Mosquitoes are equipped with special tools that can penetrate flesh and draw out blood. The blood is removed from the bite victim via a proboscis that is capable of injecting saliva, sipping blood and leaving behind an itchy bite--all at the same time. What many people may not realize is that it is only the female mosquitos that bite. Rutgers University of New Jersey explains that the female mosquito needs the blood for egg production. But why do her bites itch so much?
It's All About the Saliva
When you get bitten by a mosquito, your body reacts with what is known as an "allergic response." This happens because the saliva of a mosquito contains an anti-coagulant that prevents clotting. According to Discovery Health, the anti-coagulant is a type of protein that triggers a histamine response, which is what causes the small, itchy bump on the skin.
Tolerance
In his book "Uticaria and Angioedema: Second Edition," author Allen Kaplan reveals that as we age, we tend to build up a tolerance for things that we are allergic to, including mosquito bites. Children usually develop a more severe reaction to mosquito bites than adults and their bites can appear bigger, redder and be more itchy. However, this theory holds true only for adults that have sustained a steady amount of mosquito bites over their lifetime. If an adult has not been bitten in several years, the tolerance can begin to dissipate and new mosquito bites can become just as itchy as when he or she was a kid.
More Than Just Itch
Mosquito bites can cause more than just itching in people that are oversensitive to the protein agent. In fact, some individuals have even gone into anaphylactic shock as a result. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, anaphylactic shock is an allergic response that is carried out by the entire body resulting in hives, wheezing, coughing, nausea and abdominal pain. The allergic responses can become life threatening and require immediate attention. It is believed that a mosquito's saliva can even cause a toxic reaction in some people, which can lead to respiratory or cardiac arrest.
Treating the Itch
Oral antihistamines help to fight the itch and severe reactions that occur after a mosquito bite. Antihistamines work by lowering the body's response to the protein in the mosquito saliva. The Mayo Clinic also recommends topical treatments for less severe reactions, which may include baking soda mixed with water to form a paste, calamine lotion and ice packs.
Prevention
The best way to prevent the itchy bite of the female mosquito is to avoid her as best as you can. This means taking extra precautions if you will be outside a couple hours before dusk or dawn, or if you will be around water sources that are harboring these biting pests. The Department of Health and Human Services of North Carolina recommends wearing light-colored clothes with long sleeves and using a mosquito repellent that contains DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) if you must be outside during the height of mosquito activity.
Tags: mosquito bites, allergic response, anaphylactic shock, female mosquito, mosquito saliva