Don't scratch your mosquito bites!

Image courtesy of Google

We've all been there, suffering the aftermath of time spent in the great outdoors... Mosquito Bites. Here are some fun facts about mosquito bites and how to treat them effectively.

We blame mosquitoes for the horrible itch that follows their bite. What is ACTUALLY happening is our body is releasing histamine as a reaction to the bite. Histamine is hormone our body produces which is involved in both inflammation responses and immune responses.

Histamine is what causes our mosquito bite to swell up, appear red, and feel warm to the touch, and worst of all, to itch. However, no matter what, don't scratch your bite! When you scratch your mosquito bites, it creates a positive feedback loop which tells your body to release even more histamine which will make your mosquito bite itch even more! Don't scratch your mosquito bites, it will only make it worse.

What can you do to help the itch go away? There are all kinds of home remedies for mosquito bite relief, but do they actually work? Heat will only cause more dilation of your capillaries and make it worse. You may be tempted to use an oatmeal bath or something similar, but it won't help. Alcohol will dry the area out which will cause more irritation. We already discovered scratching doesn't help. Trying to pinch the bite or squeeze the mosquito saliva out does not work either. Remember, it isn't actually the mosquito saliva that causes the itch, but our body's own histamine response. Besides, by the time you feel the itch your body has already processed the mosquito saliva out of your system. Essential oils can irritate the skin in individuals with sensitive skin, and generally cannot treat the underlying causes. (Although essential oils can work as a good insect repellent, but I'll cover that in another post.)

What does work? You can put an antihistamine cream on it, which will relieve the itch for a while, but won't treat the underlying symptoms. You can also cool the area with an ice pack, which can create temporary relief from the symptoms. The best thing for a mosquito bite is an over the counter steroid cream like cortisone. This will treat the underlying causes of the itch by creating vaso-constriction, and reducing the signs of inflammation (swelling, redness, etc.) What this does is signal to your body that it does not need to continue to release histamine because the issue is under control. 

And voila! No more itch.... Because Science!

Cheers!

- Fliff



* DISCLAIMER *
I'm not a doctor, so do not consider any of this information to be medical advice. Do your own research and talk to your own doctor before using any over the counter medications.