What do mosquito bites look like?
Immediately after a mosquito bites you the bite site starts to swell and the incessant itching sets in. mosquitoes belong to the gnat family and although they are small insects they can cause a lot of damage. The females are the lethal members of the family because they not only feed on human blood they carry diseases.
The female anopheles mosquito is responsible for carrying the bacteria, parasites and viruses that cause diseases affecting over 700 million people. Among the diseases a female mosquito transmits are the Yellow Fever, Malaria, Chikungunya, tularemia, Ross River fever, Eastern equine encephalitis, Western equine encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, filariasis, Saint Louis encephalitis, Dengue, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, barman forest fever, La Crosse encephalitis, Rift Valley fever, dirofilariasis, Keystone virus and Zika fever.
The mosquito bites will go away on their own and they only require self-care. They typically look puffy and the skin around them is usually red if you are itching a lot or if the bite site is inflamed. They may manifest as hives especially in children and people with very sensitive skin. These bites will typically occur in the face, legs, feet, hands and arms because these are the most exposed parts of the body. The bite may be a single large one or a series of small ones.
If the bite is on the upper face near the eye area it may cause severe swelling around the eyes. Suspect a mosquito bite if you find a series which look puffy on the exposed parts of your body.
What causes a mosquito to bite you?
The mosquito is attracted to the human being both scent of blood as it flows close to the surface of the skin. It is also able to detect a living creature from the carbon dioxide that you emit as you sleep. Your body heat also attracts the mosquito as it flies by.
When it finally settles down to bite you it looks for a spot where the capillaries run which is why you may have a series of small bites as the mosquito is trying to find the blood source. Scientists have also discovered certain chemical markers that attract female mosquitoes and which the female’s antennae and head latches onto.
Some of those chemicals include lactic acid which attracts mosquitoes and also people with blood group O attract mosquitoes more than people in blood group B or A.
Conclusion
The prevention of mosquito bites is crucial to keeping away the diseases that this insect carries. Don’t panic when bitten because you can put calamine lotion and hydrocortisone creams to sooth the site.
