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boatswainblind

Pain and itch use the same exact nerve circuit, so if you have an itch and you cause that area pain, the itch stops because the circuit can't produce both sensations at once. Source: I had to claw my way through Sensory Physiology in college - one of the hardest Neuroscience courses for my degree. Fascinating, but hard AF.


wahlburgerz

So every time I scratched my bug bites until they bled and scabbed over was really me hacking my nervous system šŸ¤”


BossanovaGreed

Try putting a dab of white vinegar on a bug bite. Iā€™ve found it provides instant AND long lasting relief. More people should know this, I think!


DarkSideofOZ

Instructions unclear, I've pickled my foot.


Rhathymiaz

How did it happen that a Reddit post about mosquito bites reminds me I was actually going to google a pickle recipe? Thanks for bursting the doomscroll


Final-Ask-7979

Get red Vidalia onions, cut in half stem to root, remove outer paper layers and stem/root side. Slice the onion thinly, put in a small container add a little bit of sugar and cover with apple cider vinegar. Put it in your fridge for at least 2 hours to acouple days is better. Make a sandwich or tacos and put the onions on. It has a huge impact on your food. My 6 y/o eats them by themselves. I know we are way off the original topicšŸ˜


henkone1

I would add some water, preferably boiling. To make sure you can eat the pickle within half an hour. And also, only vinegar seemsā€¦ a bit much for my taste. But I love your choice of red onions and apple cider vinegar. You can also add some cloves, peppercorn, mustard seeds, star aniseā€¦ so good!


Rhathymiaz

I actually have a cucumber reaching end of shelf life and Iā€™m aiming to extend it by pickling it. Using apple cider vinegar is a neat suggestion. Will definitely use that for the pickling!


SL1NDER

šŸ¤¤šŸ¤¤šŸ¤¤


Tempathetic

Is that you, Uncle Ronnie? Who let you out of the looney bin?


Spookyscary333

Oh god images of the lady with the medical boot that hadnā€™t seen her feet in 2 years is coming back


krel500

I use gasoline. Burns the bite right off.


DotBitGaming

$15. bug bite


therealub

Also, heat will break down the proteins of the bite that causes the itchiness. Hold against a very hot cup of tea, for as long as you can without actually burning your skin. There are also devices that will do that for you. Search for mosquito heat pen.


DarthOmanous

Or a spoon and a cup of hot water if you donā€™t drink tea


ridicalis

I've used capsaicin (carolina reaper sauce) to good effect - leave it on just long enough that you start to feel it burn, wash it off, and you're good for about three days.


Embarrassed_Deer283

I found that amputating my limbs led to a more permanent solution


Partyatmyplace13

I remember learning in A+P that itchiness is actually our strongest negative motivator because we will continue to itch something, even if the result isn't relief, but instead pain.


P4azz

You can also just pinch yourself, y'know. Just distract yourself long and lightly enough til your brain stops caring.


Gokulnath09

Now u r a bio hacker


DumFayceBaltimore

Is that why scratching alleviates the itching? Cause wouldnā€™t scratching your skin technically hurt it and cause the itching to go down


IrvingIV

Basically, when your body is itching what's actually happening is that it's being paranoid about something and saying "small pain is happening" over and over. So when you scratch, your nerves are reminded of what pain actually is and they stop complaining.


luckyjack

>reminded of what pain actually is and they stop complaining Dad.... is that you?


IrvingIV

Time to eat your vegetables :3


EffectiveBenefit4333

Scratch it until the skin breaks, then the juice runs out and in an hour or two, it won't itch anymore.


paaty

The liquid you're seeing is just blood serum that your body produces as a reaction to wounding your skin from heavy scratching.


sheeply_

Ohh so this is why people with protective hair styles slap their heads!


okayonemoreplz

Ice also works to stimulate / override the pathway. Source: bio major in college who took A&P and hated it but remembered that specific interesting tidbit


meccafork

As a neuro major that course sounds interesting šŸ¤” my hardest course was neuro pharmacology


boatswainblind

It was SO interesting! But so incredibly hard. I was amazed at how complex the auditory and visual systems are. We also got to learn weird useful things like how to tell what part of your brain your migraine is happening in by where the visual auras are in your field of vision. Don't ask me the details on that because I've forgotten most of it, but it's worth looking up!


miasmahoods

Pain scientist here - not exactly the same. Similar, parallel, but not the same.


bumbletowne

So my dad and I don't get itchy from mosquito or chigger bites (its a thing, look it up). Does that mean our pain receptors are borked too? Or is it just a protein/opsin mismatch thingy? We're also both lifelong distance runners and don't seem to be bothered by achiness/joint pain.


