All You Never Wanted to Know about Mosquito Bites
I honestly cannot think of another pest I hate more than pesky mosquitoes. Sure, gnats annoy you and mice eat your food, but mosquitoes will hunt you down and suck your blood.
Once mosquito season comes around, I do everything I can to get rid of mosquitoes from my yard and my house. But you can’t avoid these bloodsuckers entirely without living in a bubble. I hope this article helps you avoid getting bitten and choose the best mosquito bite treatments for the ones you couldn’t avoid.
Skip Ahead
- Mosquitoes Fast Facts
- About Mosquito Bites
- Mosquito Bite Allergies
- Mosquito Bite Treatment
- How Long do Mosquito Bites Last Without Treatment?
Mosquitoes Fast Facts
Where do Mosquitoes Live?
A mosquito population needs two things to survive and reproduce. That is water and hosts to feed off of. So…that is basically everywhere aside from Antarctica.
You are more likely to find higher concentrations of mosquitoes in areas that are populated, damp, and with a warmer climate. With that being said, it shouldn’t surprise you to hear that the US cities with the most mosquitoes are Dallas-Forth Worth, New York, Atlanta, and Washington D.C. (source)
What Seasons are Mosquitoes Active?
Mosquitoes are cold-blooded creatures that can hibernate in colder weather. They prefer warmer temperatures and will remain dormant until their environment heats up.
Many breeds of adult mosquitoes will basically shut down their system to wait out the winter until they can rise again for a few weeks of finding food and mating before they die.
The mosquito eggs are what allows this insect to survive the winters though. The eggs are able to hibernate as embryos where an army of young mosquitoes will hatch when winter is over.
About Mosquito Bites
Do All Mosquitoes Bite People?
Of the 3,000 plus species of mosquito, only about 200 species bite humans. Of those 200 species that will try to suck your blood, not a single male mosquito will bite you. The females are another story though.
Both male and female mosquitoes can live off of plant nectar. Females can technically live their entire lives without ever feeding on blood, but they would never be able to reproduce that way. The nectar gives them nourishment, but it doesn’t have the protein or iron that is needed for the females to produce eggs. The only reason they bite you is so that they can create the next generation of bloodsuckers, similar to why bed bugs and yellow flies feed off of blood.
Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch
When a female mosquito latches her mouth-parts into you, she takes in your blood but releases saliva into the wound. The proteins in her spit cause an immune system response by your body that sends histamines to fight what your body sees as an attack.
The increased blood flow and white blood cells from the histamine cause inflammation/swelling as well as an itchy sensation due to the signals sent to surrounding nerves by the histamine.
Are Some People More Attractive to Mosquitoes than Others?
Yes, there are some unfortunate people known as “mosquito magnets”. There are several factors that scientists have found to increase your susceptibility of being hunted down by a mosquito. The most influential traits are:
- Blood types – Type O attracts nearly twice as many mosquitoes as Type A blood
- Carbon Dioxide emissions – larger people generally exhale more carbon dioxide
- Recently working out – mosquitos are attracted to lactic acid, ammonia, and high temperatures
- Beer drinking – studies show beer-drinking attracts mosquitoes, just not why
- Pregnancy – pregnant women have a higher average body temperature and exhale more carbon dioxide than others
Are Mosquito Bites Dangerous?
I don’t want to set off any alarms, but mosquitoes kill more people than any other animal. They account for about 725,000 deaths per year. That’s almost twice as many deaths caused to humans as the 2nd biggest killer of humans…humans (citation)
No, there aren’t thousands of cases of people dropping dead after being bitten by a mosquito. The deaths are caused when from diseases carried by mosquitoes between humans and also between humans and other animals.
That number should and shouldn’t scare you. If you aren’t in an area known to have mosquito-borne diseases then you usually don’t have to worry about getting sick from a bite. You still should always be aware of any symptoms that arise after a bite.
