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Strange scratches

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Anonymous

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I wonder if anyone has come across this type of thing before (apart from in stressed teenage girls).

My husband, during times of stress, finds scratches appearing on his body, usually on his face, back and shoulders. They are usually quite deep and draw blood. Generally three very close together scratches, like a cats claw or one scratch. This has been going on for years but you can't exactly go to the doctor and tell him you get covered in scratches for no reason at all. We've gone through all the usual suspects, watch straps, jewellery, sticking out springs in the bed, and no my husband is not having an affair!! They always appear in the night. He can go to bed clear from scratches and wake up with them. He is a light sleeper too so he has no idea where they are coming from. This has been happening for 15 years, since my husband stopped being a student and had to do stressful things instead!!

I'm fed up of people thinking I've attacked my husband!! Any ideas??
 
This has been going on for years but you can't exactly go to the doctor and tell him you get covered in scratches for no reason at all.
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If you've ruled out jewellry, furniture etc. then it might not hurt for him to go and get checked out to see if it isn't just a skin condition exacerbated by stress ;)

You might like to have a look through these- a couple of threads that touch on the same subject of mysterious scratches:

http://www.forteantimes.com/forum/viewt ... 507#489507

http://www.forteantimes.com/forum/viewt ... 013#522013
 
Scratches, yes, but I probably do them myself absent-mindedly.

But sometimes I get mysterious bruises - found one today, on my left thigh, for which I can remember no cause. A few months back I found a very heavy bruise on my lower chest, which took ages to clear up.

One explanation might be that I get drunk, and blunder about banging in to things... but I don't think so!

If I'd banged into something that hard, I'm sure I'd still have some recollection of it next day, even if I was a bit enpisculated.

(Or perhaps I need a bodyguard, to protect me from myself...)
 
We used to joke that my husband had a sympathetic twin in a Turkish prison - "whip marks" would appear on his back. These days, he itches a lot and welts easily, from post-infection hives, but the whip marks are gone.

Take the scratches to a dermatologist. It's not normal, but it may be diagnosable, and anything that draws blood should be taken seriously.

Rynner, I do the bruising, too. It's called capillary fragility and you'd be surprised at how forgetable a bump can be. My bruises are shockingly big and ugly - deep purple monsters, usually on my legs, as much as six inches across, and I can never remember where I got them, but it's "just one of those things," inherited from my dad. Ask your doctor about it at the next checkup, though, because certain serious conditions have capillary fragility as a side effect and he may be able to put it together with other symptoms you wouldn't think to associate.

(This assumes that you have an actual interested doctor, of course...)
 
I sometimes get this scratching problem too.
I've noticed that it is more likely to happen in the wintertime - my skin is dry, flaky and fragile, and if I scratch an itch, it can leave nasty scratches.
These can become welts that I end up scratching again.
It might be a skin condition or allergy. Try a skin moisturiser of some kind to alleviate the itching.
 
TheQuixote: Thanks for the links. It's interesting to see that this happens to other people.

Mythopoeika: Wondered if he was scratching himself but he has very short nails and he would have to be a contortionist to reach some of the places they appear!!

He probably ought to see a doctor but trying to get a bloke to go to the doctor for anything???!

I believe it is some kind of stress related thing. We used to think it was some kind of poltergeist activity when we lived in a flat that wasn't quite 'right' but the problem has moved with us to our present home!
 
This sounds like the Sally scratches documented on
the program "Sightings."

In short: the homeowner attributed the scratches that would
suddenly appear on his body to the ghost of a Civil War-era
little girl who haunted the house he and his family lived in.

The scratches were videotaped by the "Sightings" crew
as they appeared.

No one else was bothered by the ghost, so his story just
didn't make sense.

Here is a more detailed discussion:

http://www.ghostvillage.com/ghostcommun ... f=2&t=4852

FWIW --
TVgeek
 
TVgeek said:
This sounds like the Sally scratches documented on
the program "Sightings."

The scratches were videotaped by the "Sightings" crew
as they appeared.
Click to expand...

I remember that!! :shock:
 
debbiesian said:
Mythopoeika: Wondered if he was scratching himself but he has very short nails and he would have to be a contortionist to reach some of the places they appear!!
Click to expand...

You don't need long nails - I trim mine down to the quick (well almost), and I can still scratch myself.
 
with a nod to mysterious bruises appearing- these could be caused by pressure from your own body e.g. sleeping on a clenched fist can bruise the abdomen, leg crossing can bruise the fleshy part of the calf on the top crossing leg.... even bruises around the inner leg caused by the weight of the other leg when sleeping on one's side.

whoever suffered from bruising like this- do you tend to bleed longer than other people? these symptoms are an indicator that your blood isn't clotting well...
 
If you want odd bruises then check this one out that I picked up a few weeks ago.

DSCF0382a.jpg


Appologies for the blurry photo, basically it was rectangular with the line in the centre which was not a bruise but broken skin. The bruise faded normally but I still have a scar of the centre line.

I'm fairly prone to bruises but only because in my line of work it is fairly common to get bashed about a little bit. I've no idea how it came about and normally my bruises are the usual random shape, not something so well defined that was capable of breaking the skin in one specific area.

I don't attribute anything weird to this, it's just one of those things but I can imagine how easy it would be for someone to convince themselves that they've been abducted and had something implanted.
 
Damn Jurek, that looks like a hickey :lol:

Human_84 said:
TVgeek said:
This sounds like the Sally scratches documented on
the program "Sightings."

The scratches were videotaped by the "Sightings" crew
as they appeared.
Click to expand...

I remember that!! :shock:
Click to expand...

Me too. That must have been a popular episode.
 
RainyOcean said:
Damn Jurek, that looks like a hickey :lol:
Click to expand...

It does a bit but my left bicep is a bit of an odd place for a hickey...actually now I come to think of it, no it isn't, but it's definitely not a hickey or at least not one I remember getting! :oops:
 
maybe's someone been making sweet luvin' to you in the night :)
 
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