Mosquito bites result in varying degrees of swelling and itching.
While wearing protective clothing and mosquito repellent are effective ways to decrease the risk of mosquito bites, sometimes at least one bite is inevitable. Mosquito bites cause redness, swelling and itching due to the mosquito's saliva entering your blood. Individuals who live near stagnant or standing water, swampy areas or wetlands are especially prone to mosquito bites since female mosquitoes need water to breed. To relieve the irritating and often persistent itch accompanying mosquito bites, try several over-the-counter treatments or natural remedies.
Instructions
Over-the-Counter Treatments
1. Apply a layer of calamine lotion over each mosquito bite. Pour a small amount of calamine on a cotton ball and dab it over the bites, waiting until the lotion dries on the skin before covering with clothing.
2. Spread 0.5 percent or 1 percent hydrocortisone cream over the bites to stop the itching. Before applying, gently clean the area with warm water and soap. If you have several bites over a large area, use a hydrocortisone aerosol spray. Spray the irritated area while holding the can 3 to 6 inches from your skin and being careful to avoid inhaling the vapors, states the U.S. National Library of Medicine website.
3. Take an oral antihistamine such as diphenhydramine, commonly known as Benadryl, to stop swelling and itching, according to the Mayo Clinic. Diphenhydramine will prevent your body from releasing histamines, which are released when you are exposed to an allergen, such as an insect bite. Another antihistamine, chlorpheniramine, will also relieve itchy bites.
Natural Remedies
4. Mix 3 tbsp. of baking soda with 1 tsp. of water, instructs the Mayo Clinic. Apply the paste to the mosquito bites three to four times a day until the itching diminishes.
5. Draw a warm bath and add colloidal oatmeal or Epsom salts to the water. An all-natural product, colloidal oatmeal is a fine powder that soothes itchy skin when added to water. Soak in a colloidal oatmeal bath for 15 minutes and pat yourself dry with a clean towel after to avoid irritating the bites. The Epsom Council website recommends dissolving 2 cups of Epsom salt in your bathwater and soaking for 12 minutes to treat itchy mosquito bites.
6. Apply a small amount of apple cider vinegar, meat tenderizer, ammonia or tea tree oil on a cotton ball and dab it over the mosquito bites. These household products are common natural remedies for relieving itchy mosquito bites.
7. Rub fresh plantain leaves on mosquito bites three to four times a day to relieve itching, recommends the Health Care Tips website. Plantain, also called ripple grass or snakeweed, is a common plant found all over the world, usually growing along sidewalks and roads.
Tags: mosquito bites, colloidal oatmeal, swelling itching, ball over, bites three