Your doctor or health care provider will be able to prescribe a prescription-strength oral or topical steroid or antibiotic to help the skin heal. Most mosquito bites should get better with over-the-counter treatments, but if yours develop into a severe reaction, don’t seem to be resolving, or even start to look infected (which is a real risk if you scratch them), seek medical help. In addition to taking an oral treatment like Benadryl, there’s an easy home remedy you can try for mosquito bites: SELF has previously reported that something as simple as an ice pack or cool compress, applied right on the affected area, can help lessen inflammation and soothe your itchy skin. What else can you do to get some relief from bug bites? Finally, SELF has previously recommended lotions made with calamine, a soothing, drying ingredient that helps calm itchy mosquito bites and addresses oozing related to poison ivy and other rashes. Meanwhile, she explains that the latter has a sort of numbing effect, which then dulls the itch. The former provides a soothing, cooling sensation, Dr. Sadoff recommends using cortisone creams twice daily at the most.īoth menthol and lidocaine directly alleviate the itchiness of a bug bite. “This translates to less redness, swelling, and itching,” she says. Sadoff says, adding that these work by reducing the inflammation that comes as part of your body’s reaction to getting bitten. That said, when it comes to creams, “my number one go-to are topical cortisone-containing creams,” Dr. Common over-the-counter options include diphenhydramine, better known as Benadryl. She suggests trying an oral antihistamine instead. Sadoff cautions that these can cause an allergic reaction on some people’s skin. They’re available in cream and gel forms, but Dr. Antihistamines, then, are meant to reduce this reaction. They work in different ways, but they all offer some level of relief when it comes to incessantly itchy bug bites.Īs SELF has previously reported, when you get bitten by a bug, your immune system releases a compound known as histamine, which leads to the itchiness you associate with bug bites. Sadoff explains that an insect bite cream may contain antihistamines, cortisone, menthol, or lidocaine as its active ingredient. ![]() And, if you aren’t sure how to find products that will provide sufficient itch relief, read on for expert guidance from Wendy Sadoff, MD, a dermatologist at Beaumont Health. So as you pack your first aid kit for any upcoming outdoor excursions this summer, make sure to throw in a bottle of anti-itch cream just to be safe. Luckily, we have insect bite cream for when we wind up with pesky mosquito bites despite our best preventative efforts. Everyday Health may earn an affiliate commission if you purchase a featured product or service.In a perfect world, insect repellent-namely one containing an effective active repellent ingredient like DEET or picaridin-would work 100% of the time. If you can, try to sleep in an air-conditioned area (versus an open-air room), or consider putting mosquito netting around beds.Īll products and services featured in this article are selected by Everyday Health's commerce team and chosen for their potential to inspire and enable your wellness. Steer clear of standing water, where mosquitoes breed and swarm, and cover up and wear light-colored long sleeves and pants when you’re near an infested area. Know that some mosquito breeds prefer dawn and dusk, while others love the hottest times of the day. They are also attracted to sweet-smelling lotions and perfumes. Mosquitoes seem to be especially attracted to larger people and pregnant women. ![]() The best way to prevent mosquito bites naturally is to avoid the bugs themselves and know your own risk. Check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for more information on preventive measures you can take before traveling. If you’re in or planning to travel to a tropical area, it’s important to know that mosquito bites also can carry diseases, like Zika, dengue, or chikungunya. Children are more susceptible to large and pesky mosquito bites than adults, and while most bites are harmless, some people have a severe, even life-threatening allergic reaction. While home fixes for mosquito bites allow you to avoid toxic pesticides, mosquito bites can be risky, too. In other words, what you know to be a mosquito bite is not the bite itself, but your body’s allergic reaction to substances that bite leaves behind. The immune system reacts by releasing histamine, which creates a small, itchy bump. While bees and wasps inject venom when they sting, mosquitoes inject a proboscis, which looks like a tiny straw, to suck up tiny amounts of your blood and release anti-clotting agents. When it comes to enjoying the great outdoors, mosquito bites seem to be an unavoidable evil, especially in warm, humid weather.
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