Why scratching mosquito bites is bad

This saliva acts as an anticoagulant, which prevents your blood from clotting at the site of the puncture. This allows the mosquito to feed quickly, giving her a better chance of stealing away with your blood before you notice and splat her on your arm. This saliva is specifically why mosquito bites itch — you have an allergic reaction to it, resulting in the telltale bump and itching associated with mosquito bites. The mosquito saliva flows into your body through one tube the hypopharynx , while another tube the labrum is used for pumping your blood up to the waiting mosquito.

These anticoagulants — along with up to 19 other enzymes and proteins — directly cause the allergic reaction in your body. Some scientists believe that your very first mosquito bite introduced these allergens to your body and sensitized you to the components of the saliva. This sensitization is responsible for your body sending immunoglobulins to the mosquito bite. Immunoglobulins break down connective tissue and mast cells, which actually release the histamines that make you itch.

Mast cells help heal wounds and defend against pathogens, but they play a big part in allergic reactions and inflammation. The histamines they release are commonly combated with antihistamines, which work to stop the itch. The CNS interprets these signals and sends them to the brain, which lets you know that the bite itches.

Unlike bed bug bites or other insect bites that take a while to show up, mosquito bites are almost always immediately noticeable. Though the appearance of a bite can vary from person to person, a mosquito bite will typically be inflamed, roundish and filled with fluid.

The bite might have oddly shaped edges, rather than perfectly round ones. There also might be a small dot at the center. Multiple randomized bites in one area are not uncommon. A localized reaction can mean more swelling, redness and itching than usual. Children, people with an impaired immune system or those who are extremely allergic to the saliva may exhibit more severe symptoms. Between one and two million people around the world die from mosquito-borne diseases each year, according to the Prairie Research Institute of Illinois.

Among these diseases, malaria is the most notorious, but in the United States, West Nile virus and mosquito-borne encephalitis are the most prevalent. If you or your loved ones have been bitten, watch for symptoms such as headaches, fevers, chills, body aches, stiffness, joint pain, confusion, swollen lymph glands, disorientation, weakness or skin rashes. If any of these occur, see your doctor right away. Scratching mosquito bites can lead to secondary infection if you break the skin or reopen the bite.

Dirt from under your nails is the culprit here, and can lead to staph, strep and other bacterial infections. Common symptoms of mosquito bites include soft bumps on the skin that may become pink, red, and itchy.

In most cases, redness and puffiness appears minutes after the mosquito punctures the skin. A firm, dark red bump often appears the next day, although these symptoms may occur up to 48 hours after the initial bite. As your mosquito bite heals, the itching sensation will fade, and skin will gradually take on a less red or pink hue until it returns to its normal color. This usually takes about three to four days. Swelling will also go down after about a week.

Learn more about how to recognize bug bites. These symptoms can include:. Seek emergency medical attention if you notice any of the following symptoms, as they may be signs of a more severe condition:. As with other allergies, prevention is the best approach. Mosquitoes require standing or stagnant water to breed.

If possible, avoid standing water especially at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. These provide up to six hours of protection. Follow directions carefully and reapply after swimming or sweating. In the case of a normal reaction, a hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion will provide relief from itching.

A cold pack or ice cubes may help relieve symptoms as well. For more serious allergic reactions, the following treatments may be used:. Try some of these home remedies for mosquito bite symptoms:. A bandage can also help stop infections if the bite wound opens and scabs over. Mosquitoes can also transmit serious diseases, such as:. These mosquito-borne diseases have potentially life-threatening complications, even though the symptoms may only last for a few days or not seem severe.

Zika virus has been linked to severe birth defects in the children of women who get infected with the virus while pregnant, and West Nile virus can be deadly. Seek emergency medical treatment right away if you notice any of the following symptoms after a mosquito bite:. Skeeter syndrome is rare, but the allergic reaction can be serious enough to warrant immediate medical treatment.

If you have a mosquito bite allergy, you may consider ongoing treatment from an allergy specialist — especially if you live in mosquito-prone areas. This usually consists of getting small injections of your allergen, over the course of several months or years, until you build an immunity. Just be aware of mosquitoes around you and have the right tools on hand in case you get bitten. They will commonly appear as a slightly swollen and red area that may itch—similar to that of a mosquito or flea.

However, these will often run in a straight line often three dots together and cluster in a concentrated area that was exposed when you sleep such as the back, stomach, or legs. Chiggers come from the larvae of a type of mite and feed on vertebrates such as humans. Their bites produce a red welt with bright red dots in the center, accompanied by an intense and unrelenting itch.

Chiggers themselves are so minuscule that spotting them with the naked eye might be difficult, but they can be visible on the skin when they are gathered in a group due to their red color. According to Dr. The bite will inject a digestive enzyme into the host skin that destroys tissue.

Chiggers are unique in that they feed off human tissue as opposed to blood, so the affected area can take a couple of weeks to heal. Take over-the-counter antihistamines and use cold compresses to assuage the itch. Unfortunately, these can actually take four to six weeks to develop. Their presence spans beyond typical bug bites into the realm of parasites; they come from microscopic itch mites that burrow into your skin to lay eggs and reproduce within your epidermis.

The most common symptoms include ridiculously consistent itchiness that is most noticeable at night, a pimple-like rash, scales or blisters, and sores incited by scratching. The bites itself will closely resemble a terrible acne breakout, but symptoms most commonly appear on hands, arms, wrists, or elbows.

Certain prescriptions are required to kill scabies mites and their eggs, but Dr. Taranath recommends also taking an additional method to help with the itchiness. The vast majority of people who are stung by a wasp will only experience minor symptoms such as redness, swelling, itching, and of course, the insane stinging sensation during and after the wasp sting. A small welt will generally appear around the sting with a white dot in the center.

Taranath, some people may experience more pronounced symptoms, like extreme redness or swelling that increases for two or three days after the sting. However, what you really need to watch out for is the first several minutes after the bite. While most wasp stings can be treated at home, those with allergies to its venom may go into anaphylactic shock.

If you know that you have a wasp allergy, make sure to carry an EpiPen whenever you embark on outdoor escapades. For mild to moderate reactions, wash the affected area with soap and water and apply a cold pack to reduce swelling. Although most spiders in the U.