Itching

For other uses, see Itch (disambiguation). An itch (Latin: pruritus) is a sensation felt on an area of skin that makes a person or animal want to scratch it. It is a distressing symptom that can cause discomfort. Scratching may cause breaks in the skin that may result in infection. Pruritus can be related to anything from dry skin to undiagnosed cancer. Mechanism The central chemical in itch is histamine, a molecule released by mast cells in the skin. Histamine is the chemical that ...