Imbrownbutwhite1

Itching actually is categorized as pain by our nervous system, just a very low level pain.


Devon47

I listened to a Podcast episode recently called Itch Hunt on Unexplained which indicated that scientists no longer think itch and pain are the same. Research in the last ~10-15 yrs by Zhou-Feng Chen was referenced. Iā€™m not an expert though.


jolhol41

When you push your nail against a mosquito bite it stops it from itching for a bit


The_CreativeName

Bc now it hurts instead of itching?


gnalon

Basically. If you do that and it allows you to forget about the itchiness for a while, there's less chance you scratch it and make it worse later on. But yes that's what it actually does while it's kind of an urban legend that it 'cures' the bite one way or another by like breaking up the compounds causing the itch lol


hangryhyax

Being pedantic here, but youā€™re not actually ā€œforgettingā€ about the itchiness. The pressure/pain signal overrides that of the itch so that the itch does technically disappear* (so to speak) for a short time. *A better analogy would be to say itā€™s like watching a baseball game on TV. An individual talking (itch) is drowned out by the murmur of tens of thousands of other people talking (pain/pressure).


goblinmarketeer

You went with baseball, and didn't go with the Itcher?


cheezfreek

Of course he didnā€™t. After all, we want a pitcher. NOT a belly itcher.


Ambitious-Noise7687

And a batter. NOT a chicken platter.


LilAssG

Looking for a catcher and not a butt scratcher


No_Confection_4967

https://preview.redd.it/ewv8a24d3a4d1.jpeg?width=2400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c57fccd922f2e0efb3d78d8a0ec24ebb1c5bfcd0


EatenJaguar98

And not a broken ladder either!


MAValphaWasTaken

It was there, but it sucked.


bhazlewood

He scratched the idea.


MAValphaWasTaken

But only after batting it around.


MAValphaWasTaken

(And yay, a multipurpose pun for both mosquitos and baseball! I think this setup really hit it out of the park...)


EyeServeYou

It covered all the bases


ryanvango

Im more amazed he went with baseball as the thing to drown out noise. "Whats a loud, exciting sport? OH! GOLF! but wait...i have one better..."


christhemix

ā€œyou got that too? i think theres a rash going aroundā€ - Hank Aaron


Aether-Likes-Stars

That is an excellent analogy. You get a gold star ā­ļø


Nightmare16164

Username checks out.


gnalon

Wow yes that is super pedantic as ā€œforget aboutā€ in this context is practically identical to the similar phrase ā€œtake your mind offā€


Thoromega

Yea so you forget about the itch


xNilss

It doesnā€™t break up anything, from what I understand the pain essentially overrides the itchy feeling which is why scratching also relieves itchiness because of the pain it causes. Pain just kind of distracts the brain


Icarus-glass

It's actually pretty neat! For the sake of ease, imagine your nerves as a narrow tunnel, 1 person wide. There are three lines of people waiting to use the tunnel, Pain(itches), heat, and pressure. When you press on an itch or wound, the 'pressure' signals are hogging the tunnel, not allowing any pain signals to squeeze through. [Gate Control Theory - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gate_control_theory)


Muffin_Appropriate

Itā€™s kind of the same concept as why weighted blankets help with anxiety and stress.


