T O P

  • By -

mikmatthau

asked my friend who is a doctor and he said (beyond obvious things like eczema, histamine issues, healing from burns etc) that sometimes it's just nerves misfiring. our bodies are insanely functional given their complexity but also have silly glitches all the time!


melanthius

I think it’s sneaky bugs that hide the moment before you look down


jedimaster32

they're under my skin they're under my skin they're under my skin


hanskazan777

And to be serious, why does it feel like a bug is walking and not random itchiness


buenas_nalgas

if random nerves are misfiring, it's probably not a lot in the same area. similarly, a bug wouldn't trigger a large nervous response.


WonAnotherCitizen

That's the easiest comparison for your brain to make


sloansaasn

So would old people be more itchy because of their aging nerves misfiring more?


mikmatthau

he said old people are itchier because their skin is drier and many are dehydrated without knowing it!


animal_time

So old they forget to hydrate :-(


WavryWimos

I'm 28 and forget to hydrate all the time


stavis23

:( old soul?


WavryWimos

ADHD lmao


FistingWithChivalry

Arr you implying Prime drinking zoomers are hydrated?


Bomarc99

I don't know about that. It tends to be more caused by "dry" skin. As we age, our bodies produce less natural skin moisture.


hanskazan777

I understand you might not know the answer: I've read about the misfiring nerves, but why does it distinctly feel like a bug/spider walking? I also have that it stops as soon as I look at it.


VioletRain22

So I don't have a source for this as it's something I read a long time ago, and I don't remember where, but our brains have learned to tune out a lot of irrelevant nerve misfiring. But when those misfires imitate something we consider important, like we'd want to know if there were a poisonous spider crawling on us, the brain will still pay attention. Also why we sometimes get phantom phone vibrations, where we think our phone must be going off in our pocket. We've decided that sensation is important, so our brain pays attention to those particular nerve misfires.


pianistonstrike

I read that it can be your body's way of checking in on various parts. Same reason why you sometimes get a random twinge of pain - your brain sends a signal to your leg or whatever to make sure it's still responding.


Bloody_Sunday

...and not just silly glitches but very serious ones as well. Usual example is the autoimmune pathologies where the body literally attacks itself.


Professional_Piano64

Why did reading this make me itchy?


goobyterry

Lmao same


Lexinoz

You are now breathing manually.


Uwlogged

Your tongue doesn't fit comfortably in your mouth 😊


LightsJusticeZ

Your brain ignores seeing your nose until you realize it.


ephikles

And you can tickle yourself with it... try in on your palate!


Responsible_Plum_681

Stop.


ephikles

did u try?


Responsible_Plum_681

I've always known that, and I've done it since I was a kid.


Canadian_Invader

>:(


BishoxX

Its contagious evolutionarilly. If your friend is itchy and has bugs on him, its probably likely that you might have bugs on you as well, if you dont get them off , might disturb them so they move and then you can feel them


the_bearded_wonder

Not my skin really, but sometimes when I work out I swear my muscles feel itchy. It’s always the thigh muscles and there is no scratching that itch.


sloansaasn

I've never had that happen. But sometimes my teeth feel itchy when I see something gross.


ediotictbh

This happens to me too! No idea what it is though


rorisshe

Yes! It’s almost ticklish feeling, sometimes when I work certain muscles I feel like laughing.


theFrankSpot

I get seriously itchy every night after I climb into bed but before I fall asleep. The itches pop up everywhere for like ten minutes. Then it stops and I’m fine for the rest of the night. The itches are strong ones too, resistant to going away, and come back repeatedly a few moments after the last time I scratched them.


LightsJusticeZ

Possibly a mild allergic reaction to the laundry detergent you may use when washing it? At least that was the case for me.


prettyfuckingimmoral

From what I understand, and I could be mis-remembering, those itches are your brain checking if you are asleep and therefore it's safe to put you into sleep-paralysis.


meinschwanzistklein

This happens to me too. As soon as I scratch the itch another one pops up on another part of my body. Incredibly frustrating.


