How Long Do Mosquito Bites Itch (And Why)?

How Long Do Mosquito Bites Itch (And Why)?

Exact Answer: Few Seconds to Few Minutes

Mosquitoes belong to the Animalia kingdom. The availability of iron and protein in the human blood helps mosquitoes for producing eggs. The sucked area of the body part gets swell. The discomfort and swelling can last for a few seconds or a few minutes.
The lasting time of the itching highly depends upon the climate and the human body. There are more than 3500 species have been found by scientists till now. There are four major phases of the lifespan of mosquitoes – Egg, Larva, Pupa, and Imago. Mainly female mosquitoes drink blood from the human body. That is why only female mosquitoes bite humans to get nutrients and energy.

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How Long Do Mosquito Bites Itch?

The mosquito bites itching is so irritating and creates uneasiness. Mosquitoes engulf blood from the area where they bite. As an allergic response to this, the spot gets swell and itches for a period. The tropical climate and summer season is some of the prior times for the mosquitoes to bite.

The mouthparts of the mosquito are consist of different tubes. The functioning of the tube to slurps up blood and transmitting the saliva into the blood vessel. The mosquitoes use their saliva to make the flow of blood smooth. That is why saliva behaves as an anticoagulant in the whole process.

Each person’s body counters distinctly to the mosquito bite. Some people have big red skin bumps whereas some have small spots with swelling around the spot. The infused saliva creates redness and itching.

Swelling and mosquito bites spot on the upper face of the person can last for many years. The skin of the face is most delicate as compared to the other body parts. Mosquitoes spread several dangerous diseases such as Zika Virus, Dengue, Malaria, etc.

The reactions of the mosquito bites last for a few seconds to a few minutes. Sometimes the reactions may take a week to go away. Here are the different mosquito bites allergies along with their reactions.

Mosquito Bites Allergies Reaction Period
Skeeter SyndromeMore than 24 hours
Systematic ReactionFew hours or Days

Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch So Long?

The completion of the introductory blood meal leads to the beginning of the resting period of the female mosquitoes. They start eliminating proboscis when the guts are fill-up. There is a presence of a membrane known as a peritrophic membrane which departs the blood from other things in the stomach.

The female mosquitoes need blood as their meal to commence the egg development procedure. The female mosquitoes have specific mouthparts that help them in engulfing blood and other sugar-contained liquors. The saliva of the mosquito contains so many protein properties which are allergic to human bodies.

The histamine which is released during the reaction with saliva causes soreness and itching. Histamine is a composite that supports the white blood cells to reach the affected spot. The human immune system is fastidious to the saliva of the mosquito.

Rubbing or scraping the infected spot can cause more irritability. The availability of nutrients in the blood of humans stimulates female mosquitoes to reproduce eggs. Mosquito bites can drive to many life-threatening diseases. It also includes wheal and flare reactions.

There are so many anti-itching medications available in the market to cure itching. Other than that there are so many homemade cures that are used to get immediate relief.

Conclusion

There are several ways through which one can reduce the itching of a mosquito bite. Apply a little bit of honey on the spot where a mosquito has bitten you. Honey has antibacterial properties. It helps in diminishing inflammation. Rinse it off after some time with the help of water. Basil oil, Aloe, Corticosteroid cream, etc all these things help in lessening the swelling and itching of mosquito bites.

Even if you don’t apply any of these things, the itching will stop after a while. But if you experience some other symptoms such as problems in breathing, swelling, fever. These symptoms are an implication of the need for medical treatment. Don’t delay until it becomes any big issue for your health.

Reference

  1. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-ento-011613-162002
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