Don’t Scratch That Itchy Mosquito Bite!

The itch of a mosquito bite can drive you crazy! How many times have you been a victim to these disease-spreading pests and felt like there was just nothing that could satisfy the itch? Do you know why a bite from these suckers causes such discomfort? This article explains a little about why you feel the urge to scratch.

Why do mosquito bites itch and swell up?

When a mosquito bite breaks the skin, a person’s body recognizes the mosquito’s saliva as a foreign substance. This causes an immune system response, which aims to flush out the intruder. The swelling around the bite is caused by histamine, which is produced by the immune system. Histamine increases blood flow and white blood cell count around the affected area, which causes inflammation or swelling.

Of course, turning to your fingernails can only make matters worse, because scratching is just going to increase the blood flow and already cause an inflamed area to swell up even more, and become even more unbearable.

Scratching also gets more of the saliva from the bug into the bite wound. Yuk! So the risk of infection increases. Move those ‘wanting to scratch’ fingernails away from the bug bite! Sit on your hands. Do anything to stop yourself!

How to Prevent and Stop the Itch of Mosquito Bites FAST!

Some people are mosquito magnets. They attract mosquitoes like honey draws flies. A bunch of people can be sitting around the back yard enjoying themselves and not being bothered by mosquitoes. That’s because one or two people in the group are getting all the mosquito action. It’s not fair!

There are ways to stop the itch, but of course, the best method is to protect yourself so that you don’t get bitten at all. Apply mosquito repellent, wear sensible clothes and avoid being outside at times of the day when mosquitoes are most active.