Enjoying outdoor is one of great times during summer. But you should know that there are now also more mosquitoes, because they thrive in this season. And therefore, your chance of itchy mosquito bites also increase. So, it is better to know more about allergic reaction to mosquito to make sure that you can enjoy your summer with fun.
You might also like to read about symptoms of Lyme disease and allergic reaction to amoxicillin, soy, & nut, before continuing!
You might also like to read about symptoms of Lyme disease and allergic reaction to amoxicillin, soy, & nut, before continuing!
As well we know, mosquito is one of popular carriers of illness in some areas of the world. Itchy nuisance is just one small problem. Their bites can deliver Dengue fever and malaria in other areas of the world.
West Nile virus
Mosquito’s bites can transmit unfriendly viruses (particularly like West Nile virus, popular enough in United States). And the worst thing that you should know is; most people (about 80 percent) with West Nile virus infection may don’t have any symptoms --according to CDC! If the symptoms are present, they may include severe illness that eventually may lead to death.
Individuals at risk for getting easily sick due to West Nile virus are usually older people (particularly those who are over 50 years of old). But this doesn’t mean that the risk of getting sick because of West Nile virus is zero for individuals who are under 50 years of old!
People with the infection of West Nile virus usually will have the symptoms after 2-3 days from the time they get a bite from an infected mosquito.
Below are severe symptoms due to West Nile virus, which mean you have to call your doctor immediately to get emergency medical attention:
- You experience high fever after getting a mosquito’s bite!
- Then you may experience weakness of your muscle.
- And other serious symptoms may include; poor ability to use your eyes (vision loss), disorientation, you feel difficult to control or move your neck (neck stiffness), and you may also experience paralysis, convulsions, numbness, or tremors!
And for mild symptoms in mild cases may include; swollen glands, headache, vomiting, body aches, and mild fever.
Tips on how to prevent insect bites
Like mentioned before, there are more mosquito during summer. And it may be impossible to avoid completely all mosquito bites. Below are some helpful tips to reduce your risk of getting mosquito bites:
- Check and make sure you have screens that are in good condition! This is important to keep bugs out from our house!
- When going outside -- use pants & long-sleeved tops to get better protection!
- Why not to consider an insect repellent and use it on exposed skin! Use it particularly during prime hours (usually from dawn --> dusk) when mosquito awake. Don’t forget to make sure that your insect repellent is also safe for your body but effective to give last longer protection. For example, you can choose one that is made with oil of lemon eucalyptus!
- You may be familiar with insect repellent that is made with DEET (Diethyltoluamide), but is it safe? According to EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), it can give longer protection than others. And fortunately it is also safe to use. If you need to use DEET and sunscreen at the same time, sunscreen should be applied first before DEET. Furthermore, DEET also can be sprayed on to your clothes. But if you are being pregnant or breastfeeding, you may need to talk first with your doctor whether DEET is safe for you or not!
- Remove and clean all places or conditions in your local environment that can make mosquito to breed easily. Make sure there is no standing water around your yard! For examples, empty regularly any excess water from your pots, clean regularly your gutters, clean regularly the kid’s pool, etc.
- And don’t forget to keep the cleanliness of your house!
What else you need to know about allergic reaction to mosquito bites?
The symptoms after getting mosquito bites are different from person to person, because people vary in their responses to mosquito bites.
After getting mosquito bites, some people also may experience severe symptom what we call as anaphylaxis, which may include; lightheadedness, difficult to breath, and rash or itching that occur on other areas of skin away from the spot of bite (or familiar known as hives).
If you symptom is only itching, below are helpful tips for itch relief:
- Use water and soap to wash the spot area of mosquito bite!
- Use ice and cold water to compress the spot area, this may be helpful to decrease swelling & itching.
- To relive your itch, you can also try with a topical antihistamine, hydrocortisone cream, or calamine lotion!
And don’t miss to talk with your doctor to get more advice and tips to handle your allergic reaction to mosquito bites!
-- Image credit to ‘shutterstock’