Common Diseases Spread by Mosquitoes
Malaria
- Worldwide Annual Cases – 219 million cases in 2017
- Worldwide Annual Deaths – 435,000 in 2017
- Vaccine Available – Yes – Mosquirix
- Symptoms – fever, chills, vomiting, nausea, and other flu-like illness
- Regions Most Affected – See this map
Dengue virus
- Worldwide Annual Cases – 390 million dengue infections; 500,000 develop into dengue hemorrhagic fever
- Worldwide Annual Deaths – 25,000
- Vaccine Available – Yes – Dengvaxia
- Symptoms – high fever, severe headaches, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, skin rash, mild bleeding
- Regions Most Affected – See this map
Chikungunya virus
- Vaccine available – No
- Symptoms – Mainly fever and joint pain. Some people experience headaches, muscle pain, joint swelling and rashes. Death is not a common outcome, fortunately.
- Regions Most Affected – See this map
West Nile Virus
- Vaccine Available – Not for humans
- Symptoms – 8/10 people show no symptoms; 1 in 5 people develop mild flu-like symptoms; 1 in 150 people develop severe symptoms such as encephalitis or meningitis
- Regions Most Affected – See this map
Yellow Fever
- Worldwide Annual Cases – estimated 84,000–170,000
- Worldwide Annual Deaths – estimated 29,000–60,000
- Vaccine Available – Yes
- Symptoms
- Acute Phase (3-6 days after infection) – flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, sensitivity to light, loss of appetite, dizziness
- Toxic Phase – jaundice, abdominal pain and vomiting, bleeding from eyes, bleeding from the nose, bleeding from eyes, slow heart rate, kidney failure, delirium, seizures, coma, death
- Regions Most Affected – Africa and South America
Zika Virus
- Vaccine Available – No
- Symptoms – rash, full-body itching, muscle pain, red eyes, joint pain, fever, headache
- Pregnancy Complications – microcephaly and other congenital abnormalities in the developing fetus, fetal loss, stillbirth, and preterm birth
- Regions Most Affected – See this map
Citations –
- https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/malaria/index.html
- https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/dengue-fever-reference#1
- https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/symptoms/index.html
- https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(17)30089-9/pdf
- https://www.bcm.edu/departments/molecular-virology-and-microbiology/emerging-infections-and-biodefense/mosquitoes
- https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/symptoms/index.html
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/yellow-fever
- http://www.eliminatedengue.com/our-research/zika
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/zika/
- https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/zika-virus
Mosquito Bite Allergies
The majority of people bitten by a mosquito will show the typical symptoms of an allergic reaction such as swelling and itching caused by the histamines immune response to the proteins in the mosquito saliva.
Even though this is technically an “allergic reaction,” the term “mosquito allergy” is saved for more severe cases.
Skeeter Syndrome
A more severe allergic reaction to mosquito bites is known as Skeeter syndrome. Cute name for an immune disorder, huh?
In most cases, there isn’t a necessary treatment for Skeeter syndrome. The symptoms are generally just stronger reactions than a typical bite with larger swelling, more intense itching, and a slight burning sensation around the bites. In some cases, people will exhibit a fever, nausea, swelling of the eyes, and/or hives. (more information on Skeeter Syndrome)
Hypersensitivity to Mosquito Bites (HMB)
This isn’t really an allergic reaction but has been confused with being an allergy for some time so I’m adding it here.
With HMB, the swelling is MUCH worse, more like skin lesions. If you really want to see how bad it is, check out this photo. Those infected can also experience high fevers, general malaise, cramps, and renal failure (citation).
HMB is often observed in association with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and natural killer (NK) cell lymphoproliferative disorder. It is currently unknown how many people are affected by HMB, but we do know it is a very rare condition that is found mainly in younger individuals in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and the native populations of Mexico, Central America, and South America (citation).
Mosquito Bite Treatment
Assuming you are having a regular mosquito bite reaction, not a more severe allergy or a viral/pathogen such as Malaria or West Nile Virus, here are some tips to treat mosquito bites. They are some tried and true home remedies you can use to stop/soothe the itching and other minor symptoms of bites.
Please note – none of the information below is official medical advice. It’s just advice from a person with a lot of experience being bitten by mosquitoes. If you want or need real medical advice, please call your physician.
DON’T SCRATCH IT!
