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Why We Scratch an Itch
Although it is hard to avoid it usually feels very counter intuitive to scratch an itch when it appears to hinder a wound’s healing rather than speed up the process. Some theorize that we scratch an itch because it stimulates the release of endorphins which help to block pain sensations caused by the wound. When we scratch an itch we are injuring our skin even more; consequently our bodies release a lot of endorphins to block the pain. It is believed that this is why our biological response to scratch an itch is hard to avoid because it may actually be better for our healing process if we cannot feel the pain as much.
