Does Vicks Help With Mosquito Bites?
Vicks is an ointment with multiple benefits, majority of the people are only aware of the fact that Vicks helps in providing relief from nasal congestion and cough. However, the benefit of this magical ointment is not limited to only treating cough and cold, instead; it is also very effective in providing relief from insect bites. When applied on the affected skin it removes the discomfort and itchiness caused after mosquito or any insect bite. In addition, the smell of this ointment is so strong that keep mosquitoes away. Hence, it acts two ways first as preventing measure and secondly as treatment for instant relief. (1)
Vicks contains some really strong ingredients like eucalyptol, common menthol and camphor. All these ingredients are very effective in treating skin itchiness and also helps in recovering from rashes or mosquito bites. The positive aspects of applying vicks is that it does not have any adverse effect or side effect in the body (for external use only).
Application Of Vicks
Before applying vicks on the infected area, one needs to wash their hands properly and also clean the infected area. This helps in avoiding further spread of infection.
Secondly ensure that the skin is completely dry before applying this ointment. Then, with the help of finger or cotton ball apply some ointment on the irritating area and softly spread it covering the whole skin. Rub the ointment till the time it is completely absorbed in the skin.
You should begin to feel some relief instantaneously. If the bite begins to bother you again after the initial application, you can reapply the ointment as often as needed. After the application one can feel the comfort instantly and can repeat the process if required.
Precautions
Like any other medication, it is very important that one should clearly read the label, specially the warnings that are mentioned on the container. One very important warning is that this ointment is topical, hence; only be used externally and never make the mistake of ingesting it. Camphor and common methanol gives a very strong and sharp smell to this ointment, which is very helpful in clearing blocked nose or sinuses. Hence, few people apply the ointment underneath their nose. This is a strict no because this can trigger various allergic reactions depending on individual’s health condition. If it comes in direct contact with eyes then can cause severe irritation and can even damage the cornea. There are people who apply vicks on their face for treating mosquito bites, this can develop rashes. Face is a very sensitive area of the body, hence; one need to look for mosquito repellent options that are safe for skin. Many such effective options are available in the market for selection.
Vicks is not at all safe for kids below two years of age, also if ingested or if it enters in the blood stream by anyway can lead to severe poisoning. If it happens by mistake or accidentally then one need to immediately take the patient to the hospital for treatment.
Till date no adverse effect of vicks has been reports on pregnant ladies or feeding mothers, but still to ensure complete safety it is recommended to consult a certified doctor before using vicks for any purpose.
One very common side effect of vicks is that after applying the ointment on the skin it starts to irritate and becomes red in sometime. It is very rare observation but if it occurs then one must immediately stop the use and look for other safe options available in the market.
Vicks is one of the highly recommended medication for treating various health problems like cough, cold, toenail fungus, mosquito bites and so on. Hence Doctors suggest to definitely store this ointment in the medical kit. Vicks is not at all expensive but because of the natural ingredients used it is one of the most effective and safe ointment to use.
References:
Also Read:
