Allergic to Mosquito Bites? Here’s How to Thrive This Summer

It is normal for different bodies to respond to bug bites in their own way. However, mosquito bites tend to follow a general trend. First, you can expect a round, puffy, red bump to appear in the few minutes immediately following the bite. Then, an irritating and seemingly unstoppable itching sensation will begin. The skin around the bite will likely turn red, and in some cases, multiple reddish-brown bumps appear within a day or two following the mosquito bite. Mild blisters or dark spots, while a bit rarer, are typically considered consistent with the “normal” scope of bug bite reactions.

Allergic Reactions to Mosquito Bites

Allergic reactions to mosquito bites are most commonly referred to as “Skeeter syndrome” and are sometimes mistaken for bacterial infections. Where bacterial infections often occur as a result of excessive scratching causing a break in the skin which allows germs to get in, allergic reactions are caused by a disagreement between a body’s chemical makeup and proteins in mosquito saliva. Skeeter syndrome occurs most frequently in children who lack immune resistance or in elderly people with weakened immune systems. It is worth noting that you may develop an allergy to mosquito bites at any time, even if you have never had a reaction before. Unfortunately, there is no simple, easy test to detect an allergy to mosquitoes, and often, people do not realize they have “Skeeter syndrome” until a reaction takes place.

An allergy to mosquito bites may differ in severity from person to person, but symptoms generally include large areas of swelling, a noticeable rise in skin temperature around the bite, skin texture and color changes, blisters, and fever. Skeeter syndrome symptoms typically arise 8-12 hours following the bite.

What to Do if You Are Bitten and React Negatively

If you are bitten by a mosquito and suffer an allergic reaction, physicians generally recommend that you take oral antihistamines or over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. These can also help manage fevers and related symptoms. Holding a frozen ice pack over the swollen, angry area can help soothe the pain and itch symptoms. You can also treat the bite site with hydrocortisone lotion or cream. If none of these help and your reaction worsens, see your doctor for a steroid prescription or injection.

Our professionals also recommend dabbing the bite site with a rubbing alcohol pad. This denatures the proteins in a bite which are the cause of the allergic reaction. Rubbing alcohol works to reduce swelling as a result of the histamine response that comes with skeeter syndrome.

Professional Mosquito Control

A great way to avoid exposure to allergens such as mosquito bites is to contact Mosquito Squad and learn about our barrier treatment services. Outdoor pest control can reduce your risk of being bitten and thus suffering from Skeeter syndrome this warm season. At Mosquito Squad, we believe that you and your family deserve a healthy, happy outdoor space in which to recreate, and our traditional barrier treatment and natural treatment sprays can help us to achieve that goal together.

Mosquito Squad’s traditional barrier spray has been trusted by more than 300,000 families across the U.S. and has even been administered in countries like Kenya and Indonesia to aid in the fight against Malaria. The proprietary blend concocted by Mosquito Squad professionals in 2005 reduces up to 85-90% of mosquito populations in a treated area, and its defense lasts for up to 21 days. We offer a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee, so if you and your family are still experiencing pesky bugs following your initial treatment, we will reassess and administer a second round free of charge. 

Give our professionals a call today to receive a free quote and keep mosquito bites from triggering allergic reactions.