# why do itches move?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-itches-move/33826>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 20, 2000, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-itches-move/33826 "2000-09-20T04:54:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2000, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-itches-move/33826/1 "2000-09-20T04:54:16Z")

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Why is that often when you have an itch on your back and it gets scratched, the itch seems to move to another location on your back, requiring additional scratching?

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**Author:** ![Teach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@Teach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teach)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2000, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-itches-move/33826/2 "2000-09-20T15:10:39Z")

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I’ve never noticed that, but I’d guess that the itch hasn’t actually moved. What you’re probably noticing is an itch that was already there, but was not as urgent as the one you just scratched. Once you’ve scratched the strong itch, the weaker one comes to your attention.

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**Author:** ![jamesglewisf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a5b964/32.png) [@jamesglewisf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jamesglewisf)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2000, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-itches-move/33826/3 "2000-09-20T16:02:40Z")

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To get to the other side?

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**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2000, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-itches-move/33826/4 "2000-09-20T18:25:35Z")

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What happens to me occasionally seems to be a “phantom itch.” I scratch at a place that seems to be itching, but it doesn’t help. Then I move over a few inches and scratch there, and the itching stops.

Maybe I’m just wired up wrong.

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-itches-move/33826/5 "2000-09-21T03:37:05Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Sauron \*  
> \*\*What happens to me occasionally seems to be a “phantom itch.” I scratch at a place that seems to be itching, but it doesn’t help. Then I move over a few inches and scratch there, and the itching stops.
> 
> Maybe I’m just wired up wrong. \*\*

That happens to me too. Many itches are apparently caused by histimines in the skin. Taking an oral antihistimine seems to help especially well with these phantom itches.