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Axel Harvey
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 Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 5:06 am Post subject: Was Mother right about scratching? |
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Although we were taught not to scratch minor scrapes and insect
bites, the practice of scratching where it itches seems universal
among birds and mammals. One suspects that if scratching were
not beneficial it would not be so widespread. Iirc, scratching brings
histamines to the target site, so the reflex to scratch might be
considered a semi-conscious part of the immune system. Where
can I find some authoritative discussion of this phenomenon? |
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TWINBLUE
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| Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2003 12:02 am Post subject: Re: Was Mother right about scratching? |
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[quote]the practice of scratching where it itches seems universal
among birds and mammals.
[/quote]
Scratching is not a bad plan if you have a splinter or a parasite that might be
dislodged thereby.
TWINBLUE |
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Tim Tyler
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| Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 4:40 pm Post subject: Re: Was Mother right about scratching? |
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Axel Harvey <axe@cam.org> wrote or quoted:
[quote]Although we were taught not to scratch minor scrapes and insect
bites, the practice of scratching where it itches seems universal
among birds and mammals. One suspects that if scratching were
not beneficial it would not be so widespread. Iirc, scratching brings
histamines to the target site, so the reflex to scratch might be
considered a semi-conscious part of the immune system. Where
can I find some authoritative discussion of this phenomenon?
[/quote]
Scratching can be counter-productive when it disturbs the target site -
but can be helpful in activating inflammation responses and the immune
system on other occasions.
If you have eczema or chicken pox - don>t scratch, though.
Trusting the instinct to scratch may not always be good - bear in
mind that sometimes the scratch instinct may be cued by an infectious
agent - in an attempt to spread itself.
--
__________
|im |yler http://timtyler.org/ tim@tt1lock.org Remove lock to reply. |
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Makoto Taniguchi
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 3:39 am Post subject: Re: Was Mother right about scratching? |
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axe@cam.org (Axel Harvey) wrote in message news:<bosf45$3f6$1@darwin.ediacara.org>...
[quote]Although we were taught not to scratch minor scrapes and insect
bites, the practice of scratching where it itches seems universal
among birds and mammals. One suspects that if scratching were
not beneficial it would not be so widespread. Iirc, scratching brings
histamines to the target site, so the reflex to scratch might be
considered a semi-conscious part of the immune system. Where
can I find some authoritative discussion of this phenomenon?
[/quote]
dogs and cat often scratch and bite at irritated areas and it seems to
get rid of the fleas and other insects that maybe bothering them. |
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Axel Harvey
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| Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2003 4:39 pm Post subject: Re: Was Mother right about scratching? |
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Tim Tyler <tim@tt1lock.org> wrote:
[quote]Axel Harvey <axe@cam.org> had written:
Although we were taught not to scratch minor scrapes and insect
bites, the practice of scratching where it itches seems universal
among birds and mammals. One suspects that if scratching were
not beneficial it would not be so widespread. Iirc, scratching brings
histamines to the target site, so the reflex to scratch might be
considered a semi-conscious part of the immune system. Where
can I find some authoritative discussion of this phenomenon?
Scratching can be counter-productive when it disturbs the target site -
but can be helpful in activating inflammation responses and the immune
system on other occasions.
If you have eczema or chicken pox - don>t scratch, though.
Trusting the instinct to scratch may not always be good - bear in
mind that sometimes the scratch instinct may be cued by an infectious
agent - in an attempt to spread itself.
[/quote]
Thanks to all who have responded. The fact remains that chickadees
scratch and grizzly bears scratch, so it is probably a successful
behaviour on the whole. Are there warm-blooded species that don>t? |
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