Mosquito Bite Swelling

Some mosquito bite swelling is almost inevitable after an attack. Swelling usually appears within minutes, but sometimes it takes a lot longer. You may not even notice the bump on your skin until it starts to itch.

Speaking of itching, the best way to avoid swelling after a mosquito bite is to resist the urge to scratch. Here's why.

When the female mosquito bites you (it's alsways the female - she needs a blood meal to lay her eggs), she injects an anti-coagulant into your skin so it doesn't bleed. This is why you don't see blood when a mosquito bites you. 

Chemicals and proteins that the mosquito leaves in you skin cause a reaction by your immune system. The result is swelling.

Generally, the swelling is annoying but harmless. It goes away with time - usually a fairly short time.

But there are instances when swelling is abnormal, and you should be aware of these situations because they can constitute a medical emergency.

Swelling from allergic reactions 

While it's true mosquitoes in tropical and sub-tropical climates often transmit serious diseases, allergic reactions to a mosquito bite are extremely rare.

Anaphylaxis occurs when your immune system releases a flood of chemicals that can cause shock, a rapid drop in blood pressure, a skin rash, a rapid but weak pulse, nausea and vomiting.

There will also be large areas of swelling around the bite itself. Sometimes the swelling is so bad it seems the who body is ballooning. Body-wide hives may also occur.

If you see this happening to someone, or it's happening to you, it's time to dial 9-1-1 and get medical help as fast as possible. Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening.

Anaphylaxis is possible with many different kinds of insect bites and stings. The most common probably occurs from wasp and bee stings.

Other mosquito bite allergies

Some people have milder allergy to mosquito bites, which is often referred to as "Skeeter Syndrome."

Someone with Skeeter Syndrome will experience more swelling - a whole arm or leg may swell up. But it's certainly nothing like anaphylaxis.

Other symptoms include

• blistering,
• bruising,
• skin rashes (hives is typical).

There are a number of ways to avoid areas where mosquitos gather and also prevent mosquito bites from happening to you. For additional information, click on how to stop mosquito bites.

To learn more about how to deal with a bite once a mosquito has "gotten under your skin," click on mosquito bite treatment.

How to know if you have a mosquito bite allergy

Your doctor can arrange for a skin test which will help determine if you're prone to allergies from mosquito bites. This test should only be taken, however, by those who have a history of abnormal mosquito bite swelling or reactions that exceed the typical small, red, itchy bumps most other people get.