Loss of receptor cells can prompt strong itching from a light touch: Study
May 4 (UPI) -- A severe reaction to light touching -- often among old people -- occurs because of fewer receptors in the skin, according to a new study with mice.Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis studied severe itching from light tough, even when the skin is under clothing. Their findings, which researchers hope will lead to a treatment for the condition, were published Friday in the journal Science."Itching caused by touch becomes more common as we age and is especially problematic for people with dry skin or who already suffer from chronic itching," senior investigator Dr. Hongzhen Hu, an associate professor of anesthesiology at Washington University, said in a press release. "It can be more than a nuisance, and there are no drugs available to treat thi...