Just Itching to Scratch
July 25, 2011
The scratching response to an itch occurs as a result of skin receptors signaling the cerebral cortex that an irritant requires removal. The brain then signals the fingernails to scratch the irritated area, which signals the brain that the irritant has been removed. At the very least, the minor pain caused by scratching diverts attention away from the itch. Curiously enough, new research demonstrates that people can be induced to scratch their skin simply by watching other people do it. A so-called “contagious itch” is similar to a contagious yawning. While the mechanism behind contagious itching isn’t clearly understood, it does show brain involvement, which is information that may someday be used to relieve the itch impulse.
P.S. Serious itching (known medically as “pruritis”) caused by allergies, infections, or disease warrants examination by a dermatologist.
Of Relative Importance
July 19, 2011
Recent research suggests that family history can be just as important as applying sunscreen regularly when it comes to lowering skin cancer risk. While previous research has indicated that melanoma and other skin cancers tend to run in families, it was difficult to tell whether genes or environment played a more prominent role. To find out, researchers studied twins, one of whom had skin cancer. Researchers found that having an identical (not fraternal) twin who had skin cancer increased the other twin’s risk of developing skin cancer ten-fold. This means that people can use their family history to gauge their skin cancer risk. Of course, staying out of the sun and wearing sunscreen are still good ideas.
P.S. According to the study mentioned above, when skin cancer developed on parts of the body more likely to have been exposed to the sun, the familial skin cancer risk was stronger.
The Villages Office