When concerned about any difficulties, whether it is a matter of how to get rid of mosquito bites fast, in general, or a more particular focus on the prospects of mosquito bite allergy problems, the concern begins with the saliva. It is female mosquitoes, needing our blood to feed their eggs, which inject their saliva into our skin to make the blood extraction process quicker, easier and more subtle.
Their saliva possesses chemical elements that cause reactions on our skin. Most people are familiar with these symptoms of modest swelling and scratchy irritation. There are a variety of measures which can be used to relieve the discomfort of mosquito bites. Happily, usually, such bites only cause brief discomfort and annoyance, generally clearing up in a couple of days.
There are though exceptions. Keep these in mind should you or someone you know suffer an unexpected, atypical response to mosquito biting. The more extreme reaction to mosquito bites, which indicate the likelihood of an allergic reaction, can include blistering rashes, bruises, or excessive swelling at the location of the bite. This is not a mere swelling of the bitten area, but when the arm or leg itself noticeably swells up.
Such situations, accompanied by other symptoms, are known as Skeeter Syndrome. This syndrome is the result of reactions to the polypeptides in the mosquito saliva. The good news is that Skeeter syndrome is not contagious. It tends to affect people with a history of allergic reactions. Symptom presentation varies. There can be some variance in the on-set of symptoms: they can start showing immediately, but it's perfectly common to take days to manifest. Watch for these telltale signs:
1. Red lump that rise on the area bitten by the mosquito; 2. The appearance at other parts of the body of other bumps and general swelling; 3. Hives; 4. Bruises and blisters that cannot be explained by other injuries or incidents; 5. Less common, but a telltale sign, is swelling beneath the surface of the skin or mucous membranes; 6. Bite area infection; 7. Asthma-like breathlessness; 8. Though rare, of great concern in the cases of allergic reaction is anaphylaxis.
While it's of course possible for anyone to experience allergic reactions, some people are at increased risk for such intense mosquito bite allergy reactions. Special awareness must be had when dealing with the following groups of people:
1. People who are prone to spend exceptional amounts of time out of doors; e.g. outdoor workers and athletes; 2. People lacking natural immunity to mosquito saliva. Think particularly of those who have not lived in areas with mosquitoes. Also be alert with young children; 3. Immuno-deficiencies are a concern. Closely monitor anyone with conditions such as AIDS, leukemia and lymphoma.
Extreme allergic reactions should always be treated by a medical professional. This though does not preclude some basic preparations. Foremost in this category is assuring that you have a good first response anti-allergy medication on hand. This is particularly recommended when caring for an individual with a known history of allergic reaction. In the case of developing asthmatic symptoms, oral anti-histamines can be of great help. It is important to reiterate, though, in the event of extreme symptoms, such as blisters, difficulty in breathing, short and panting breaths, medical treatment should be sought promptly.
And, in the unlikely, but not impossible, case of someone developing anaphylaxis, this must be treated exactly as it would in the case of a bee sting, with immediate hospitalization. While it is standard fare to joke about the harmlessness of mosquito bites, this is one rare situation in which such a bite can indeed be life threatening.
It is important to be aware of the worst case scenarios, but there's no benefit in stressing over it. The overwhelming majority of the time mosquito bites are innocuous annoyances easily treated with a variety of home remedies. We hope that those home remedies will be more than enough for you to enjoy your outdoors activities.
Their saliva possesses chemical elements that cause reactions on our skin. Most people are familiar with these symptoms of modest swelling and scratchy irritation. There are a variety of measures which can be used to relieve the discomfort of mosquito bites. Happily, usually, such bites only cause brief discomfort and annoyance, generally clearing up in a couple of days.
There are though exceptions. Keep these in mind should you or someone you know suffer an unexpected, atypical response to mosquito biting. The more extreme reaction to mosquito bites, which indicate the likelihood of an allergic reaction, can include blistering rashes, bruises, or excessive swelling at the location of the bite. This is not a mere swelling of the bitten area, but when the arm or leg itself noticeably swells up.
Such situations, accompanied by other symptoms, are known as Skeeter Syndrome. This syndrome is the result of reactions to the polypeptides in the mosquito saliva. The good news is that Skeeter syndrome is not contagious. It tends to affect people with a history of allergic reactions. Symptom presentation varies. There can be some variance in the on-set of symptoms: they can start showing immediately, but it's perfectly common to take days to manifest. Watch for these telltale signs:
1. Red lump that rise on the area bitten by the mosquito; 2. The appearance at other parts of the body of other bumps and general swelling; 3. Hives; 4. Bruises and blisters that cannot be explained by other injuries or incidents; 5. Less common, but a telltale sign, is swelling beneath the surface of the skin or mucous membranes; 6. Bite area infection; 7. Asthma-like breathlessness; 8. Though rare, of great concern in the cases of allergic reaction is anaphylaxis.
While it's of course possible for anyone to experience allergic reactions, some people are at increased risk for such intense mosquito bite allergy reactions. Special awareness must be had when dealing with the following groups of people:
1. People who are prone to spend exceptional amounts of time out of doors; e.g. outdoor workers and athletes; 2. People lacking natural immunity to mosquito saliva. Think particularly of those who have not lived in areas with mosquitoes. Also be alert with young children; 3. Immuno-deficiencies are a concern. Closely monitor anyone with conditions such as AIDS, leukemia and lymphoma.
Extreme allergic reactions should always be treated by a medical professional. This though does not preclude some basic preparations. Foremost in this category is assuring that you have a good first response anti-allergy medication on hand. This is particularly recommended when caring for an individual with a known history of allergic reaction. In the case of developing asthmatic symptoms, oral anti-histamines can be of great help. It is important to reiterate, though, in the event of extreme symptoms, such as blisters, difficulty in breathing, short and panting breaths, medical treatment should be sought promptly.
And, in the unlikely, but not impossible, case of someone developing anaphylaxis, this must be treated exactly as it would in the case of a bee sting, with immediate hospitalization. While it is standard fare to joke about the harmlessness of mosquito bites, this is one rare situation in which such a bite can indeed be life threatening.
It is important to be aware of the worst case scenarios, but there's no benefit in stressing over it. The overwhelming majority of the time mosquito bites are innocuous annoyances easily treated with a variety of home remedies. We hope that those home remedies will be more than enough for you to enjoy your outdoors activities.
About the Author:
Tosh Caliberni writes for the recently launched blog, How to Get Rid of a Headache without Medicine.
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