Itchy Mosquito Bite? Don't Scratch It!

“Don’t scratch it!” How many times did your mother say that to you when you were younger? From Leominster to Wilmington and Newburyport to Gloucester, a summer evening outside playing could very easily end with a long miserable night of dealing with itchy mosquito bites. The same can be true as an adult.

MOSQUITO BITES CAUSE AN ITCHY REACTION

When a female mosquito bites you, it is your reaction to her saliva that causes the irritation, and people react differently. Same party, same yard, same bugs: You are covered and miserable, and your child or spouse doesn’t feel a thing. It’s an allergic reaction, the same as an allergy to bee stings though rarely as extreme. However, scratching can cause open sores and lead to infection which is likely to lead to a doctor visit. So don’t to it.

There are some other things not to do as well. Home remedies. I know that our grandmothers taught us more than we will ever learn from books, but maybe this time we should stick with the doctor’s advice instead of her homespun antidote.

SKIP THE HOME REMEDIES

How do you stop the mosquito bite itch? Essential oils, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice are honestly more likely to irritate an open bite then cure it. Garlic, toothpaste, onions applied to the bite? How about just a little good old real medicine? Dr. Rajani Katta, a board certified dermatologist, suggests just a little bit of hydrocortisone cream can do the trick. Use twice a day, and it will reduce redness and swelling as well as tackle the itch. There are steroid creams as well, but they also are known to thin the skin, which can make us more prone to cuts and bruises, so use them sparingly. And again… don’t scratch! Scratching can also lead to scarring over time. Katta suggests tapping or apply pressure to the bump. “There’s a particular nerve fiber that carries a message of itching to the brain, but you can distract it by tapping or applying pressure,” she tells Country Living. It’s worth a shot, right?

Avoiding the mosquitoes – that’s the best way to keep the itch to a minimum. At Mosquito Squad of Franklin & Framingham, we’ve got you covered. Our mosquito barrier treatment eliminates 85-90% of the mosquitoes in your yard on contact and the time released formula continues to kill them for up to 21 days. Call to schedule your first treatment today!