Mosquito Bite Relief

There are various kinds of mosquito bite relief for a mosquito bite swelling. I will deal with natural home remedies in this section. In the East many people rely on banana skin or Aloe Vera for serious mosquito bite relief. To use banana skin, first peel the banana and then rub the inside of the skin on the mosquito bite swelling. To use Aloe Vera in the north, you may need to buy a cream. In warmer climates, snap off a part of a leaf and a sap will run out. Rub that on the mosquito bite to alleviate the itch.

Mosquito Bite Swelling

Mosquito bites itch because when a female of the species bites you, she injects saliva containing proteins and enzymes into the wound. This saliva has a number of purposes that we know of: it anaesthetises the area of the bite and makes your blood run more freely (anti-coagulant). It may also contain a weak antiseptic.

However, these proteins and enzymes sooner or later are detected by your body’s immune system (usually within 24 hours) and your body releases antibodies and histamine in an effort to protect itself from the antigens that the mosquito has injected into the lesion. These histamines are the real source of the irritation or itching sensation from mosquito bites.

This is where the problems begin. Most people suffer from a little itching and a small hard, red lump. This mosquito bite swelling is not what is meant by an allergic reaction, although it is actually an allergic reaction which is causing that mosquito bite swelling.

True allergic reactions are much worse and often require professional treatment. You will know if you are allergic to the bites of these insects.

Some individuals go on to become tolerant, almost immune, to mosquito saliva and hardly show any mosquito bite swelling at all. In my experience, this takes 18-24 months of being bitten regularly. It is not worth allowing mosquitoes to bite you in order to attain this immunity.

Mosquito Bite Relief

Many people have their own favourite type of mosquito bite relief, but by far the best kind of mosquito bite relief is prevention. Long baggy clothing should be your first line of defence.

Tight clothing allows mosquitoes to insert her proboscis between the fibres of the fabric and bite you anyway (see the photo above), but baggy clothing lessens the mosquitoes' chances. Wear shoes and socks too if you go out at night. You could wear a light head scarf to protect your ears and neck, if one suits you.

After doing all this, you should use your favourite mosquito bite repellent on all exposed areas of skin and take note of how long the mosquito repellent is effective for. This is typically three to five hours and then you have to reapply it. My favourite is 'Kor Yor' from Thailand.

Then the mosquitoes will bite you anyway, but not in the numbers that they otherwise would have. Mosquito bite relief can be a personal thing, I think. What works for me might not work so well for you. Some of the mosquito bite remedies that I have heard or are: a piece of scotch tape, honey, cider, a tea bag and an ice cube.

Here, in Thailand, I you something called 'Green Cream' or Sam Bak. It is similar to 'Tiger Balm', which is also very good. Some people here use the inside of a banana skin on all problems to do with the skin. Others use the juice of a fresh Aloe Vera leaf and swear by them.

Bicarbonate of Soda paste works for others in providing mosquito bite relief. Some people apply an ice cube directly to the bite for mosquito bite relief. My wife slaps the bitten area hard with her hand; not to kill the mosquitoes, but she says that it provides instant relief from any further itching sensation.

Shop-bought mosquito bite relief treatments include any antihistamine, hydrocortisone and calamine lotion. The one thing that you must not do is scratch the bite directly with your nails. Rub it with your finger tip or scratch around it, but do not forget that it is a tiny open wound and if you put dirt from your nails into it, you could infect it, which will cause more problems and require further treatment and medication or even a visit to a medical professional.

i hope that one of these treatments brings you mosquito bite relief.