When Should I Go To The Doctor For A Mosquito Bite?

When mosquito bites it forms an itchy bump, this bump develops because mosquitoes puncture the skin of the individual with their mouth parts for sucking blood. Usually, these bumps disappear on its own, but in some cases the swelling becomes red and sore. If mosquito bites contain any form of parasite or virus then it can lead to some serious health problems. Malaria, brain infection and yellow fever are some of the serious diseases that occur from infected mosquito bites.

One does not need to visit a doctor for mosquito bites unless it leads to fever or other symptoms mentioned above. If the symptoms last longer than expected, then one must immediately visit a doctor for consultation. If the doctor confirms that the bite is infectious then one must the following questions to prevent further spread of the problem:

• How itching can be controlled?
• Is there any side effect of the medication prescribed?
• Any precaution needed?
• The infection is limited to a particular area or its spreading?

Answer to these basic question will help in preventing further spreading the problem and also will fasten the recovery process.

Self-care plays a crucial is the recovery process. Some of the simple tips that helps one feel comfortable after mosquito bite are:

• Dry skin is prone to itch more and itching leads to spreading of infection making the problem complicated. Hence one must frequently apply calamine location to keep the skin moist and free from itching.
• Applying cold press on the bump for few minutes helps in getting rid from the problem.
• Cover the body to prevent further mosquito bites.

Symptoms that indicate mosquito bite is severe include:

• Reddish and puffy bump develops immediately after the bite
• With time the bump becomes itchy and hard or multiplies rapidly
• Instead of soft bumps, painful blisters are formed
• Bruises like dark spots develop

Kids or adults having weak immune system or any form of immune disorder experience more severe symptoms. In such individuals mosquito bites can trigger any of the following:

• Wide areas of the body swell and become red in color
• Hives develop
• Fever
• Lymph nodes swell up

Kids are prone to reflect severe reactions as compared to adults because they have had many mosquito bites in their life and their body becomes desensitized.

It is mainly the female mosquito that feed on human blood. Female mosquitoes have a special mouth part, which helps in piercing the skin and suck off blood. Male mosquito does not have this ability to suck blood; the reason behind this is that male mosquito does not produce egg and so they don’t need blood protein.

After biting, mosquitoes suck sufficient blood and injects saliva in to the individual skin. The protein present in the saliva has adverse affects on the immune system, which results in bump formation and itching. Mosquitoes have a special power of identifying their victims by the smell of chemical present in individual smell.

Scratching the area immediately after can lead to infection. As discussed above mosquitoes act as a carrier for spreading various diseases like yellow fever, dengue, West Nile virus and malaria. When mosquitoes obtain this dangerous virus by biting an infected person and then when they bite another individual they transfer the virus in their body. If the infected condition is left untreated for an extended period of time then it can result in fatal effect.

For complete and fast recovery, it is very important that the problem is diagnosed at the right time. Doctors can identify dangerous mosquito bite by sight. At times, red itchy and painful bumps which are prominent symptoms of skeeter syndrome are often confused with bacterial infection caused by scratching the skin. Skeeter syndrome is a result of allergic reaction caused because of protein present in mosquito saliva. The diagnosis is mainly done by deeply observing the bump i.e. its redness, swelling, itchiness etc.

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Also Read:

• Home Remedies to Get Rid of Mosquito Bite on Eyelid
• Can You Get Lyme Disease From A Mosquito Bite?
• How Do You Get Rid Of Mosquito Bites Overnight?
• Why Do Mosquito Bites Get Hard?
• Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch More At Night?