Mosquito bite: what helps against the swelling?

Mosquitoes can quickly spoil a nice, warm summer evening in the garden: a short sting and a reddened swelling forms, which is often visible for days. A mosquito bite is harmless in itself, but uncomfortable because it often   causes enormous itching . The symptoms can often be alleviated with simple home remedies. Here you can find out what you can do if you have been bitten by a mosquito and how an  allergy  to mosquito bites manifests itself.

Mosquito bites – annoying, but mostly harmless

Mücken sind zwar lästig, in Deutschland werden Mückenstiche jedoch als ungefährlich eingestuft. Zwar wurden vereinzelt bereits Erreger der Borreliose bei Mücken nachgewiesen, als Überträger der Erkrankung spielen die Insekten aber nach Einschätzung von Fachleuten – wenn überhaupt – höchstens eine untergeordnete Rolle. Hauptsächlich erfolgt die Übertragung durch Zecken.

In manchen Regionen gelten bestimmte Mückenarten jedoch als Überträger potenziell gefährlicher Erkrankungen, etwa von Malaria, Dengue-Fieber oder West-Nil-Fieber. Zu diesen exotischen Mückenarten gehört zum Beispiel die Asiatische Tigermücke, die sich nach und nach auch in Deutschland ausbreitet. Das Risiko einer Infektion mit einer tropischen Erkrankung ist hierzulande dennoch ausgesprochen gering, denn die Übertragung kann nur erfolgen, wenn die Stechmücke zuvor einen infizierten Menschen oder ein Tier gestochen hat, das die Krankheitserreger in sich trägt. Da solche tropischen Krankheiten hier üblicherweise nicht vorkommen, geht von den Blutsaugern hierzulande in der Regel keine erhöhte Gefahr aus.

Nevertheless, a mosquito bite can cause an allergic reaction or lead to severe redness and swelling. In addition, infection can occur if pathogens enter the wound.

Mosquito bite: what to do?

After a mosquito bite, the area usually appears swollen and reddened, and delayed itching is also a typical symptom. The stings usually go away on their own after a few days. However, it may be advisable to relieve the symptoms to prevent them from getting worse – the sooner the better. This helps against mosquito bites:

• Immediately after a mosquito bite, it should be  disinfected  . Thus, the risk of possible ignition can be significantly reduced. If no disinfectant is available, high-proof, clear alcohol can also be used if necessary.
• It is very important:  do not scratch,  even if the itching is enormous. Scratching a mosquito bite allows bacteria to enter our body more easily, potentially causing infection.
• Swelling helps: cool the affected area of ​​skin  .  A cooling gel for burns and insect bites soothes the itchy swollen area. If you don’t have something to hand, a cool pack or a damp cloth wrapped around the area will do. Attention: Do not put chilled food from the freezer directly on your skin, but wrap it in a kitchen towel to avoid frostbite.
• Ointments with an  antihistamine  or  hydrocortisone  from the pharmacy can provide relief from itching and soothe the swollen area.
• Acetic clay solution  cools and has an astringent effect. It is often available as a gel, for example combined with chamomile and arnica.
• Aloe vera  is also often available as a gel. The remedy cools, has an antiseptic effect and relieves pain.

Bite Healer: Heat against mosquito bites

Many people have had positive experiences with so-called bite healers, heat pens or heat sticks: These small electrical devices generate heat (around 50 °C) and are pressed on the mosquito bite for a few seconds. Heating can help relieve itching and swelling.

In theory, a metal spoon heated in hot water would have a similar effect. However, the risk of  burns  is very high here, which is why this method is not recommended.

Home remedies for mosquito bites

There are numerous household tips for treating mosquito bites. Here are some popular home remedies:

• It should help  to press a cross into the skin with your fingernail  just above the stitch.
• Crushed  plantain  is said to reduce swelling and relieve the itchy feeling.
• A sliced  ​​onion  pressed onto the area is said to have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties while reducing itching.
• Essential oils  with menthol or cineol can have a cooling, antiseptic and anti-itch effect. Diluted  tea tree oil is said to  have a similar effect.
• Spit is also   considered to have a cooling effect and, due to the substances it contains, even has a somewhat decongestant and pain-relieving effect.

Others swear by  apple cider vinegar , cottage cheese,  honey ,  or a drop of hot wax placed on the bug bite. Whether such home remedies show more than a short-term effect, however, is mostly controversial.

Mosquito bite swollen – allergy from mosquito bites?

