Scratching an itch can be really satisfying but also annoying at times. You often find yourself mindlessly scratching your arms or whatever skin is exposed as these are the places mosquitos commonly bite. While this is may not be a significant activity, it is when you catch an infection or start feeling itchy because of any allergen, it can become difficult to navigate. Many people even hurt themselves while itching because, even though it hurts, the itch needs to be scratched otherwise it will drive you crazy! Doctors often advise people not to scratch wounds and inflamed areas as it can become worse and infect existing wounds.

A recent study published in the Science Journal has revealed something interesting. The itch-scratch cycle is very fundamental in allergic dermatitis and arthropod reactions, in which itching and scratching feed back into the cycle and enhance inflammation to worsen the disease. Such research underlines the evolutionary aspect of scratching by serving a purpose through a neuroimmune axis despite its pathogenic nature. It reconciles apparently paradoxical properties of scratching by considering both roles of scratching—pathological and potential adaptive responses.

Scratching an itch is something we all do, but it turns out there's more to it than just habit. New research shows that scratching is actually a complex process with both positive and negative effects. While it can make skin inflammation worse, it also helps the body fight off infections by bringing immune cells to the skin's surface. This discovery helps explain why we scratch and offers hope for better treatments for chronic itch or skin conditions. It's a bit of a puzzle: how can something which is bad for your skin actually be helpful? This research helps us understand that paradox.

Why Do We Always Scratch An Itch?

When something itches, our natural reaction is to scratch. This is especially true with skin conditions like dermatitis or bug bites. The problem is that scratching often makes things worse, creating a vicious cycle- the more you scratch, the more inflamed your skin gets, and the itchier you feel. This "itch-scratch cycle" can be really hard to break. It's not like pain, which usually stops us from doing something that hurts. Scratching, even though it can be damaging in the long run, often feels good in the moment, which makes it hard to resist.

What Happens When You Scratch Your Skin?

Scientists wanted to understand exactly what happens when we scratch. Researchers used special mice to study how certain nerve cells that sense itching, called NP2 neurons, affect inflammation. They found that scratching activates pain-sensing nerves. These nerves then release a chemical called substance P (SP). SP then triggers immune cells called mast cells. These mast cells release other chemicals that attract white blood cells to the area, causing inflammation. So, scratching sets off a chain reaction that leads to inflammation.

Surprising Benefits of Scratching

Even though scratching can worsen skin conditions like dermatitis, it also has a surprising benefit: it helps the body fight infections. It seems that scratching can help reduce the amount of harmful bacteria, like Staphylococcus aureus, at the site of an injury. It might even play a role in balancing the skin's microbiome – the community of microorganisms living on our skin. However, this is a complex relationship, especially for people with chronic skin conditions like eczema, where scratching can disrupt the microbiome and worsen the condition.

Reasons Why An Itch Could Be Sign Of An Underlying Disease

According to Cleveland Clinic, where and when the itch is happening does matter in understanding whether it is an issue if not. Some people itch even when they are asleep and there have been cases of people itching themselves till they draw blood even in their sleep. A 2019 study done by the American Academy of Dermatology concluded that itching related to a liver disease starts at the palm of your hand and spreads, similarly and iron deficiency or anemia related itch could develop as red and bumpy skin that feels sore when you scratch it, it is called an anemia rash. Any itch that persists for a long time should be checked out by a doctor.

This new research suggests that scratching isn't just a bad habit; it's actually an ancient defense mechanism that evolved to protect us from infection. While it can be harmful in some situations, it also plays a role in our immune system's response to injury. Scientists believe that understanding this complex process could lead to new and better treatments for chronic itching.

We have all have experienced fevers, there are many different beliefs about it in different cultures and multiple ways to treat it, ranging from modern medicine to ancient practices. When one has a fever, their body feels warm and weak, they also do not have energy to do extended movements. As fevers are a range, some being slight to others being signs of dangerous conditions, dealing with them can be tricky. Things like fever dreams, conversations and thoughts are often incoherent. There are things called fever hallucinations as well, but why does this happen?

Fever means your body temperature has gone above what's normal. But what's "normal" can be a bit different for everyone and can change based on how active you are and the time of day. Generally, a fever is when your temperature is higher than 99 degrees Fahrenheit in the early morning or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit at any other time.

Do Fevers Make Us More Irritable?

In a 2013 review published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, the researchers found that not only do fevers cause people to feel cold, weak and other bodily sensations, but the participants also expressed emotional changes, vivid dreams/hallucinations.

In one of the interview with a participant from the study, researches noted them experiencing feelings of anxiousness, crabby, angry and frustrated, “Like I said, I think fever is really tied in to how you feel emotionally. Because I know every time I have a fever, I just get snotty, for lack of a better term, because I'm just really agitated.”

“I feel tired. I feel irritable”

How Is Body Heat And Brain Health Connected?

Harvard Heath explains a part of your brain called the hypothalamus acts like a thermostat for your body. When you're healthy, it keeps your body at its usual temperature. A fever happens when the hypothalamus gets set to a higher temperature than normal. This change in the brain's thermostat is usually caused by tiny things in your blood called pyrogens.

According to a 2023 review by Yale School of Medicine heat can change things in the environment, it can also change how our brains work. In a study, researchers found that even small increases in temperature while the brain is active can really change what the brain does, and sometimes these changes can be negative.

Experts from Yale explain that changes in temperature in the brain also affect how our nerve cells (neurons) fire signals. These cells have tiny pumps that give them electrical energy, which they release when the brain is active. The researchers found that if brain cells get heated up too fast, faster than these pumps can adjust, the cells might become more active or less active than usual.

