Mosquitoes are annoying. Despite being poor flyers and incredibly small, they have managed to fight a battle with humanity for thousands of years. In fact, mosquitoes are humankind’s most deadly enemy, they kill over a million people every year.
The deaths occur after you have been bitten by a female mosquito carrying the malaria bug. Unfortunately, the majority of the deaths are in poorer countries that don’t have the funds to vaccinate all their citizens. That’s not the only disease that mosquitoes carry.
In most cases, the odd mosquito bite isn’t an issue. However, if you are getting a lot of bites then you may suspect you have an infestation of mosquitoes. If that’s the case you’ll want to click here and get a hold of your local pest control experts. They can help eliminate the mosquitoes and give you advice regarding how to protect your home.
Mosquito bites tend to be very itchy, that’s why you need to know these simple but effective treatments:
Over-The-Counter Creams
You can be prepared and get an over-the-counter cream before you are bitten. You’ll find several options in your local store, such as hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion. These will stop the bite itching and can help your skin to heal faster.
If you don’t have cream available then the following can help:
Cold
Soak a flannel in cold water and then press it over the bite. The coolness will decrease blood flow to the bite area. This reduces the ability of the mosquito saliva to get into your system and soothes the skin. The numbing effect of the cold compress will prevent your skin from feeling itchy.
Although this will help reduce the itchiness it won’t help the bite heal faster.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is useful in treating a variety of issues. If you have a cream that contains aloe vera you can ut it on the bite and it should help reduce the urge to itch.
You can also extract the gel from an aloe vera plant, simply squeeze the leaves and apply the gel to your skin. It cools and soothes, which is why it is also effective against sunburn.
Baking Soda
Baking soda can be used for a huge array of different issues in the home, from unblocking toilets to reduce the itchiness of mosquito bites. It effectively neutralizes the saliva in mosquitoes, preventing itchiness and helping to ensure the bite area doesn’t get any larger.
Just add a little baking soda to water to make a paste and put it on the bite.
Oatmeal Bath
If you like baths and you have several bites then sprinkle a handful of rolled oats into your warm bathwater. The oats work in a similar way to baking soda and will cancel the acidity in the mosquitoes saliva. This will provide instant release from the itching and can even help your skin complexion.
Other Options
You can also apply tea tree oil to the bite or raw honey. Both are anti-inflammatory and will soothe the area, allowing you to get on with whatever needs doing.