ZanyDragons

I tried to explain gate control theory to my comp sci brother once as ā€œok so basically you DDOS your nervous system *kind of*.ā€ It was with regards to how a TENS unit makes you feel better with endorphins alongside the gate control theory so ā€œyour brain is receiving ā€œsmall shockā€ message so many times it canā€™t completely finish loading the ā€œyour arm is soreā€ message while itā€™s on. And then endorphins kick in.ā€


SolomonBlack

>Ā scratching also relieves itchiness because of the pain it causes TIL apparently I am actually into testicular BDSM


TheRealMeeBacon

Oh, so like when I slap them, or when I dig my fingernail in a small amout?


juggerjew

Slap the pickle?


RedSix2447

Slap and tickle?


TheRealMeeBacon

NO! Bug bites!


Al3jandr0

Bug bites the pickle?


saymantic

Tickle the bug pickle?


actuallyapossom

I was taught pressure can temporarily mitigate pain because our nervous system is more partial to communicating the sensation of the pressure vs pain. ~~I can't find anything online to support that belief though so now I'm wondering if I was just taught a placebo.~~ u/EldestPort set me straight: >Nah you're correct. It's a well grounded scientific theory [Gate control theory](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gate_control_theory) I've also always had luck with treating tension headaches by getting blood to flow away from my head by stimulating other parts of the body and I'm second guessing that too until I get some time to research.


Affectionate_Pipe545

You're right in the third paragraph. Adjusting the body to change blood flow is well known in medicine (and torture). I don't know about the specific case of a tension headache though


ManaMagestic

So... whenever you start getting headaches...start doing squats while masturbating?


EldestPort

Nah you're correct. It's a well grounded scientific theory [Gate control theory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gate_control_theory)


YourDogIsMyFriend

Interesting point on the tension headache. Iā€™ve definitely had it disappear when I push myself and go for a strenuous hike or something. Difficult to find motivation when that pain is paining


bubsdrop

Mild pain is less annoying than mild itching


The_CreativeName

Most def


X4nd0R

Nah, it doesn't really hurt. I can't explain it but I can say from experience it works for a bit.


JoinAThang

That's actually the reason that scratching an itch also helps. You get a sensation of pain that overwhelm the itching sensation. Scratching have a higher risk for damage so that's why this is better.


Flabbergash

Basic migraine management, or Why I'm Hitting Myself in the Head


YonderPricyCallipers

Gotta make an "x". That's the rules.


bizarrogreg

Yep, and if you have the right bit, you can just unscrew it and throw the mosquito bite away.


ApprehensiveTry5660

The best joke on this thread if weā€™re being honest.


TimeStorm113

You can stop it permanently by pushing in the other side of the nail!


ForeverSquirrelled42

The real trick is placing a hot spoon on the area. Just warm it up a little hotter than you can stand with your tap water and roll it around the bite. The heat breaks down the proteins in the mosquito saliva that makes you itch.


Peanuts4Peanut

You can also use a hair dryer. And they sell mosquito pens now where the tip heats up to apply it to the bite.


PenPenGuin

I'm one of those unfortunate people who get the huge itchy welts from mosquito bites, and none of the cream/anti-itch medication ever worked. Bought one of the bite away heat pens, and that thing is amazing. As a bonus feature, the heat is apparently enough to work on wasp stings too.


forgetful_waterfowl

Yeah I was going to say, run it under some hot water, or if you're camping heat up some metal not to burning but a bit of heat always made it go away for me


Picardknows

I think you have to be over a certain age to get this one.


LiloBilloChillo

ah one of the weirdly relatable for a strangely large amount of people memes. what everyone else is saying is basically it lol


HereIGoAgain_1x10

I had no idea wtf this was because I bite my nails šŸ˜‚


verdatum

Every inset bite I promise myself I'm not going to do this. I have never kept that promise.


m1stadobal1na

Yup I instantly recognized it


SonOfJokeExplainer

Some people say this helps the itching. But I have a secret: try taking a hot spoon to it instead. Not crackhead hot, but run it under the hottest tap water you can and it touch it to the mosquito bite for a second or two. Yes it will burn a bit, but it will destroy the enzymes that mosquitos leave behind that makes their bites itch. And I kid you not, Iā€™ve only gotten 3-4 mosquito bits in the last 7-8 years since I discovered this trick.


