Itchy Mosquito Bites? Why do they itch & what to do about it
Oh it's that time again! Mosquito bites all over. Whether it's a good night's sleep, a pick nick, a family barbecue, a romantic outdoor sunset dinner or a walk in the park, these nasty mosquito bites can really spoil the day...and night
No question nature must have a good use for these buzzing creatures but to a lot of us they're most of the times simply quiet annoying
Don’t let the itching spoil your day, do something about it now!
First let's take a look at this mosquito movie, it already explains a lot about the what & how, later we will tell you some more about it and
In this section we will explain why and who they bite, why the bites itch & what the symptoms are. On our other mosquito bite pages you'll find remedies and treatments for relief from those bites. But what's maybe even more important, how to prevent them to begin with
As you saw in the video only the female mosquito treats us to those wonderful bites. Our blood contains something called isoleucine (yes that too…) which she needs for making eggs
Human blood is not even the best source for isoleucine. Buffalo blood and blood from rats contains more of it, but people outnumber rats and buffaloes in most places so they bite us instead
So our blood is necessary for their survival
Why do mosquitoes seem to bite one person more than the other?
As you probably already found out, you either are skeeter bait or they swarm around you without even considering you're worth the bite. Or at least that's how it seems. Why do you get bitten and the one next to you remains bite free?
The old wives tale says it's because you have sweet blood. It's partly true; as most of you already suspected it has to do with your body chemistry
Matter of smell
Your body heat, movement and moisture play an important roll in why she desires your blood. But the most important factor is scent
In the video they mention things like smelly feet etc so mosquitoes are simply attracted to the smell of certain people
Everybody gives off smells that attract mosquitoes and smells that camouflage those smells. If you're one of the lucky ones who remains bite free it's probably because your body gives off more of the masking smell
Mosquitoes home in on their "victim" by mainly sensing carbon dioxide, the stuff that you breathe out with every breath. They buzz around for a bit to smell you out and then...well the rest is known
So stop breathing and they will hardly be able to find you any more!....
Why do mosquito bites itch?
You probably heard it from your children many times before and probably asked yourself the same question while scratching: "Why do mosquito bites itch?"
When she (mosquito mom) lands on us she pierces our skin with her mouth and sucks up our blood until she's full. She can swallow up to four times her weight in blood! In the same time she also injects a small amount of saliva. This saliva works as an anesthetic; it numbs the skin a bit and also stops the blood from clotting
Our body's defense system reacts to the proteins in her saliva which result in the familiar itching and bumps
Which leads us to
Mosquito bite symptoms
Well that's not a hard one; you've come to this place because of it we assume. Just to be on the complete side the symptoms include:
Soft and, in the beginning, pale bump or swelling on your skin that can become red. The bumps can appear immediately or up to two days and they can last from a few hours up to 10 days
Itching Normally lasts longer than the swelling
If you're more sensitive to the bites of mosquitoes the area where it itches may be larger
Note NoteNote
Very rarely somebody can have an allergic reaction to mosquito bites. This can result in swelling in the throat, hives and wheezing. This can be life threatening and needs immediate medical attention
Serious diseases
However be aware that mosquitoes, through their saliva, can transmit serious diseases such as West Nile virus, malaria, yellow fever and dengue fever
So whenever you or someone you're with gets bitten and after it experiences the following signs or symptoms seek immediate diagnosis and medical treatment
Fever
Severe headache
Body aches
Nausea
Vomiting
Swollen glands
Rash
Lethargy
Confusion
Sensitivity to light
Jaundice
Want to know more?
If after this you want to know more about mosquito bites, and especially how to treat them, visit our other pages. There you'll find natural treatments and relief tips, and maybe even more important, powerful natural ways to prevent getting bitten
Got Bitten? Why you, why they itch & how they look
Remember you're already gifted with the most effective
natural solution available:
a genuine
Smile!
And in case that doesn't help, you can find one here at Natural-Homeremedies-For-Life.com
That's it, we from Natural-Homeremedies-For-Life.com hope that you found what you were looking for and that some of these tips have helped you to get rid of those nasty itches and bumps
Our First Aid section provides many more Natural Cures, Home Remedies, Herbal Cures and Natural Treatments for all kinds of emergencies. You might want to bookmark it for quick reference
Or start from our home page so you can expand your knowledge about specific natural cures and home remedies or start to set up a solid basic understanding
