Have you ever wondered why scratching sometimes makes itching even worse? The neurotransmitter serotonin has been fingered as one troublemaker as the brain tries to control pain caused by scratching.

Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. We all know that yawns are contagious, and even the word in print can be enough to inspire one. (Sorry! Also: Yawn, yawn, yawn.) Now, a ...

Anyone who has ever scratched a mosquito bite knows the strange relief that comes when the itch finally fades. But for the ...

Despite the saying “happiness is having a scratch for every itch,” itching often makes the itchy skin condition worse. So why is the instinct so strong? In a study with mice, researchers from the ...

This is Explainer, a column that answers questions we all have (or should have). Anyone with skin knows the feeling of having a bad itch that won’t go away. Whether it’s a mosquito bite, hives, or ...

I remember it well: our dark winter of itch when the kids were small. It started with a note sent home—years before the pandemic—that my child had been exposed, not to a deadly virus but to lice.

Journalist Annie Lowrey has a rare disease that causes a near-constant itch that doesn't respond to most treatments. She likens the itchiness to a... Chronic itch is miserable. Scientists are just ...

It’s hard to think about much else when you have a fresh mosquito bite you’re desperate to scratch. The insatiable itch, the ...

One of the greatest pleasures in life is to scratch an itch — in both the real and figurative sense. Although scratching an itch provides immediate (albeit temporary) relief, it may actually trigger ...