Mosquito Bite Allergy

The bad news is that if you get a severe mosquito bite swelling because you have a mosquito bite allergy, there is not a lot you can do except avoid mosquitoes and apply insect repellent. The first thing to do if you suspect that you have a mosquito bite allergy, is to visit your doctor with a red, swollen mosquito bite. This allows your doctor to see the insect bite for himself and to advise you on your insect bites and stings accordingly.

Mosquito Bite Swelling

Mosquito bites irritate because when a female mosquito bites you, she squirts saliva containing proteins and enzymes into the wound.

This saliva has a number of purposes that we know of: it anaesthetises the vicinity of the bite and makes your blood run more liberally (anti-coagulant). It may also include a mild antiseptic.

However, these proteins and enzymes are sooner or later picked up on by your body’s immune system (typically within 24 hours) and your body releases antibodies and histamines in an attempt to protect itself from the antigens that the mosquito has injected into the wound.

These histamines are the real source of the itchiness and other reactions to mosquito bites. This is where the problem begins. Most individuals suffer from a little itching and a small, red, hard swelling.

The swelling from this kind of mosquito attack is not what is meant by an allergic reaction, although it is actually an allergic reaction to having been bitten by the insect that caused the mosquito bite swelling.

Real allergic reactions to insect bites are much worse and often necessitate professional medical treatment. You will know if you are truly allergic to this insect. Some people go on to become tolerant to mosquito saliva and hardly show any mosquito bite swelling at all.

In my experience, this requires 18-24 months of being bitten day after day. It is not worth letting mosquitoes bite you in order to achieve this condition of tolerance.

Mosquito Bite Allergy

While it is true that anybody that gets a lump and or an itch after having been bitten by a mosquito is suffering from an allergic reaction, that 'normal' lump and itch is not what medical professionals in the field call a mosquito bite allergy.

Some of the worse reactions occur on areas of the body where there is little or no fat like on joints, ankles, fingers and toes. However, a real mosquito bite allergy is far worse and you will know that you have to see a doctor if you are truly allergic to mosquitoes' or other insects' bites.

It is a similar scenario with bee or wasp stings. Nobody likes getting stung by bees or wasps: it hurts, swells up and goes away. an allergic reaction, you might say. However, some people go into shock after being stung by a bee or wasp, some people go into a coma and some people die.

It is very rare to see such severe reactions with mosquito bite allergies, but it certainly is far worse than the normal 'allergic' reaction to a bug bite. You would definitely know it if you had a mosquito bite allergy.

There are, of course plenty of insect creams on the market that offer mosquito bite relief to most people in most cases of mosquito and other insect bites. Mosquito bite treatment can include the use of creams and lotions.

Some of the best mosquito bite creams are: Tiger Balm and Sam Bak. However, prevention remains better than cure, so put insect repellent on all areas of exposed skin and on your clothes if you go into areas infested by mosquitoes.

This usually means any region where there is plenty of stagnant or slow-moving fresh water. Mosquitoes do not like the salt in the sea. The pictures of mosquito bite reactions on this page are not the result of a mosquito bite allergy.