Even tiny temperature changes from brain stimulation can lead to big changes in neuron activity. As neurons get warmer, they can even stop working, and when they cool down again, they can become very easily excited.

Fever Hallucinations and other Psychological Affects

According to an Infections & Chemotherapy 2022 review, fevers can cause febrile convulsions, which is a seizure caused by a fever in young kids. It can also cause confusion, like not understanding where you are, not recognizing your surroundings. It can also cause unstable emotions, conscious and cognitive disturbances like illusions on hallucinations.

These can also be symptoms for things like influenza infections or encephalitis. Like the Yale experts explained even small temperature changes can have such a big impact on brain activity, we need to start paying attention to these small changes. He points out that it's a basic rule of physics that when you send electricity through wires to stimulate the brain, you will create heat, both in the wires and in the brain tissue itself.

Researching more on these matters can help us find better treatments and help doctors change the course of several procedures to help their patients.

Turkey has banned elective caesarean surgeries for childbirth at private hospitals and healthcare centres. "Planned Caesarean sections cannot be performed in a medical centre," said a gazette entry outlining new regulations governing private healthcare institutions in Turkey. It came as the country's president, Tyyip Recep Erdogan, has been pushing hard to have women give natural births, asserting that C Section surgeries promoted Western culture.

The move has triggered massive criticism from the opposition and right-wing organisations. "As if the country had no other problems, male football players are telling women how to give birth," Gokce Gokcen, deputy chair of the main opposition CHP, on X. Meanwhile, many human rights and women's rights organisations have also raised their voices against this new law, calling it out for restricting women's rights and liberty.

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What Is A C-Section Birth?

C-section or caesarean birth is a surgical procedure wherein a baby is delivered through incisions made in mother's abdomen and uterus. The name caesarean comes from the Latin word "caedare" which means "to cut." Interestingly, there are rumours that link the name to Roman emperor Julius Caesar, stating that he was the first person to be born via this procedure. However, there are no records of this.

However, there are many cases where a caesarean section surgery becomes almost necessary. A doctor may order a C-section if:

• Your baby is breech, or the lower part of the body is in the birth canal instead of the head.
• Your baby is in a transverse position, or lying sideways in the birth canal.
• Your baby’s head is unusually large.
• Your baby’s heartbeat is slowing down, or there is a problem with oxygen delivery to your baby.
• You are giving birth to more than one baby. Sometimes one baby will be in an abnormal position, so all of the babies are then born via C-section.
• Your baby has a birth defect that makes vaginal delivery unsafe.
• You have umbilical cord issues.
• You have health conditions that make vaginal delivery unsafe. These include high blood pressure, HIV, open herpes lesions, or heart problems.

What Are The Complications Of Having a C-Section Surgery?

There are many complications that come with this method of delivering a child. They include:

• Reactions to the medicines used during surgery
• Bleeding
• Abnormal separation of the placenta, especially in women with previous cesarean delivery
• Injury to the bladder or bowel
• Infection in the uterus
• Wound infection
• Trouble urinating or a urinary tract infection
• Delayed return of bowel function
• Blood clots

Bottom Line

Despite the potential risks and complications, C-sections are much safer than they once were. With evolution in medical science, doctors are now taking great care to make incisions that will reduce the risk of nicks to the baby and infections to the mother. Meanwhile, the use of anaesthesia, also reduces the pain of the childbirth.

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Being dishonest doesn’t come naturally to people, it is a learned virtue, whether out of necessity or pleasure. When kids lie, a lot of it stems from them not wanting to get in trouble, for example, breaking a household item or doing something they were told not to do like running around inside the house. However, when people do learn to tell lies, it can become like a go to tendency for many. It is easier to make something up rather than explaining complex truths.

According to a study published in the Psychological Science 2015, kids start lying around the age of two to three years old. Their habit then progresses rapidly, till the age of 3 and 7.

Not all lies are the same, some are really small and don't hurt anyone, like saying you like someone's new haircut even though you don't. These little white lies often just help keep things smooth and make people feel good. Then there are much bigger lies, like saying someone else did something wrong when they didn't, or lying to people about money. These kinds of lies can cause a lot of damage and have bad consequences for people's lives.

Stress Response of Lying

When we know that being dishonest could really hurt how others see us, the act of lying itself makes our bodies feel stressed. When we tell a lie, things start to happen without us even thinking about it. A 2015 review published in the Current Opinion in Psychology explains that our heart might beat faster, we might start to sweat a little and our mouth can feel really dry. These physical changes are what those old-fashioned lie-detector tests used to try and pick up on.

Some people don't feel as much empathy as others, and they might not have the usual stressed reaction when they lie. The American Psychological Association explains that some people can learn to control their bodies really well and might be able to lie and still pass a lie-detector test. On the other hand, someone who is telling the truth but is just really nervous about being tested might look like they are lying.

Gut-Brain Connection and Extreme Reactions

While it's not common, some people might have a really strong physical reaction to lying, like feeling sick to their stomach or even throwing up a lot. This shows how connected our gut and our brain are. When we feel really anxious, like when we are worried about getting caught in a lie, it can actually make our stomach feel bad. So, for someone who is constantly lying and worried about it, this anxiety could potentially lead to physical sickness.

Living a life where you are often not telling the truth can actually take a toll on your health over time, not just in the moment. Research has suggested that people who lie a lot might have problems like high blood pressure, their heart might beat faster more often, their blood vessels could get tighter, and they might have more stress hormones in their bodies on a regular basis.