Step 1 to treating a mosquito bite is not to scratch it. No matter how much it itches, you must fight the temptation. Sure, you’ll feel better right away, but the relief won’t last long and it will probably end up itchier soon and last longer.
Scratching a bite will irritate the area causing more inflammation which causes more itching. You also risk infecting the area would would become a much bigger problem than the slight irritation from an itchy bug bite.
Calamine Lotion
Hopefully, you have some calamine lotion in your medicine cabinet. This affordable topical lotion does wonders for bug bites and preventing infections. It has counter-irritant effects and a cooling sensation that quickly eases the itching feeling. There are also anti-inflammatory properties that can sometimes speed up the healing thanks to the zinc oxide that makes up most of the active ingredients.
Hydrocortisone Cream
Unlike calamine lotion, Hydrocortisone focuses on treating the inflammation to speed up the healing process rather than soothing the itch. Hydrocortisone uses corticosteroids to reduce inflammation which does ease the itch a bit but drastically reduces inflammation. Mild doses are available over the counter which usually works fine while the stronger version, hydrocortisone butyrate, needs to be prescribed by a doctor.
Bite Away
This is a German designed gadget that is a little pricey for a mosquito bite treatment, but probably the best. This little stick uses direct concentrated heat for 3-6 seconds to destroy the saliva proteins that are causing the itching. It’s a high heat that does hurt a bit, but it doesn’t get high enough to burn you and it is only a few seconds of pain for immediate and usually permanent relief from itching.
I was skeptical about this product until I read a scientific study that proved it works and went so far as to say “Compared with alternatives of pruritus and pain treatment after insect bites/stings, Bite Away seems to be the fastest treatment option available.”
Moisturize Regularly
One of the most common side effects of dry skin is itchiness. Combine that with a mosquito bite and you’ve significantly increased how itchy your bites will be. Keeping the area moisturized can really do a lot to keep the itching down to a minimum.
Try using a gentle moisturizer like this one. For some added relief, put the moisturizer in the refrigerator for an extra cooling sensation.
Honey
If you’re looking for a natural treatment for mosquito bites, honey is one of the best ones. Honey has wound healing properties that make it a great topical solution to naturally reduce inflammation and prevent infection.
Just make sure you wash off the honey if you’re heading outside. The sugar in the honey will attract more mosquitoes which would bring you right back to square one.
Oral Antihistamines
The whole reason you’re feeling itchy is because of the histamine sent to the bite by your immune system. Why not attack the root of the problem.
Benadryl works well but will put you to sleep. That can actually be a good thing if the bites are keeping you up at night. If you’re trying to have a productive day opt for a non-drowsy antihistamine like Zyrtec, Claritin, or Allegra
Ice/Cold Compress
Histamine draws blood to wounds. The increased blood-flow to the mosquito bite adds to the swelling and causes heat and itchiness. Icing the area will narrow the dilated blood vessels to narrow which should bring the inflammation down. The ice should also give a cool soothing feeling to stop the itching.
Cold Tea Bag
Take that cold compress idea and add some tea’s magic to it. Green tea and black tea have anti-inflammatory properties that should help with the swelling and irritation. Leave the soaking tea bag in your refrigerator to cool it down first. The cooling sensation and healing properties of the tea make a great combo.
Oatmeal
Remember those oatmeal baths to treat chicken pox? Well, that also works great for bug bites. Oatmeal helps immediately soothe itchiness. Unless you have been attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes and covered from head to toe, you can just make a paste and apply it directly to the bite.
Baking Soda
I don’t know how this works and I can’t find any scientific evidence to support why it works, but it has definitely helped me many times. You can create a soothing DIY baking soda paste by mixing four parts baking soda to one part water to make a thick paste that you can apply directly to the area.
How Long do Mosquito Bites Last Without Treatment?
For the luckiest people, a bite can go away within a few hours. Most people will have an itchy bump for 3-7 days. That’s all to say you haven’t been scratching the bite mark since that can extend the length of time it takes to heal.
The amount of time it takes to heal from a mosquito bite is mainly affected by your personal immune system’s response, length of time the mosquito was biting you, and whether or not you’re using effective mosquito bite remedies.
Photo Credits
Header photo – Егор Камелев on Unsplash
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