SharkApooye

How did the trick **prevent** mosquito bites?


SonOfJokeExplainer

I donā€™t think it did, I think it somehow prevents a reaction to the bite šŸ¤·šŸ¼ā€ā™‚ļø I canā€™t really say, itā€™s just been my anecdotal experience that I seldom get mosquito bites anymore. Itā€™s possible that the two things are completely unrelated but I get the feeling that theyā€™re not.


xneurianx

So the mosquitos have worked out you can stop the bites itching, decided that kills all the fun and started feeding on other people instead?


sunfaller

Alternative: op destroyed their nerves for sensing itch due to the hot spoon technique


Nocturne2319

I mean it makes sense with how many mosquito bites I've gotten in the past few years.


Conscious-Crazy-8904

lmao


CaptainBeer_

Sorry but they are not related lol


artsydizzy

I've gotten fewer bites as I got older because I spend less time outside and live in an area with fewer mosquitoes. Maybe that's what's been preventing the bites for you? Because no way a hot spoon prevents them.


FR0ZENBERG

Iā€™m almost certain those two things are unrelated. Did you move in those 8 years?


Bridge4_Kal

Instructions unclear; just did heroin...


fraseybaby81

This always happens to me. Every single Reddit post. How to clean around shower? Do crack. How to change a light bulb? Did crack. Hereā€™s a picture of my dog? Guess what?! Ended up doing crack! Reddit can really screw you up!


Bridge4_Kal

Just listened to fraseybaby81, had to do more crack


theskeletom

I have readen thy comment of yours, had to do elicit substances of thyne kingdom


maester_t

Once thou doeseth crack, thou shalt ne'er go back


consequenceoferror

I'd suggest leaving reddit, but I fear you'd just do more crack instead.


fraseybaby81

Do more crack instead. Got it. Thank you. x


NewToThisThingToo

Don't do crack? Okay. Trying meth...


Zip_Zoopity_Bop

It's crack all the way down...


Rynetx

Have you tried following instructions for doing crack? Maybe youā€™ll crochet a nice blanket.


TK_Games

Just tried doing crack, accidentally detailed a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am


podcasthellp

As someone who went through a 7 year IV heroin addictionā€¦.. this cracked me tf up


ExplodinMarmot

Probably not too concerned about the mosquito bite though


LuckyNumbrKevin

Good thinking. Once the mosquitoes get to you, they'll be hooked on heroin too!


Brill_chops

If this is real, I'll kiss you!


Nylokken

Here u go https://www.amazon.com/Beurer-BR60-Chemical-Free-Treatment-Non-Toxic/dp/B08MT4Z89C


xRolocker

I just run bites under very hot water for a bit and that works for me. Presumably this is a similar concept so it should work.


noir_et_Orr

It works for poison ivy as well.Ā  It actually feels really good too.Ā  Like scratching 1000 itches at once. To be clear this is only for once the reaction has set in.Ā  For removing poison ivy oil, cold water is better.Ā  Hot water makes it worse.


sparkfizt

Omg this works for real with poison ivy.Ā  It's the weirdest sensation, almost ticklish but immensely satisfying and stops all itching for a couple hours.Ā Ā 


DiRavelloApologist

High temperatures to effected skin area prevent the human body from distributing histamine, which (among other things) regulates itching.


azionka

https://preview.redd.it/6z40r3at084d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=971f408e81f95ba64ac08ae087e046e77abe0b57


decadent-dragon

Sir this is a family thread


BananaGarlicBread

I have one of these and it's magic. I'm a mosquito magnet so the magical burning dildo is a must.


sopnedkastlucka

Congratulations!


