What causes an itch, and why does scratching eliminate it?

Subject: What causes an itch, and why does scratching eliminate it?

Date: Sun Feb 2 16:10:14 1997
Posted by: Jerry Grubaugh
Grade level: undergrad
School/Organization: No school entered.
City: Santo Domingo State/Province: No state entered.
Country: Dominican Republic
Area of science: Medicine
Message ID: 854921414.Me

Message:

What causes an itch, and why does scratching eliminate it?
Often I'm sitting at the computer and feel my nose or eyebrow itch.
I scratch it with a fingernail and it goes away instantly. What is the 
chemical or physical mechanism at work?

Re:What causes an itch, and why does scratching eliminate it?

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