The Best Way to Stop Itching from a Mosquito Bite
Mozzie bites are an unavoidable part of life for many of us who enjoy the luxury of having our balcony door open on a summer night or evening drinks on the harbour.
But, aside from not scratching them at all – and, please, don’t get too crazy – what’s the most effective way of reducing the itch?
The crucial factor is how our immune system reacts to a mosquito bite in the first place.
When bitten, a mosquito will use its sharp, tubular proboscis to deliver anticoagulant-rich saliva to the blood, thinned out for quick and easy siphoning.
These mouthparts are so small that they can pierce individual blood cells and suck them dry, as researchers discovered in 2012.
You won’t feel anything the first time a mosquito bites you because your immune system hasn’t had a chance to develop a coordinated response.
When it does, it knows to deliver an unrelenting burst of histamines to the dried-up, shrunken blood cells, which is what turns the bite wound into a red, swollen, and itchy disaster zone.
As Rebecca Harrington explains over at Business Insider: “This is one of those cases where your immune system ends up doing more harm than good,” the best way to combat a histamine-related itch is to douse it in antihistamines.
If the itch is unbearable, the US Food and Drug Administration recommends applying an antihistamine cream or gel to the affected area or taking an antihistamine pill. In the ingredients list, look for “Diphenhydramine” – Benadryl contains it. Both the cream and the pills are available over the counter and are reasonably priced.
Those pills can even be taken as a preventative measure to treat the inflammation as soon as you are bitten.
While antihistamines are the most widely used treatment for mosquito bites, their effectiveness has been called into question.
A study published in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin in 2012 reviewed the available evidence for how over-the-counter treatments dealt with the itch of bug bites and discovered “little direct evidence for the efficacy of treatments for simple insect bites, and, in general, treatment recommendations are based on expert opinion and clinical experience.”
They also stated that ointments containing antiseptics, antihistamines, or numbing agents like lidocaine and benzocaine appeared to help “occasionally.”
However, the researchers concluded that “sometimes” is better than nothing and, after reviewing all available options, made the following recommendation:
For mild local reactions, clean the area and apply a cold compress. To relieve pain, analgesics can be taken orally, and a mild corticosteroid cream can be applied to reduce inflammation and itching. Oral antihistamines can be used to treat severe local reactions.
During the day, non-sedating antihistamines are preferred, but sedating antihistamines can be used at night if sleep is disrupted. Simple insect bites do not require antibacterial treatment, but secondary infections should be treated with an oral antibacterial agent in accordance with local guidelines.
