What to do if you've been bitten by mosquitoes

What To Put On Mosquito Bites

Before we discuss the health concerns and the diseases carried by mosquitoes in Los Angeles County, we'd like to provide some simple and practical advice for dealing with the irritation associated with mosquito bites. Most bites aren't dangerous. They're just itchy. Do you know why mosquito bites are itchy? It has to do with histamines. When a mosquito bites you, your body responds by sending out histamines to assist your white blood cells and help your body fight off what it perceives as a biological invasion. It sounds a bit melodramatic, but it's true. The more allergic you are to the proteins in mosquito saliva, the more of a response your body will have to a mosquito bite, and the more histamines it will produce. In some cases, the best way to reduce the itch of mosquito bites is to take an antihistamine. You can purchase one at the drugstore. Many people have success using Benadryl.

Along with taking an antihistamine, you should refrain from scratching your bites. Why? Because histamine causes inflammation in your skin, and scratching an area where the skin is inflamed will make it worse. Sure, you'll have some relief while you're scratching, but afterward, the itch will worsen as the inflammation increases.

Another way to deal with inflammation is to apply heat. In a 2011 study, it was found that heat applied to mosquito bites worked to reduce symptoms and provide fast relief. It only makes sense. Applying heat to a mosquito bite is similar to applying heat to a swollen ankle. Inflammation is inflammation.

On the topic of inflammation, we have one more suggestion. Some people have success with putting cold tea bags on mosquito bites. The cold helps to slightly soothe the itch, but the real magic is how tea works to reduce inflammation. The best tea to use is green tea.

If tea isn't your "cup of tea," some medical sources say using honey is a great way to deal with mosquito bites. Honey works to reduce inflammation and is an antibacterial agent.   

Once you've taken steps to deal with inflammation and reduce histamines that cause inflammation, you can turn your attention to another method of dealing with that itch. You can apply a topical treatment.

• Rubbing alcohol can cool the skin and reduce the itch. Use a small amount to get the cooling sensation without drying out your skin, which will cause more itching.
• Calamine lotion helps to reduce itching caused by insect bites. It contains zinc oxide, which has properties that help to alleviate itching. 
• Aloe is a great topical treatment option. It is all natural, reduces inflammation, and provides a cool sensation to help relieve itching.
• You can also just apply a cold soda can to your mosquito bites. Cold numbs the area, reduces itching, and helps with the reduction of inflammation.

Bet you didn't know there were so many ways to deal with mosquito bites. Now you have lots of options to choose from when mosquitoes leave puffy, itchy welts on your skin.

Are Mosquito Bites Dangerous?

We get this question a lot. The reason for the question is that most bites lead to medical symptoms. There are many reasons for this:

• Some mosquitoes don't spread diseases.
• Mosquitoes that can spread diseases are not always infected with a disease.
• When you contract a disease, even a potentially deadly mosquito-borne virus, you may have no symptoms at all. The term for this is asymptomatic.

While we certainly don't want you to fear mosquitoes, we'd like for you to have a healthy respect for them. A mosquito bite in the United States is rarely deadly, but mosquito-borne viruses claim hundreds of lives every year.

The primary issue with mosquito-borne viruses in the United States is inflammation. No, not inflammation of the wound, inflammation of the brain. Scientists call this encephalitis. Many mosquito viruses have the word encephalitis in their name. The deadliest of all viruses in the United States is West Nile virus, which causes encephalitis but does not have it in the name.

You don't need to know all the names of the viruses you could get from mosquitoes in Los Angeles County. What is most important is recognizing symptoms that are potentially hazardous, such as a headache. If you have flu-like symptoms and a headache, and you know you've gotten mosquito bites recently, it is wise to seek medical attention. You could have encephalitis.

Another way mosquito bites can present a health concern is when there is an allergic reaction. An insect allergy can develop as you grow older and after you've had multiple encounters with mosquitoes. In most cases, allergic reactions are minor. The concern is when you have trouble breathing, experience facial swelling, or feel a "dread" come over you. These are all signs of a significant medical event. If you haven't recently been checked, speak with an allergist and find out if you have a stinging insect allergy. People who do have an allergy to insects usually carry an EpiPen with them in case of a serious reaction. An injection of epinephrine can prevent anaphylactic shock, which is potentially deadly.

Now we want to take a quick moment to remind you that most mosquito bites only result in itchy wounds and that it is exceedingly rare to have serious medical issues from mosquito bites. You don't need to fear mosquitoes. 

The Role That Mosquitoes Play In Our Eco-System

Okay. So, what is the deal with mosquitoes? Do they serve any purpose in the world? You won't like our answer… Yes! Mosquitoes are super important. You wouldn't want to live in a world without mosquitoes. They are an important food source for many animals. They also help with pollination. Sure, they aren't as efficient as bees, but they play a critical role in pollinating plants. Does that surprise you? You may not know this, but mosquitoes don't survive on blood. Only females draw a blood meal, and they do so in order to reproduce. Both male and female mosquitoes survive primarily on the nectar from flowers. As they go from flower to flower (like a bee), they carry pollen. If there were no mosquitoes in the world, thousands of plant species would not have these important pollinators.

As a food source, mosquitoes are critical. Birds, bats, and fish eat mosquitoes by the truckload. One little brown bat can eat as many as a thousand mosquitoes in an hour! A world without mosquitoes might end up being a world without certain animals that rely on them as food.

When mosquitoes come into your yard, you should know that only the females are going to bite you, and they only do this for one purpose: reproduction. Mosquito control addresses the female mosquitoes in your yard. 

Your service professional uses a backpack sprayer to knock down the mosquitoes hiding on your property. Doing this doesn't even put a dent in the mosquito population of the world, but it can give you relief from mosquitoes and their bites because it takes time for new mosquitoes to enter your yard, lay eggs, and start to bite you mercilessly again. It is not commonly understood but most of the bites Los Angeles County residents get in their yards are bites from mosquitoes that live in their yards, not mosquitoes that are passing through. In general, mosquitoes don't like to fly around all that much. They rest in hiding places and wait until people come out of their homes. The reason they do this is that mosquitoes have poor eyesight. They can't see you come out of your home when they're in your neighbor's yard, so mosquito control can have a big impact on how many bites you get.