How can I relieve or stop itching? | Itchy mosquito bites – What to do?

How can I relieve or stop itching?

As banal as it may sound – keeping the affected extremity or body part calm and sparing it is the best way to relieve the itching. If the affected part of the body is moved as little as possible, it is less supplied with blood compared to a stress reaction, and the secretion transferred from the mosquito bite does not spread unnecessarily further via the bloodstream into the surrounding tissue. Local cooling can help here, as it causes the blood vessels to contract and reduces localized overheating. Drugs should only be used in cases of serious reactions to mosquito bites, as side effects are always to be expected.

Antihistamines

The name “antihistamines” already reveals the effect of this group of drugs. They act against the messenger substance histamine, which is released in the course of an allergic reaction to mosquito bites, and the symptoms that are a burden to the person affected, such as: “As a rule, they are taken in tablet form as required and have a soothing effect after a short time. Their most common disadvantage is their best-known side effect – fatigue.

  • Itching,
  • Redness and
  • Swelling.

Cortisone ointment

Cortisone is an immunosuppressive agent, which means nothing else than that it suppresses the body’s own reaction of the defense system. In the event of a mosquito bite, the active ingredient thus prevents the progression of the inflammatory reaction.However, ointment applied externally has almost no effect on the mosquito bite, as the active ingredient is hardly absorbed by the skin at all. It is much more effective to take tablets if there is a clear reaction to mosquito bites in the form of enormous swelling or blistering, for example.

Home remedy against itching

From the outset it must be said that household remedies are only limited effective against mosquito bites. With concerning here above all the placebo effect works, which should not be underestimated however straight with children. However, the application of onion juice or essential oils is only recommended to a limited extent, as this can cause a further allergic reaction.

They also tend to additionally irritate the affected skin area and trigger the inflammatory reaction unnecessarily. The best household remedy against itching is local cooling of the affected area. This should only be done intermittently so that the skin can be sufficiently supplied with blood during the cooling-off intervals.

During the cooling process itself, the superficial nerve endings are numbed and the blood vessels are constricted so that both the itching and the accompanying symptoms such as redness and overheating are reduced. If cooling is too uncomfortable or painful for you, the affected extremity can also be elevated. Here too, the effect is that the blood circulation is reduced by gravity.