Chances are, if you are out and about this summer, a mosquito is going to bite you. Because mosquitos feed on your blood, it is hard to avoid being bitten from time to time. A lot of people really do not like something sucking their blood — we get that. More people complain about the bites from a mosquito than any other insect. Mosquito bites can itch terribly. How do you stop mosquito bites from itching?
A Little about Mosquitos
Female mosquitos bite you because they have to. Seriously. If the female mosquito does not bite you, she can’t get enough protein to lay her eggs. Female mosquitos spend a lot of time flying around looking for victims. To be honest, you are not that hard to spot. The carbon dioxide you exhale and the acids on your skin make you very attractive to mosquitos. They are also attracted to body heat. When the female mosquito gets to your skin, she slides her mouth instrument or proboscis into you. She is injecting you with an enzyme that dulls the pain and prevents clotting. When she’s full, she flies away.
Oh, Those Mosquito Bites!
The reason you know you’ve been bitten in the first place is because of the bite itself. The enzyme in the mosquito’s saliva is a foreign invader, and that invasion forces your body to react. Everyone has a different reaction to mosquito bites. Some people experience mosquito bite swelling. For others, their mosquito bites blister. There are people who have extreme reactions to their mosquito bites because of the histamine levels released in their bodies. Their bites can swell to the size of grapefruits.
Why do mosquito bites itch more at night? The answer is simple. You scratch in your sleep. Also, some people have higher levels of histamine in their bodies at night. That’s because their allergy medicine wears off as the day wears on, which makes bites itchier.
Mosquito Bite Treatment
You may be wondering how long do mosquito bites itch. That depends on the person. There are ways that you can treat the itch and reduce the amount of time your bite will bug you. First, stop scratching. The more you scratch, the longer you will itch. In addition, you might get your bite infected. Instead, wash the bite with soap and cold water. Treat your bite with calamine lotion because it both soothes and cools the bite. You can also apply an anti-itch cream, such as hydrocortisone cream. These creams reduce the level of histamines in your body. You might try taking an anti-inflammatory as well. (please note: consult with your doctor prior to using creams and taking inflammatory medications)
Here are a few other suggestions for you.
If you notice that you received a bite and want to stop mosquito bites from itching cover the bite with an ice pack or a cold washcloth immediately. If you can apply something cold to the bite quickly, there will be less blood rushing to it. This may slow down both the swelling and the itching. Also, before you go outside, take an antihistamine. This won’t prevent you from being bitten, but it will prevent histamines from forming quickly.
Want to work on preventing those pesky critters from flying around your house this summer? There are a few things you can do for that as well. You may want to change the type of clothing you wear. Wear light colors rather than dark ones. Change the outside lights around your house to yellow or red. You can also give us a call. We have lots of ideas for you to get rid of those flying bloodsuckers. Contact NJ Pest Control, in Randolph, N.J., which is in Morris County.
