Mosquito Bites
Mosquito bites are red, itchy swellings which occur as a result of the body's immune response to the bites.
(Technically, mosquitoes do not 'bite', they suck blood.) A mosquito will suck blood into its abdomen where the blood will be used for the development of mosquito eggs.
When a Mosquito Bites
Female mosquitoes have specially adapted mouthparts to enable them to suck blood. (The act of an animal feeding on blood is known as haematophagy.)
They use a long proboscis, which is a hollow, syringe-like part of their mouth for piercing human or animal skin. When they find a blood capillary, they suck the blood through the proboscis.
The proboscis is very thin with a serrated edge so it can pierce the skin as easily and as discreetly as possible, making it unlikely the mosquito's victim will be aware he or she is being bitten.
Why do Mosquito Bites Itch?
As well as sucking out blood, a mosquito injects saliva, which contains anti-coagulants to stop the blood from clotting. The saliva also contains an anti-inflammatory substance to numb the pain, so the act of sucking out the blood is not uncomfortable for the chosen host.
The itchy, raised, red swelling (also known as a wheal or welt) that appears when a mosquito has finished its meal is caused by an allergic reaction to the saliva that was injected. (The antibodies produced by the immune system of the host bind to antigens in the mosquito's saliva.) Mosquito bite itch relief may be necessary.
Why do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More than Others?
It is unclear why some people suffer terribly with multiple mosquito bites, while others, even if they have been in close proximity to those who have been bitten, barely seem to get bitten at all. Mosquitoes are attracted to various things about people; the chemicals given off in skin and breath, fragrances worn, heat given out, movement, and even the colours of clothes.
It is possible that certain combinations of these attractants make some people more interesting to mosquitoes than others.
Also, the itchy swelling caused by a mosquito bite is the result of the body's immune response to the saliva injected by the mosquito. People vary in their responses to mosquito bites, therefore those people who think they don't get bitten possibly do; they just don't have any visible reaction.
Alergic Reactions to Mosquito Bites
Some people are not sensitive to mosquito bites at all and will have little or no reaction. Most people will have some reaction to mosquito bites, but a few people will have very strong allergic reactions and their mosquito bites will become very large, swollen, inflamed and painful.
People who have quite severe allergic reactions to mosquito bites may require oral antihistamines. In cases of infection caused by insect bites, antibiotics may be needed.
Related Articles:
Mosquito Bite Prevention
Tips for mosquito bite prevention include keeping skin covered, avoiding standing water, wearing unscented toiletries and using air conditioning.
Mosquito Bite Itch Relief
Mosquito bite itch relief is available in the form of creams, sprays and mosquito bite clickers.