Mossie Bites!

[erastes]

Has anyone got any advice for infected mosquito bites?  Every year I seem to get more and more allergic and now I have one bite on my forearm which - literally - is the size and shape and hardness of a hard boiled hen's egg under the skin, and several on the skin on the back on my hand which are driving me insane THEY ITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Vinegar? Calamine? Amputation?

Comments

[cassiopaya.livejournal.com]

Fill the tub with hot water, toss in 4 bags/tablesppons of green tea (I recommend YamaMotoYama) and soak for an hour - keeping the infected areas under water. After an hour, shower as usual, dry off, and go to bed. By the next morning the itching, swelling, and reddness with be *dramatically* reduced; and for goodness sake stop scratching!!!!!

[aunty_marion]

I don't think it's mosquito bites I've had, but there's a Thing That Bites up at the archery club - never spotted anything actually one me, but I've come home many a time and later found lumps under the skin an inch across with an inflamed 6-inch red bit round them. Ouch. I've got a tea-tree and witch-hazel cream which is quite soothing on them - Lane's, available from larger branches of Tesco, and some health-food shops.

I've got two tiny spots on the back of my hand, near the thumb webbing, which I've scratched the tops off - they now look as if I've been bitten by a tiny vampire.

[eternalism.livejournal.com]

I've found that calamine lotion does nothing for itches. :/ I do remember that there's a plant that's good for bites like that, but I have no idea what it's called. It grows about knee-high, solid straight stalks, and the underside of the leaf shines silver when you put it in water. The juice from the stalk takes a good deal of the itch away, and it tends to grow in woody areas . . . I somehow doubt that'll help you much, though, unless you happen to live near a patch.

Other than that, I'd swear by Bendryl, or some other such antihistamine. They work wonders!

[logophilos.livejournal.com]

Australians swear by Tea Tree Oil - you can buy it in Boots and Body Shop, among other places.

If it's infected, be careful about scratching!

[willa-writes.livejournal.com]

Perhaps an oatmeal bath would help?

[julesjones]

Allergic or infected? If it's an actual allergic reaction, antihistamines will help -- ask the pharmacist for the right one for an insect bite as there are different formulations and some work better than others.

There's one marketed in Australia specifically for taking as a single high dose after an insect bite or sting, which the pharmacist recommended to me when I went in search of antihistamine cream (which they don't do any more). The sooner after the bite the better, but it can help reduce the symptoms even on a full-blown reaction. I know this because I seem to have the low-level allergy to *all* hymenoptra --ants, wasps, bees, the lot. And I invariably encounter at least one of them when down under...

[ter369.livejournal.com]

I use Aveeno's anti-itch cream for bites, both spider and mosquito. Hopefully it's available outside the USA. I had a huge, purple, hard-center spider bite on the middle of my neck. Huge, I tell you. 36 hours of Aveeno applications, and it was gone.

For scratches and burns, I use Burt's Bees Res-Q-Ointment. Amaaaaazing product; heals a scratch in a day or two, cleared up a burn from my iron (ow) in three days.

[chaos-rose.livejournal.com]

Try this. (http://www.boots.com/shop/product_details.jsp?productid=1022192&classificationid=1016591)

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

If you know it's infection, something like echinacea and golden seal (herbs, extract, whatever) might help. Comfrey and warm water makes a good poultice.)

That's one hell of an immune response, though... are you sure those skeeters aren't carrying some (microscopic) bug as well? I had an infected yellowjacket sting under my jaw once that made me look like I had mumps--the doc gave me an antibiotic. She's an osteopath and inclined to natural remedies, but she said infected stings are riskier because the material's actually injected. If this is getting worse, you'd probably be better off if you found out why.

Oh, and quercetin--a bioflavinoid--is a natural anti-inflammatory and ought to help the itching/swelling. No side effects.

[adventurat.livejournal.com]

What is it with Brits and mozzie bites? My hubby gets horribly allergic reactions too. (He also has hay fever, which can't help with the histamines.)

I'm sorry I can't suggest anything, but if you find something that works, let us know, will you?

[rosie-red73.livejournal.com]

OMG don't try vinegar! Ken told me that one once and I tried it and nearly went through the fucking roof. Plus it didn't work one little bit.

[djebrin.livejournal.com]

Ah, the joys of being a mozzie delicacy. I find very hot water blasted onto the affected area (power shower) takes care of the itch long enough to fall sleep. If infected, I use a mound of ordinary table salt in very hot water, soak affected area. Also good for blisters, cracked heels, and any other skin complaint. Do not drop remote control into bucket. In the long term, find someone who is even more attractive to mosquitos than you and go around with them at all times. They will get eaten alive and you will be fine. I served this function in my family.

Djebrin, freezing to death in the southern winter