The Painful Aftermath Of A Mosquito Bite Can Last Much Longer Than You May Think
At first, I thought she was overreacting. After getting bitten by a mosquito – or several, as she is not sure – my wife still has swollen bite marks at the base of her leg, around the bend from her ankle. And we’re talking multiple days here, folks. Days! My research team tells me that a mosquito bite generally fades over three-to-four days. But – and this is a big but – it may take up to a week or longer to completely heal. Unfortunately, some people experience mosquito bites worse than others. And my wife is just one of them.
Why do mosquito bites itch for so long?
Why Does A Mosquito Bite Itch So Long?
Normally mosquitoes usually feed on nectar, sap, and other sweet substances, but the female bugs need the additional nourishment of blood to lay eggs. That makes us unassuming folks a nice big target.
When a mosquito bites, it buries its entire snout into your skin. This snout isn’t just a single tube, but rather six mouthparts all working together to grip the flesh, pierce the skin and drive the central needle) into your skin – totally gross. Then one tube injects saliva while the other tube takes the blood out. The little freaks.
Our body’s immune system then kicks into gear and releases a histamine in response to the bug’s saliva. The histamine is a defense mechanism your body uses to fight infection and help heal. But as I have recently learned, it’s not a fast fix.
With the saliva in your body and the histamine released, your body responds with a small area of swelling and itching – a mosquito bite.
Is It Possible To Be Allergic To Mosquito Bites?
Yes, it is possible to be allergic to mosquito bites, and they have a name for it – Skeeter Syndrome. Skeeter Syndrome is the condition caused by an allergic reaction to a mosquito’s bite. Those who suffer from it often develop a moderate-to-severe local allergic reaction.
Can you be allergic to mosquito bites?
Symptoms of Skeeter Syndrome include:
- An itchy or painful area of redness
- Swelling measuring 2 to more than 10 cm in diameter
- Skin that’s warm to the touch
- A bruise-like appearance (That’s what happened to my wife)
- Tiny blisters near the bite (That, too)
The symptoms usually develop within hours of being bitten and get progressively worse over 8-12 hours.
In addition to Skeeter Syndrome, some people may also suffer from a severe mosquito bite allergy, which would result in a full-body allergic reaction. Becker says this type of reaction is what most think of when talking about an “allergic reaction” to a mosquito bite.
Symptoms could include:
- Hives
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Joint stiffness
- Fever/chills
- Severe headache
- Nausea/vomiting
- Confusion
- Fatigue/tiredness
- Muscle weakness
- Anaphylaxis
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As Benjamin Franklin said many years ago, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When it comes to mosquitoes and blasting them off the face of the earth, mosquito control barrier treatment is more than an ounce. It’s a proverbial bucketful of cure.
Get smart. Be proactive. Subscribe to a Randolph mosquito control expert you can trust and end the agony.