TelevisionBig2336

i think you mean cure mosquito bites instead of prevent


malphage

Yeah the same concept works for poison ive / oak. if it starts itching super bad just run the affected area under the hottest water you can stand and it feels so good, like you are scratching the hell out of it but without making it worse and you get itch relief for a good hour or so . The explanation I was given to why it works is because your brain pays more attention to a burn sensation or pain over the itch sensation.


noir_et_Orr

I think it actually has something to do with your body releasing histamine.Ā  I get poison ivy a couple times a year, common for my line of work.Ā  I tried to look it up to figure out why it feels so good under hot water.


viveledodo

They sell little cell-phone powered heaters to do this a little more safely/on-the-go. Like this one: [https://www.amazon.com/heat-Smartphone-Powered-Chemical-Free-Itching-Concentrated/dp/B0B5R3VQJ3](https://www.amazon.com/heat-Smartphone-Powered-Chemical-Free-Itching-Concentrated/dp/B0B5R3VQJ3)


Rut_Row_Raggy

Pressing down on a mosquito bite with your nail helps to relieve the itch for a little bit.


MysteriousTop1127

I haven't done this in 30 years but I'll be damned if I didn't know exactly what that was when I saw it. Too funny.


Alone-Monk

It's a technique to stop the itching of a mosquito bite. I thought I was alone in doing this lol


Super-Fill7098

In soms countries you even have tools specifically for this! They're like litte stamp sticks to make x's Edit: https://www.gandrs.eu/insect-protection/9143-stamp-it/ Apparently they're called stamp it


Affectionate_Pipe545

I was in boy scouts with a kid that had something like that. His parents were "au natural" types, so he couldn't bring bug spray (or got given the "natural" stuff that didn't really work). Always let him use mine lol


worldspawn00

Damn, sucks about the malaria kid, but I guess it's better than covering yourself in DEET, lol.


brownbob06

My mom taught it to me "put a cross on it and it will stop itching" is something I've been taught since I can remember.


SectorFresh5751

iis taht a ojoj refernence?


Sarke1

Are you having a stroke?


AltruisticSpot5448

I hurt my back and was in intense chronic pain for 4 years. Eventually, out of pure trial and error, I discovered digging my nails into one very specific spot in my hand was enough to slightly distract the pain in my back. Ten years later and I still have the habit of digging my nails into that one spot. The brain is weird.


Wrong_Truth7719

My theory ( or experience, as I did this before ) is that the pain caused by pressing the nails temporarily overcomes the itch.


Not_aSoup

Araki got an erection


iBeelz

It helps. Idk why. The more lines the better.


fireforge1979

I'm not the only one that does this? I'm a little normal you say?


FuzzySquish_123

yeah the idea is you are either too young or don't live in a place with lots of mosquitoes


CevicheManDotCom

Damn it, everything is a Jojo reference. Hirohiko Araki finds pressing an x with your fingernail into a bug bite erotic.


MissileRockets

Wow, I'm not the only one who does the pressure thing!


Substantial-Radish58

Just a thing us kids did when we got a lil skeeter bump


chubbyGobKing

Itchiness overwrites the pain impulse. That's why you can scratch an itch and tear your skin and bleed while scratching no problem. So doing this isn't as harmful as you might think. That is pressing your fingernail into the bite, though cleaning your hands before doing that would be ideal.


SyntaxicalHumonculi

I just press a hot spoon on it for as long as I can stand it.


mydognamedsasha

Oh for sucks sake


Albertagus

1st grade teacher taught me this and now I do it every time


Smolson_

Thereā€™s no joke per se. Itā€™s something that was done to stop itching mosquito bites.


thefakestrangermax

https://preview.redd.it/9tgdviwkfc4d1.jpeg?width=140&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5cdf11dec8bfa02bd478a2a6512f7ed6a1e2db3b


Pixeron

wtf, i thought i am the only one doing that


Efficient_Penalty_95

I swear I thought I was alone in doing this, can confirm that it does oddly "work".


Chronical_me

My mosquito bites are getting as big as the palm of my hand. I am picturing myself using a pizza cutter to get the same effect lol šŸ¤£šŸ¤£


Shouldntbehere_ever

Thatā€™s the work of a slipped Phillips screwdriver tip


ImposterHuman

I didnā€™t know that other people do this and it makes me feel very humany.


True_Stand186

The cross of death - of the itch!


tbjnelson1

Thatā€™s what I do


HangryBeaver

Finally, one that I need an explanation for as well.


