Mosquitoes have bitten each of us; they spare neither children, nor the elderly, nor us and our pets. Almost 100 species of mosquitoes that bite and are dangerous to humans live in Russia.
Moreover, in different regions of the country, mosquitoes can differ significantly from each other - in some places they are larger, in others they are very small, causing severe allergies and itching.
However, only female mosquitoes bite people and animals; males are completely harmless and do not pose any danger to humans.
Who is most often bitten by mosquitoes?
Many parents, coming from the dacha with their children, notice that the child has a lot of mosquito bites, and they only have 1 or 2. Why is this happening, they wonder. Yes, because mosquitoes most often bite children; they have thinner and more delicate skin, which is easier to bite through.
Let's list who mosquitoes like to bite the most:
- children;
- fair-skinned people, their skin is thinner;
- people who sweat a lot because they are attracted by the smell of sweat and the warmth emanating from a person;
- girls during menstruation, pregnant women - the body secretes hormones.
If you fall into the category of those who are most often bitten by female mosquitoes, then before going out into nature you should take care of your protection from bites and get rid of the negative consequences.
Products from the My Sun® line for protection against insects
Mosquitoes see poorly (up to 1.5 meters) and do not “hear” very well. They search for their prey by the concentration of carbon dioxide exhaled by warm-blooded animals and humans, thermal radiation and the smell of the “microbial landscape” of a person, which is activated by sweating.
The mechanism of action of the main repellents is based on the “make-a-person-invisible” principle. They mask the odor that is attractive to mosquitoes, and it does not stick to the skin. For example, the well-known diethyltoluolamide (DEET) neutralizes the odor of lactic acid. But this substance itself is quite toxic; it is not recommended for use in products for children under 2 years of age. And it is better to apply it to clothes, not to skin.
The IR3535® repellent is similar in structure to the amino acid beta-alanine and is completely harmless to humans. But insects cannot stand its smell, and do not even land on skin coated with this substance.
Children's repellents My Sun® based on one of the most modern and safe ingredients - IR3535® - provide effective protection for children from the unpleasant and sometimes dangerous consequences of a mosquito bite.
That is why, in the fight against blood-sucking insects, use the My Sun® line of products, developed specifically for children:
Children's mosquito repellent spray My Sunshine®
The safe composition is designed specifically for babies from 3 months. Suitable for adults. Allowed for use by women during pregnancy. Effectively protects against mosquitoes, horseflies and other flying insects (sandflies, midges, midges).
Children's protective mosquito repellent cream My Sunshine®
If you are going to have active outdoor recreation, and not only your baby’s clothes, but also exposed skin areas require protection, additionally use My Sun® cream. Its effect lasts up to 2 hours, but if necessary, we recommend applying it more often.
Where and how many days or years do mosquitoes live?
Such questions are usually asked by children to their parents. Female mosquitoes live on average 2-3 months unless they die from chemicals, starve, or are caught by humans. Males live much shorter lives, only about 2 weeks. There is a misconception that they can live for several years.
Where do mosquitoes live? Mosquitoes can live anywhere, the main condition is a fairly warm temperature from +10C +15C and high humidity. Mosquitoes prefer to live and breed near ponds, swamps and rivers; they adore forests.
Where else can you find them? They love to live in dry grass, treetops, on farms near manure, in cellars and basements, outbuildings and country houses.
Therefore, before choosing a place where you will build a summer house, think about the presence of mosquitoes. Otherwise, your holiday at the countryside may be spoiled, you will be bitten, etc.
You should not choose areas located in the forest itself or next to it, or near abandoned reservoirs and ponds. This is where mosquitoes live and breed, and they won’t mind feasting on your blood.
It's all about chemistry.
The mosquito's meal lasts about thirty seconds. But before this, a special substance saturated with anticoagulants, digestive enzyme, histamine and many other microorganisms enters the blood through the insect’s proboscis. Thanks to this, the clotting process in the blood stops, and the mosquito can safely receive its portion. After this, due to the action of histamine, swelling, redness and itching appear. This substance remains in the wound and causes the immune system to produce an allegorical reaction. Due to this, the bite site begins to itch.
Why does the place where you were bitten by a mosquito itch and swell?
Before a female mosquito begins to suck blood from a child, adult or animal, she introduces an enzyme into the blood that prevents the blood from clotting. This substance is the culprit of allergies, irritation and itching on human skin.
Allergy to mosquito bites, as we said a little earlier, occurs differently for everyone. There have been cases where multiple bites even led to the death of a person.
But fortunately, in most people the allergy occurs in the form of toothache, redness, and sometimes red bumps appear on the arms or legs.
Moreover, the allergy may not appear immediately, but after a few hours - you will develop a large blister similar to a pimple, which will itch very much and this itching will be difficult to fight. If you or your child suffer from such an allergy, then you should always carry Suprastin, Tavigil or similar tablets with you.
Why do mosquitoes bite?
Insects bite not out of harm, but for the purposes of self-defense, reproduction or obtaining food. Some of them have pointed jaws that pierce the skin. Others have a stinger that injects the victim.
Mosquitoes are representatives of the first category. They need blood not for nutrition, but for reproduction. This explains why mosquitoes bite: the more blood, the more eggs the female can lay. It is not surprising that nature has endowed it with a mouthparts suitable for biting.
Human blood tends to clot, and this prevents blood-sucking insects from getting it in the right quantity. There is also a natural mechanism to solve this problem. After puncturing the skin, the insect injects a special substance that prevents blood clotting. And this also explains why a mosquito bite itches and why blisters, lumps, and redness of the skin appear. All this is the body’s reaction to the injected anticoagulant.
What to do after a mosquito bite and how to cope with the itching?
