Despite all the efforts to stay away from mosquitoes, these willy little things will get some opportunities to bite you. Within minutes of their bites, it will start itching followed by a small bump at that place. Why this happens and what does science has to say about this? Let’s find out.
The basic cause for this bump and itching is the saliva of mosquitoes which is very complex and has over 100 different proteins in it. Many of them are known to cause an immune reaction. When a mosquito bites, a bump appears as a result of vasodilation or the opening up of blood vessels.
Blood vessels get more leaky after a mosquito bite and thus immune cells come out of the blood into the area causing a bump.
You can also see ruddy patch around the area. This is because of the immune system chain reaction. Chemicals like histamines are released that attract more immune cells in a particular area. They also prompt nerves of our skin to give a signal to the brain which makes the bite feel itchy.
According to experts, this bump or redness can last for about 20 minutes.
The itching happens so that we literally dig the saliva proteins out of our skin. However, regardless of how satisfying scratching might feel, experts suggest avoiding this as this can cause a second infection.
Remedies to alleviate an itch
One of the most popular methods is to put a metal spoon in hot water and then press the hot metal on the bite. It can reduce the histamines in your skin.
But doctors don’t agree with this. Instead, experts suggest washing the bite to get rid of any bacteria that might cause an infection.
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