A small red bump that itches for about ten days is a normal reaction following a mosquito bite. But in people with allergies, the symptoms can be more severe and in rare cases cause serious allergic How to recognize a mosquito bite allergy?
When to worry about a mosquito bite?
We are actually bitten by female mosquitoes, which feed on
When a mosquito bites, its proboscis penetrates the skin in search of a blood vessel. “During this operation, saliva containing different substances is injected, causing local anesthesia and preventing the blood from clotting in the fallopian tube. It is the substances contained in this injected saliva that cause irritation”, continues the E.I.D.
Our genes, the smell of our skin and the carbon dioxide we release when we breathe will influence our reaction to bites. Possible allergies concern precisely this mosquito saliva injected during the bite, which contains proteins and allergens that cause itching. The substances it contains provoke a reaction of our immune system, which begins to release histamine, the substance responsible for the allergic reaction.
Skeeter’s Syndrome
A A red, swollen, small bump (less than 2.5 centimeters in diameter), which scratches a few minutes after the bite and for about ten days is a completely normal reaction. If the size of the bump is very large, there may be an allergy, also called Skeeter’s syndrome, more common in infants, young children and people with primary or secondary immunodeficiency. For diagnosis, there is no test. The doctor will consider the symptoms and medical history.
