How To Prevent Mosquito Bites

When a mosquito lands on your skin, it will feed on your blood - but once it leaves, the proteins in its saliva stay behind. Your immune system sees this is a threat and pumps out histamine (the same response it has to allergens) to attack these proteins. The result? Those unbearably itchy, red welts.

Luckily, there are ways to get rid of a mosquito bite quickly, and the itching should go away within two to three days. But how to prevent a bite in the first place:

Blow them away with a breeze. Almost any breeze makes it very difficult for mosquitoes to fly. Plug-in fans are a great deterrent. Just keep the flow of air directed at the lower half of your body; mosquitoes tend to fly very close to the ground to avoid wind, so directing the fan’s force downward will block their approach.

Rub on some DEET before you head outdoors. Adverse reactions to it are rare - and tend to occur only when people swallow or snort the stuff. When used as directed, it’s extremely effective. First, you should not spray DEET on your body and clothes like it’s perfume. Instead, squirt a little onto your hands and rub it onto your ankles, elbows, wrists, forehead, and all the other places where your skin is thin - and where mosquitoes love to feed. If you just can’t use DEET, oil of lemon eucalyptus may help.

Avoid scented products. This can be tough, but it’s definitely worth a try if mosquitos are terrible in your area. Any scented perfume, lotion, or soap could potentially attract mosquitoes. If you want to reduce your attractiveness to mosquitoes, avoid scented products in general.

For more information, feel free to contact Gansbaai Pharmacy today.