Friday night, we went to Sperry Observatory in Cranford to use our telescope to look at the Blue Moon. We had a great time, but so did the mosquitoes.
If you're plagued, like I am, with dozens of mosquito bites on your legs and feet, you might lose a night's sleep, as I did, and probably will be motivated to do some research on mosquito bites. Here's what I found:
- When mosquitoes bite, they want to suck your blood, but, since blood clots quickly, they have to use an anti-coagulant to keep the blood flowing long enough to get a good drink. The anti-coagulant is in their saliva, and they spit a little in to your skin before they start sucking blood.
- Unfortunately, humans can be allergic to that anti-coagulant, resulting in a mild allergic reaction we call a mosquito bite.
- Mosquitoes come in lots of different species and therefore lots of different types of saliva. That explains why some mosquito bites are worse than others, and why some people are more sensitive than others.
Here are some remedies I tried. Some actually worked:
- Topical ointments, sprays, etc from the drug store, of course, were the first things I tried. Caladryl, Hydrocortisone, Benadryl spray, Calamine lotion, Benadryl cream, witch hazel.
- Vinegar dapped on the mosquito bite is supposed to make it stop itching. It just made me smelll like a salad.
- Soap - dry - rubbed on the bite actually provides some relief.
- Very strong tea dabbed on was near ecstacy, but pretty messy.
- Ice cubes are a good for numbing the skin, but boy does that get messy fast.
- Things I didn't try but are supposed to work - rubbing alcohol, nail polish, ammonia, toothpaste, vinegar, honey, deodorant, Vicks Vapo Rub, Preparation H, Anbesol, Orajel.
I sure hope I've given you some relief from the itch today! What works for you?
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