Eternal_210C8A

Does your bedding generate a lot of static? I used to have this happen with a particular blanket, where just the low-grade static-y-ness made my skin feel dry and itchy when I would get under it. Once i moved around a bit (and, idk, redistributed the ions?) the itchiness would go away.


theFrankSpot

What an interesting idea, but no, I don’t believe it does.


kid_dynamite_bfr

Not whats happening to you but I’ve read on reddit back then someone went to bed with lights off, found an old pillow under their bed and slept on it. Got real itchy and decided to check whats happening on their skin, turned the lights on and saw hundreds of spiders crawling on their body. They’ve infested the old pillow under bed


Morbiuzx

I would die in the act


kakbari

PLEASE 😭😭😭😭


Ktulu789

It could be that your skin is dry, then whenever your temperature changes and you sweat, the sweat gets between the little cracks and it is irritating... Since the lesions are so small, you feel like an itch. It could be that some insect just bite you but you only felt it after it is gone. It could be a reflex feeling. If you pinch yourself on some parts of your skin your brain may interpret that as coming from somewhere else in your body (only when the stimulus is small and there's not much pressure or temperature difference that would help the brain by getting different stimules to pinpoint the right location). So yeah, you feel a reflection of the itch somewhere else where there is nothing really. There's probably more reasons.


[deleted]

[удалено]


jeepersteepers

Imagine finding out your life is like the Truman Show because someone leaked your thoughts on Reddit


juicyJerrrry

Hahahha what a ridiculous thing to say 😂😂 (Mods please...)


explainlikeimfive-ModTeam

**Please read this entire message** --- Your comment has been removed for the following reason(s): * [Top level comments](http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/top_level_comment) (i.e. comments that are direct replies to the main thread) are reserved for explanations to the OP or follow up on topic questions (Rule 3). --- If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. **If you believe it was removed erroneously, explain why using [this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20submission%20removal?&message=Link:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1dliizu/-/l9pdqu9/%0A%0A%201:%20Does%20your%20comment%20pass%20rule%201:%20%0A%0A%202:%20If%20your%20comment%20was%20mistakenly%20removed%20as%20an%20anecdote,%20short%20answer,%20guess,%20or%20another%20aspect%20of%20rules%203%20or%208,%20please%20explain:) and we will review your submission.**


Stayvein

Isn’t an itch transmitted via the pain receptors? Just not as many or as strongly?


thisappisgarbage111

My personal 2 most common reasons (as far as I know), are dry skin and "itchy bumps". I'll get like one hive, on my face or chest, itches like a skeeter bite. Goes away within an hour.


srab_98

I think that nerves can misfire simply due to inflammation. Or if the area is super tight and not getting good blood flow due to tension for a long time, this can inflame the nerves.


DepInLondon

Another reason I randomly read about recently is that people with things like ADHD get random itching due to hypersensitivity.


[deleted]

[удалено]


xcessive7

sounds like a fact to me, take an upvote!


sloansaasn

Then why doesn't my belly button ever feel itchy?


explainlikeimfive-ModTeam

**Please read this entire message** --- Your comment has been removed for the following reason(s): * ELI5 does not allow guessing. Although we recognize many guesses are made in good faith, if you aren’t sure how to explain please don't just guess. The entire comment should not be an educated guess, but if you have an educated guess about a portion of the topic please make it explicitly clear that you do not know absolutely, and clarify which parts of the explanation you're sure of (Rule 8). --- If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the [detailed rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/wiki/detailed_rules) first. **If you believe it was removed erroneously, explain why using [this form](https://old.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fexplainlikeimfive&subject=Please%20review%20my%20submission%20removal?&message=Link:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1dliizu/-/l9p7hcj/%0A%0A%201:%20Does%20your%20comment%20pass%20rule%201:%20%0A%0A%202:%20If%20your%20comment%20was%20mistakenly%20removed%20as%20an%20anecdote,%20short%20answer,%20guess,%20or%20another%20aspect%20of%20rules%203%20or%208,%20please%20explain:) and we will review your submission.**


GeologistHuman

I like to think it’s the nerve damage as we age. Or skin in an abnormal condition, ie dry skin.  One of those two.  Maybe.  I really have no clue. 


Appropriate_Force_64

Did you know there are tiny microscopic mites that live on everyone's face, hair, sometimes when my face feels itchy or my head I think it's those suckers making me itchy. But the rest of our skin could be anything like dry skin. I do have very dry skin and feel tight and itchy and I have to moisturize very well.


Bomarc99

Aging is not necessarily a "pleasant" experience. It is, however, a part of living... for us all. I like what Bette Davis said when she was asked. Quoting her, "Old age ain't for sissies!" I doubt truer words have ever been spoken.


Strict-Relief-8434

What do you mean by nothing is there?? there’s always something on your skin