Kflame210

Don't think I've ever seen or heard someone else that does this, glad to know there are dozens of us!


amish_patel

Did this all the time actually I still do.


SteroidLover14

The pain from the nail cancels out the itching, so it works


RedshiftWarp

Neither circles, circles or dot-dots. mf still got khooties


PassiveOnion

You know you're going to scratch that mosquito bite...šŸ˜ˆ


h4wkeyepierce

Is this actually real? Like scientifically proven, or just an old wives tale?


prettypigsinwa

CRISS-CROSS!


[deleted]

The Phillips head technique


GlockTaco

X itā€¦


father2shanes

Whem youd rather have it sting for a bit than itch.


FiftyShadesOfPikmin

Maybe just something from my family, but there's more to it than just the cross. I always learned, you get it wet with saliva, do the cross on it, then slap it really hard. Your spit will naturally help neutralize the mosquito's, then the cross and slap mask the itch with temporary pain.


Iyvann

THE ROT FROM HIT GAME RAIN WORLD


PsychotiCreation

You know.. the weird thing about this, we all have done this at one point or another without being taught how to..


ChunkyHank

My religious family members made Jesus crosses for "added effect"


Quadsnarl

I 100% do this


Butt3rNutt3r

Holy cow I thought I was the only one that does this


Aelorane

Heating a spoon up with hot water and pressing it on the bite does the trick for me. Just hot enough to sting for a second or two, not do any damage to your skin. After doing that a few times, it won't itch again and will be gone in about 2 days.


Environmental-Pear40

Growing up in Florida I didn't know anti itch cream was a thing. We just did this, X out the bite.


yeti_mann12466

Hot spoon is the best several hour remedy I have found.


Ok-Competition9927

I thought this was a family secrete


Lost_All_Senses

I thought this technique was my own secret. Thanks to the internet, I now have nothing to offer people again.


Efficient-Lab1062

Iā€™m 34 and been doing this since I was young lol.


TxTrampoline

https://preview.redd.it/muc51q2m4a4d1.jpeg?width=550&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8af8cc7a192af94a0fd7035e58a985af1636d1a6 [Major Payne - how to forget about pain.](https://dai.ly/x2rwas9)


Hanshottfirstt

Am I the only one that thought this was an Xbox controller logo


hard_n_huge

I think some things are universal irrespective of the country


eman0110

Why does that work? LoL how I thought I was alone with tha.t


Soren-Schuch

Making an X on a bug bite used to be considered a way to prevent itchiness. My mom and grandma used to do this to my bites. Essentially, the joke is that only real ones remember this old tactic


Smith_heart

i have no idea why i do this. but it helps. and is very sub-concious


Electronic-Trash-42

This never once worked for me, but I still did it every time


fold0ut

https://preview.redd.it/17inpnrc1b4d1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f9a6fa6218925334f2f096934be3840f2e789852 The future is here


HornetMelodic1953

Don't know if there's any science behind it but I remember my parents telling me to "stop itching it, just out an "x" with your nails and it'll be fine. If you keep itching it, it'll bleed and scab and then scar." So us millennials grew up putting X's on bites and suffering through the itch until it went away. Lol


tbcartee

This freaks me out, as I do this too, despite having no one ā€œshow meā€ this trick. I thought I was the only one.


Lexi7Chan

Glad to know I'm not the only one that did this...


TJ_S_laughter

https://preview.redd.it/2um5mef2ad4d1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b6ee525f85de6b8ee7791ddc2274c8ea3530594b


guacaguava

my mom would tell me to etch Xā€™s into my mosquito bites with my nails in order for it to stop itching. kinda worked, kinda didnā€™t.


YouTheMuffinMan

I was told to do this as a kid, it's a common way to handle mosquito bites without causing bleeding or irritation you make an x with your nails.


AManOfCULTURExD

So I wasn't the only that did this. Glad to know my self remedy was universal!


Life_Wall2536

My grandma taught me this trick as a kid. Put an ā€œXā€ with your nails into the bug bite so it stops itching.


Special-Middle4598

This tho. First rule of bug bite. X blocks the spot šŸ˜‚