Itchiness

To determine the cause of the dog's extreme itchiness, the veterinarian checked a couple of skin scrapings under a microscope. After finding mange-causing mites, she prescribed an appropriate treatment.

Cancer treatments and strong painkillers like morphine can also cause itchiness. Yet effective treatments for severe itching are limited. This is partly because scientists have traditionally thought that an itch was a less intense form of pain. Because of this, Professor Chen says itch research has lived in the shadow of pain research.

A cool shower sometimes helps relieve the itchiness.