How To Relieve The Itching From Mosquito Bites

The only thing worse than a mosquito buzzing around your ear is a mosquito bite!  It’s enough to drive a man insane. In this article we’ll give you the best methods on how to relieve the itching from mosquito bites.

I think the Dalai Lama said it best.

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito in the room.”

What happens when I get bit by a mosquito?

When the female mosquito bites you as her main course, she prepares your skin by spitting on the targeted area. The saliva helps to numb the skin so you don’t feel the sting of the bite so much and she can dine for a longer amount of time. Additionally, the saliva acts as an anticoagulant, which allows the mosquito to feed more efficiently.

When bit, the body’s response is to generate antibodies to fight the foreign substance or pathogen. Consequently, your body creates a compound called histamine, which increases the permeability of your capillaries to white blood cells, allowing them to engage pathogens in the infected tissues. This creates the redness and swelling we associate with mosquito bites and prompts that infernal itching.

Although it seems counter-intuitive, the best advice to stop the itching of mosquito bites is to avoid scratching the bite.  I repeat… DO NOT SCRATCH THEM!

I know, easier said than done, right? For starters, scratching increases your risk of infection and the possibility of scarring the skin. More importantly, scratching also inflames and irritates the area around the bite even more, which releases those histamines we discussed earlier.  As a result, your immune system will kick it up a notch and the swelling and itching will get even worse.

To lessen the chance of infection and to shorten the time spent in itchy misery, it’s best to deal with mosquito bites as soon as possible. Following you find some of the best ways to relieve the itching from mosquito bites.

How to Stop Mosquito Bites from Itching

• Your first course of action is to remove any remaining mosquito saliva from your skin and to cleanse the area. Wash the bite with an antibacterial soap and warm water. Gently dry pat the area with a clean towel.
• Wrap a couple ice cubes or crushed ice in a clean towel or use an ice pack and hold on top of the bite. This will help reduce the itching and will diminish redness and swelling.  This can help relieve the discomfort fast.
• Apply an anti-itch cream or ointment onto the bite. After Bite is a product specifically designed to treat insect bites and works well. Hydrocortisone ointments like Cortizine10 are also effective in reducing irritation and the itchiness. Just make sure you are not allergic to these types of products.
• Take an oral antihistamine medication such as Benadryl. This medicine works by slowing down the spread of histamine, which is the cause of the swelling and itching. As with any medication, consult with your family doctor before taking it, and make sure that you do not have any allergies or reactions to this type of medication.
• Put a band-aid over the bite. This will keep the bite area clean and acts as a barrier to prevent scratching and breaking the skin. Band-aids are especially helpful to keep kids from itching the bite.

Home Remedies For Relieving the Itch From Mosquito Bites

In addition to over the counter medicines there are some natural home remedies to relieve the itch. These are items you might have around the house.

• Hot spoon for relief: Heat a spoon under hot water and hold the back of the spoon to the bite for a couple of minutes. You can also run hot water (but not so hot it burns) over a washcloth and place it over the bite. The heat will help break down the histamine causing the itching.
• Homemade anti-itch paste: Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water. Apply paste to bite and allow to dry.
• Tape it up: Apply scotch tape to the bite and leave on for several hours before gently removing the tape. This method helps remove any remaining saliva and helps keep you from scratching the skin.
• Be generous with the aloe: Aloe will help reduce some of the skin irritation associated with mosquito bites. Studies have shown it to have healing properties.
• Lemon spritz: Slice a lemon or lime in sections and apply to bite and/or squeeze some of the juice onto the bite. Be careful if using this while outside as the citric juice may cause blistering when exposed to sunlight.
• Apple cider vinegar: Soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and apply to bite for several minutes.
• Honey for relief: Apply some honey to the mosquito bite. This will help soothe the inflamed area and the stickiness will discourage scratching.
• Sanitize: Use an alcohol wipe on and around the bite to remove any remaining mosquito saliva and to disinfect the area.
• Hit the herb garden: Crush fresh basil and apply to the bite. Basil contains camphor and thymol, which work to reduce itching. Crushed peppermint leaves can also provide a cooling sensation on the skin to take your mind off the itching. Lemon balm is another herb that has been used for centuries for it’s healing properties. Specifically, it contains natural compounds like tannin and polyphenols which ease inflammation, speed up healing, and reduce the risk of an infection.  Use the leaves crushed up on the bite or use a ready made salve.

We hope these tips for stopping the itch of mosquito bites comes in handy. 

Unfortunately, mosquito bites can cause more serious issues than just itching. You can learn more about the diseases spread by mosquitoes in this article.