Scientists are on the verge of treating eczema itchiness after identifying the bacteria responsible for the urge to scratch.
Researchers from Harvard have also found an existing treatment which - with a little modification - can provide relief to sufferers.
Around one in five children and one in ten adults have eczema which creates even more inflammation and damage to their skin when scratched.
A pill called vorapaxar, which is approved in the US but not in the UK, could be turned into a topical cream that scientists hope will stop the sensation of itchy skin reaching the brain.
Around one in five children and one in ten adults have eczema which creates even more inflammation and damage to their skin when scratched
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It was previously believed that itchiness was caused by inflammation of the skin.
However, the Harvard researchers found that the process triggering an itch is separate from the cause of the condition itself.
Liwen Deng, a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard who spearheaded the research, said: "We tested whether we could block the [nerve] receptor and reduce the itch in mice.
"We found it was really effective."
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The condition commonly runs in families, with symptoms flaring up in dry weather or when sufferers come into contact with an irritant.
Isaac Chiu, associate professor of immunology at Harvard medical school said: "We found that itching can be caused directly by a bacterial pathogen - Staphylococcus aureus - which is a very common microbe that’s found on about 30 per cent of people, mainly in the nose."
The team discovered that when the bacterium is allowed to flourish it triggers a chain reaction leading to the urge to scratch.
It releases an enzyme that attaches itself to nerves in the skin and activates a protein on the nerve, which transmits itching signals from the skin to the brain.
A pill called vorapaxar, which is approved in the US but not in the UK, could be turned into a topical cream that scientists hope will stop the sensation of itchy skin reaching the brain
GETTYChiu said: “An itch is not just in our head."
“It is caused by specific nerves that send signals to the brain. An itch is actually pleasurable when you can scratch it.
"But that then causes more damage to the skin, which causes inflammation.”
The theory does not apply to all itches, Chiu added.