- If you have allergies and have been severely bitten by mosquitoes, then be sure to take a pill to treat allergies (Suprastin, Tavigil, Zyrtec, Claritin).
- How to apply mosquito bites to a child? Buy an ointment with an anesthetic at the pharmacy; a little freezing will reduce the sensitivity of the child’s skin and the bite will practically not itch.
- Do you have swelling and severe allergies? Then take a suprastin tablet and apply ice, wrapped in a towel, or make a cold compress to the bite sites.
- It may seem strange to you, but you can combat the itch from a mosquito bite with a simple toothpaste. The cheapest one, not a gel one, will do.
To get rid of itching, you can use the following folk remedies:
- apply star balm to the sore spot;
- immediately after the bite, wipe the blister with hydrogen peroxide;
- a good folk remedy is the following: mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt in a glass of lukewarm water, wipe the bite area with a cotton swab;
- You can reduce itching and allergies using raw potatoes;
- if your child itches a lot, and there is practically nothing at hand, then lubricate the pimples with brilliant green or a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
- What else can you do - apply raw garlic or squeeze onion juice;
- Another folk remedy is dandelion juice.
Before going outdoors, go to the store and buy anti-itching and mosquito bite remedies (Mosquitol, Picnic and Deta balms will help you quickly get rid of irritation and reduce the bite).
The above remedies will help you and your child get rid of swelling, itching and burning after encountering mosquitoes. Now you know what to do to reduce the terrible consequences of the infection.
Signs of a bite allergy
Insect bites may cause swelling or appear as a tiny hole. The following signs indicate the development of an allergic reaction:
- A rash that gradually spreads to other parts of the body;
- Dizziness;
- Sudden weakness;
- Difficulty breathing, wheezing;
- Pain in the chest or abdomen;
- Increased heart rate;
- Nausea;
- Severe swelling, even if it develops quite far from the bite site.
If such signs appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. This condition can threaten not only health, but also life.
Infection of the bite area is no less dangerous. At the same time, pus begins to accumulate inside the wound or around it, the lymph nodes become enlarged, and a fever begins. A person feels unwell, similar to what happens with the flu.
Why are bites dangerous?
A mosquito bite can cause itchy skin, which causes involuntary or intentional scratching. This often occurs in young children and, under certain circumstances, can lead to bacterial infection. In addition, mosquitoes can be carriers of dangerous parasites, pathogenic viruses, bacteria, so please note that insect saliva often causes infection with serious diseases:
- tularemia (acute focal infection affecting the lymph nodes);
- yellow fever;
- lymphatic filariasis (helminthic infestations of humans);
- malaria (infectious disease);
- dengue fever (acute viral disease);
- Zika virus.
These diseases are not relevant for middle latitudes with a temperate climate; they are more typical only for some areas of the planet (Central America and Asia, the Caribbean). Mosquito bites in these areas can be fatal. For example, more than 500 thousand people die from malaria every year. To exclude cases of diseases, it is recommended to get vaccinated before traveling to Asian or warm tropical countries.
Why does a mosquito bite itch?
Swelling and inflammation at the site of a mosquito bite occurs due to a response from the immune system. The insect injects an anticoagulant under the skin to prevent blood clotting. Our immune system recognizes foreign bodies as a threat and attacks with immune cells. Because of this, the temperature at the site of the bite rises, the skin changes color, and a seal appears that itches and itch.
In people with normal immunity, the swelling goes away after two to three days, even if the bite is not treated . For allergy sufferers, it can be more intense, up to 10 cm in diameter, and last much longer.
Children are especially susceptible to severe allergic reactions to mosquito bites. Babies have thin skin, their immunity is still immature, so the bite site swells greatly. A large, hot bump appears that does not go away for several days, and the red spot can persist for up to several months. But what is more dangerous is that the itchy place just wants to be scratched, and kids cannot fight this urge. By scratching mosquito bites, children introduce bacteria into them, causing inflammation and suppuration. This can lead to unpleasant complications:
- the appearance of ulcers on the skin;
- the development of streptoderma - an infectious skin disease in which the skin is affected by streptococcal bacteria, and multiple itchy and weeping spots appear on the body.
Therefore, mosquito bites in children must be treated. It is important to relieve itching and redness as soon as possible to prevent scratching and infection of the wounds. In addition, the sooner you treat a blister, the greater the chance that it will go away faster and there will be no trace left of it.
How to prevent mosquito attacks?
Already knowing why mosquitoes make your skin itch, you can protect yourself. The first thing you need to do is install mosquito nets in your house. Then you can calmly ventilate rooms in hot weather without fear of being bitten. We also recommend adhering to the following preventive measures:
- When going outdoors, wear clothes that will cover areas of your body.
- Use special aerosols and gels that repel mosquitoes.
- Mosquitoes cannot stand the smell of tomatoes. You can plant them on your balcony to repel insects.
- A fumigator is a network-powered device. A special plate is inserted into it, which spreads a smell throughout the room that repels mosquitoes. Such a device does not harm humans.
In most cases, the above prevention methods help avoid mosquito bites. If they do appear, then you should not damage them. It is better to treat the affected area with an antiseptic or iodine.
Effective medications
The most effective remedy is antihistamines. They can be taken either internally (in tablet form) or externally (sprays, creams and ointments). Most often, the following drugs are used to eliminate itching: Fenistil, Levomekol, Radevit and Bepanten. They do not cause side effects. Before using the medications, be sure to read the instructions; there are contraindications. The ointment is applied to clean, dry skin 2 to 4 times a day. You can eliminate unpleasant symptoms in just one day.
Read also: Itching in the intimate area in women: why it itches, how to treat it
