The Vicious Itch-Scratch Cycle Continues to Plague the Well-Being of Millions Across the Nation

Chronic itch keeps on being a dilemma that plagues a huge number of people and animals. Pruritus negatively influences patients’ quality of life, and numerous patients experience insomnia, tension, and depression, similarly to patients with chronic pain.

Once mistaken as a low-level type of pain, the itch is rather now understood as a distinct sensation with a committed neural circuit connecting cells in the periphery of the body to the brain.

Around 15 percent of the populace experiences chronic itch, as indicated by Dr. Brian Kim, co-director of the Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders at the Washington University School of Medicine. “It’s a major issue,” Kim says. “Studies have demonstrated that the impact of chronic itch on personal satisfaction is comparable to chronic pain. A large number of my patients who have had both prefer pain over itch, as itch is all the more enraging.”  

Completing his Dermatology Residency at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Brian Kim became a Clinical Instructor in 2011. In 2014, he was appointed as Assistant Professor of Medicine (Dermatology), Pathology and Immunology, and Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Later, he became the co-Director of the Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders at Washington University School of Medicine, bringing forth significant discoveries in the fields of neuroimmunology, skin inflammation, and atopic dermatitis.

Dr. Brian S. Kim is the recipient of many awards in light of his immense contribution to find a cure for chronic itch. His professional accolades include the American Dermatological Association Young Leadership Award in 2019, Young Dermatologist Achievement Award from the International League of Dermatological Societies in 2019, and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Clinical Scientist Development Award in 2016.

He currently serves as the Associate Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine and has over 75 peer-reviewed publications under his name. Dr. Kim’s publication ‘A Basophil-Neuronal Axis Promotes Itch’ remains a milestone paradigm shift in our understanding of atopic dermatitis and allergic disease.

There are many reasons individuals itch. These span from dry skin and such skin issues as psoriasis to “contact” dermatitis from harsh fabric, pet dander, cleansers, clothing detergents, and scents — aggregately referred to eczema — as well as more easily recognizable conditions, for example, like bug bites or poison ivy.  

A few people will break into hives after exposure to some extreme stimulus, for example, cool air or the sun.

Scientists are examining the itch-scratch cycle, attempting to unwind the secrets of what makes individuals itch and, at that point, scratch — and continue to scratch. Scratching harms the skin, which causes inflammation, Dr. Kim says. “This expanded irritation caused by inflammation, as with numerous rashes, causes more itch in a feed-forward way,” he says. “Subsequently, it’s a horrible ‘itch-scratch’ cycle.”

Dr. Kim says there are various treatments; however, the best ones rely upon the idea of the itch: “Dry skin is best assisted with lotions, though on the off chance that you have dermatitis, certain anti-inflammatory drugs have better anti-itch properties over others.”

Dr. Kim further reveals that the body’s immune system is a player. “People often believe that our immune responses end in our immune system,” Kim says. “Yet, the itch-scratch cycle draws in the immune system with the entire body, interfacing with behavior and the environment also.”

While Dr. Kim has worked tirelessly to disclose a lot about chronic itch, including that it is not a mild form of pain yet, a lot has still to be researched to know about ‘chronic itch’ in-depth. Nevertheless, with physician-scientists like Dr.Kim at work, there remains hope for new discoveries to be made soon.