Explaining the Itch Factor

Eating hot peppers sets your mouth on fire, while getting stung makes you scratch. A group of sensory nerve cells signal such pain and itch. However, scientists have wondered whether these nerves actually communicate both sensations to the brain. A series of experiments using mice confirmed that a subset of these cells does send pain and itch signals but that mouse brains interpreted both as itch. So when mice with these cells were exposed to the fiery substance in hot peppers, they scratched their cheeks, instead of pawing away the pain. If confirmed in humans, the findings may help lead to treatments for chronic itch, including itch caused by medications.
Source: NIGMS Biomedical Beat - Category: Research Source Type: news