For some people, a mosquito bite has no health consequences at all, for others it leads to severe redness, extensive swelling or thick wheals as well as a feeling of warmth and extreme itching. However, swelling after a mosquito bite is not necessarily a clear sign of an allergic reaction, but to some extent a normal defense reaction of the body. Allergy to mosquito bites, on the other hand, is very rare.

However, anyone who also suffers from symptoms such as skin rash,  circulatory problems , vomiting or  diarrhea  should have a possible allergy clarified by a doctor. If there is such a thing,  antihistamines  or  cortisone , for example, can be  used to treat a mosquito bite. In severe cases, affected people should carry an emergency kit with them.

In the case of a mosquito bite that  causes tachycardia  or shortness of breath, emergency medical help should be sought immediately. The same applies to mosquito bites that lead to large swellings of the skin on the neck, mouth or eyes. An allergic shock, as can occur with an allergy to bee or wasp stings, is only very rarely the result of a mosquito bite.

Inflammation after a mosquito bite – what to do?

In some cases, the mosquito bite is infected by bacteria that have gotten into the bite site, for example as a result of scratching. The infection manifests itself, for example, in large-scale swelling, the sting site sometimes becomes hot, changes color or  throbs . If the pathogens get into the lymphatic or bloodstream, in the worst case this can lead to inflammation of the lymphatic system or  sepsis  (blood poisoning).

At the latest when fever occurs or a reddish line forms from the puncture site, immediate medical treatment is required. Treatment is then often with  antibiotics .

What happens when you get a mosquito bite?

Only females bite among mosquitoes, while males feed on nectar. Female mosquitoes need blood to encourage the development of their eggs. For this reason they are also very greedy in sucking blood, it is a kind of survival instinct.

Unfortunately, we often don’t even notice at first that we are being bitten by a mosquito. Because a mosquito doesn’t have a sting, but a proboscis with which it sucks up our blood. This has a fine surface with spikes. In this way, the mosquito can open the skin through tiny cuts, so to speak. Immediately after tearing the skin, the mosquito injects its saliva into the skin opening.

On the one hand, the mosquito saliva triggers a kind of anesthesia, so that we only notice the bite when the mosquito has already struck. On the other hand, it serves the mosquito as an aid to keep the blood fluid. Without it, the blood would clot and the mosquito could no longer suck it up.

However, the composition of the saliva can be problematic. Because the proteins present can trigger an allergy or other possible reactions.

Swelling and redness as a defense reaction of the body

Mosquito saliva can be made up of various proteins, which in turn are responsible for possible reactions. First of all, our body reacts to the foreign substance by activating the body’s own defences, it releases the messenger substance histamine.

In many people, a certain amount of histamine causes reactions: swelling, redness, but also enormous itching can become noticeable.

Especially with repeated stings, some people tend to have increased or even allergic reactions. The  weather  can play a certain role, because if the mosquitoes are “starved” due to the weather, for example because they could not fly because of the cold, the concentration of proteins in their mosquito saliva increases.

Sometimes you hear that environmental pollution can be a reason for violent reactions to a mosquito bite. The mosquitoes could be burdened with pollutants due to environmental pollution, which they may pass on to us humans when sucking blood. However, this assumption has not yet been scientifically proven.

Sweat and warmth attract insects

So how is it that some people are seldom bitten by a mosquito and others very often? While the claim that the sweetness of blood is responsible for how frequently one gets mosquito bites persists, from a scientific point of view it is clear that this is an old wives’ tale.

Mosquitoes are attracted by the  smell  of  sweat  and  body temperature  . Incidentally, areas on the body that are extremely well supplied with blood are particularly in demand. In addition, mosquitoes prefer to bite areas of the body that are not or only slightly covered with hair.

Repel mosquitoes – prevent bites

You can protect yourself from mosquito bites by taking preventive measures such as long clothing or  insect spray . Popular mosquito repellents include store-bought sprays and home remedies such as essential oils with the scent of citrus fruits,  cloves , cedar, lavender or eucalyptus. However, such oils can lead to allergic reactions on the skin and should therefore be used with caution. However, they can also help keep mosquitoes away in the form of scented candles. The smell of basil and tomato plants are also said to have a protective effect. Freshly showered people also smell less of sweat and are therefore not as attractive to the insects.

In addition to fly screens on the windows, regular airing is also recommended to keep mosquitoes at home, because the carbon dioxide from our breath attracts mosquitoes – but that light attracts mosquitoes is just a myth. Standing water such as rain barrels or bird baths are breeding grounds for mosquito larvae.