Mosquito Bite

Mosquitoes and its bite are really irritating. Mosquitoes are closely related to flies and gnats and are biting insects. Only the female mosquito feeds on humans. In order to produce eggs, she needs human blood. While biting the human skin, the female injects saliva into the victim’s body. This saliva contains a protein which keeps the blood flowing into the mosquito’s mouth. The mosquitoes bite mostly at dawn or at dusk since they are most active at that time.

Symptoms of mosquito bite:

Common symptoms of mosquito bite are as follows.

Itching and swelling of the affected area.
Initial soft, pale bumps on the skin which later become pink or red in color.
Serious reaction to mosquito bites might occur rarely. This might result in swelling in the throat, significant hives and wheezing.
Since mosquitos can transmit disease, sometime a more serious infection might occur. Some of the symptoms of infection include fever, head and body ache, vomiting, swollen glands, rash etc.
Causes of mosquito bite:

Mosquito bite is caused by various environmental factors which help them to breed. They are

Stagnant or slow moving water nearby. Puddle that remain for four or more days after raining.
Moist soil, leaf litter or clogged rain gutters.
Fish ponds, bird bath and neglected swimming pools.
Moist tarp, logs, truck beds, old tires etc.
Leaky spigots or even tree hole can be a cause.
Home Remedies for mosquito bite:

There are some simple home remedies available for mosquito bite.

Scratching the mosquito bite could break the skin and lead to bacterial infection. Instead, apply hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion.
Make a paste with one teaspoon of water and equal volume of dry meat tenderizer. Apply several times a day until the symptoms decrease.
A cold pack or bag filled with crushed ice may help to reduce the symptom.
Take Benadryl, Tylenol Severe Allergy, Claritin or Zyrtec for stronger reactions in order to ease the body response.
Applying lemon/lime juice or rubbing the inside of a banana peel can help too.
Make a paste (using water to moisten) of a small amount of salt. Apply to the bite to relieve itchiness and swelling.
Prevention of mosquito bite:

Consider using preventive techniques to keep mosquito bites away.

Taking bath in heavily diluted solution of chlorine beach and tub water.
Adding two capfuls of bleach to a tub of warm water and soaking for 15 minutes will help.
Bath oils like ‘Alpha-Keri’ and ‘Avon’s Skin-So-Soft’ act as a decent mosquito repellant. The same is true with some sunscreens such as ‘Pre-Sun’.