen, leader of the study, told Sinc.
This discovery will help to find a cure for people who experience chronic itching , as well as to break that "vicious cycle" that occurs when something itches and scratches us.
