It used to be thought that the sensation of itching was caused by low level stimulation of the nerves responsible for feeling pain. Like pain, the feeling of itchiness is delayed slightly from the event that causes the pain or itch. But both sensations lead to different responses. Pain leads to a reflex action that removes us from the source of injury while an itch causes us to scratch. Interestingly, scratching too can be a reflex reaction that needs no input from the brain.
While itching can be caused by lots of conditions such as eczema and jaundice, what about all those Itch's with no obvious cause? Well, a lot of the time is psychological - how many times have you itched while reading this? Weird itching tends to be more common in those with drier skin such as old folk and is made worse by irritants. If your not old or ill with some serious disease or infected with lice, its probably just all in your mind.
Taken from http://ilovebacteria.com/itch.htm
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