{"id":2919,"date":"2026-06-27T18:34:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T18:34:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2919"},"modified":"2026-06-27T18:34:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T18:34:33","slug":"scratching-that-bug-bite-might-feel-good-at-first-but-science-explains-why-its-a-bad-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2919","title":{"rendered":"Scratching that bug bite might feel good at first but science explains why it\u2019s a bad idea"},"content":{"rendered":"
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WASHINGTON<\/strong> | You\u2019ve likely heard it since childhood: Don\u2019t scratch that bug bite or rash, you\u2019ll make it worse. But why would something that feels so good be bad?<\/p>\n

A lot of things can cause itchiness, sometimes serious diseases. Whatever the cause, doctors have long warned that scratching too much can damage the skin. Now researchers better understand why even a mildly annoying itch could put you on an itch-and-scratch cycle if you give in.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

How did they find out? In part by putting tiny \u201ccones of shame\u201d onto mice to uncover what happens on a cellular level when an itch gets scratched \u2014 or left alone.<\/p>\n

They also gained insight into why a good scratch at least at first brings a sigh of relief. After all, not just people and other mammals scratch, even fish do. The commonality suggests there must be some evolutionary reason and the mouse experiment hints at a little germ protection \u2014 but still not a reason to scratch.<\/p>\n

Expect a more swollen, itchier spot if you can\u2019t ignore that bug bite<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Daniel Kaplan, a University of Pittsburgh dermatologist whose lab studies immune reactions in skin, was exploring a run-of-the-mill type of itch called allergic contact dermatitis, caused by irritants such as poison ivy or nickel in jewelry.<\/p>\n

Kaplan\u2019s research team put a rash-inducing irritant on the ears of mice. Normal mice scratched and inflammatory immune cells rushed to the site, increasing swelling. The rash was much milder in mice bred with defective itch-sensing nerve cells. But was the difference really the scratching?<\/p>\n

Normal mice put into collars like those veterinary \u201ccones of shame\u201d so they itched but couldn\u2019t scratch gave the answer: They, too, had much less swelling and fewer inflammatory cells.<\/p>\n

Kaplan said that evidence matches people\u2019s everyday experiences that scratching really can make things worse.<\/p>\n

Ignore a mosquito bite and the itch is \u201cgone in five or 10 minutes for most people,\u201d he said. \u201cBut if you start scratching it, it\u2019s your friend for a week,\u201d getting itchier and more inflamed.<\/p>\n

The immune system\u2019s first responders can help \u2014 and hurt<\/strong><\/p>\n

To understand what was happening in the skin, Kaplan\u2019s team took a deeper look at mast cells, among the immune system\u2019s first responders. When called into action, they release compounds that can help fight germs or toxins \u2014 or, through a compound called histamine, trigger itchy allergic reactions.<\/p>\n

Scientists have long known that allergens can activate mast cells. But other signals can summon mast cells, too, including pain. And when we scratch, \u201cwe tend to scratch until it starts to hurt,\u201d Kaplan noted.<\/p>\n

Pain-sensing nerve cells release a chemical messenger called substance P. In findings published last year, Kaplan\u2019s team reported that substance P can activate mast cells through a different molecular pathway than allergens do \u2014 a double whammy that explains why scratching further inflames itchy rashes or bites.<\/p>\n

Then why does a little scratching feel good?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If we experience pain like touching a hot stove, we\u2019ll learn not to do that again. Yet relief from a good scratch, in evolutionary terms, is positive feedback. Why?<\/p>\n

One long-held theory is that it may help creatures slough off parasites like fleas or mites. But Kaplan also was intrigued by other labs\u2019 findings that mast cells could fend off a common type of skin bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus. So his team infected mice and then repeated the cone-of-shame itch experiment. Sure enough, those that scratched had lower levels of that germ on their ears, maybe because of the extra inflammation or some other mast cell-related compound.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not enough of an upside to change the health advice.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, scratching is deleterious,\u201d Kaplan stressed. \u201cYou should avoid scratching,\u201d he said, although acknowledging that it\u2019s \u201ceasier said than done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to handle a minor itch<\/strong><\/p>\n

What fights an itch depends on its cause and there\u2019s a need for better treatments. For now, antihistamines and certain other drugs for hives can tamp down some itchiness triggered by mast cells. Drug companies are experimenting with other approaches called MRGPRX2 blockers that target the pathway Kaplan\u2019s team linked to scratching. Kaplan hopes better understanding of that pathway eventually could help skin diseases such as chronic eczema.<\/p>\n

For the summer itchiness of bug bites, poison ivy and other types of contact dermatitis, dermatologists recommend anti-itch balms such as hydrocortisone cream, calamine lotion or oatmeal baths.<\/p>\n

Another trick from Kaplan: Menthol-containing creams can temporarily fool the skin into sensing cold instead of itch, just long enough that \u201cif you don\u2019t scratch, then you break that itch-scratch cycle,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s like a cheat code.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute\u2019s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.<\/p>\n

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Read more Get a load of this: Humans and great apes share similar giggles<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Read more Europe\u2019s extreme heat would be impossible without climate change, scientists say<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON | You\u2019ve likely heard it since childhood: Don\u2019t scratch that bug bite or rash, you\u2019ll make it worse. But why would something that feels so good be bad? A lot of things can cause itchiness, sometimes serious diseases. Whatever the cause, doctors have long warned that scratching too much can damage the skin. Now […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2918,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[153],"tags":[4724,4725,4726,4727,4728,4729],"class_list":["post-2919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wellness","tag-allergic-contact-dermatitis","tag-dr-daniel-kaplan","tag-histamine","tag-mast-cells","tag-staphylococcus-aureus","tag-substance-p"],"yoast_head":"\nScratching that bug bite might feel good at first but science explains why it\u2019s a bad idea - Denver Moving Chronicle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=2919\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Scratching that bug bite might feel good at first but science explains why it\u2019s a bad idea - Denver Moving Chronicle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"WASHINGTON | You\u2019ve likely heard it since childhood: Don\u2019t scratch that bug bite or rash, you\u2019ll make it worse. 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