What can you do about it?

Ointments containing antihistamines help against itching. They prevent an allergic reaction. Cold compresses can also relieve the swelling.

As scratching of a mosquito bite should be avoided. One offers exciters so only one entrance gate into the body and promotes inflammations. If the wound is already bloody and scratched, it is advisable to disinfect it and apply a plaster.

This is the best way to prevent inflammation. If a mosquito bite has become infected, this is accompanied by severe itching, a pronounced redness around the bite and wheals (small swellings of the skin caused by an allergic reaction to the mosquito’s protein). Here, a low-dose cortisone ointment can provide relief.

Cortisone has an anti-inflammatory effect and reduces the body’s allergic reaction to the mosquito bite and thus also the itching. Since the ointment is only applied locally to the skin, side effects of cortisone are not to be feared with this type of application. However, caution should be exercised in places where the skin is very thin, such as the eye or genital area.

Since the cortisone is absorbed more quickly here due to the thinner layers of skin, if you have complaints in these areas, you should consult a doctor before use and not treat yourself. The same applies to older people and children who also have thinner skin. It is also possible to take cortisone in tablet form for inflamed mosquito bites.

This may be necessary, for example, if there are particularly many inflamed bites on the skin. However, this can also lead to side effects of cortisone, such as a permanent increase in the cortisone level in the blood (Cushing’s syndrome), especially if taken over a longer period of time. For inflamed mosquito bites there are a number of home remedies whose use is recommended.

To cool the affected area, a conventional ice pack can be placed on top of it.Human spit or high-proof alcohol has a similar effect, both of which provide temporary cooling when evaporated. Cold quark also cools and additionally promotes the decongestant effect. In cases of severe itching, the leaves of ribwort plantain are used.

These are placed on the puncture site and then fixed with a bandage or similar. To disinfect the puncture site additionally, a sliced onion can be used, placed on the skin for a few minutes. It has an additional anti-inflammatory effect; the same applies to the application of honey.

Finally, there is a method in which heat is used to destroy the foreign proteins of the mosquito, which makes the itching disappear. The most common application is using a spoon, which is heated above 40°C and then pressed on the bite for a few minutes. However, this must be done very carefully so that no skin burns occur.

As already mentioned, mosquito bites do not cause major complications in Germany. This is because mosquitoes do not transmit pathogens in this country. Especially travellers who stay abroad for a longer time should know about the native insects and the possible diseases that can be transmitted.

Prominent examples include malaria, which is mainly found in Africa, dengue fever, yellow fever and worm diseases such as filariasis. In principle, these pathogens are more likely to lead to inflammatory and immune reactions at the injection site. Primarily, however, they cause other problems than this.

They usually lead to feverish illnesses that absolutely require therapy. In Europe there is also a less known virus, the so-called Sindbis virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes. The spread is largely limited to Scandinavia and Russia. It triggers feverish illnesses, but these are accompanied by skin rashes and joint pain. The risk of infection is also increasing in Germany due to climate change.