For most people, a mosquito bite is only a minor nuisance. It itches for a day or two and then fades away. But for some individuals, a bite can cause more extreme symptoms. Leading them to wonder: Can you be allergic to mosquito bites?

The short answer is yes, it’s possible to be allergic to mosquito bites. Let’s take a look at mosquito allergies, identification, and treatment.

What Is Skeeter Syndrome?

Skeeter syndrome occurs when a person is allergic to mosquito saliva. When a mosquito pierces your skin with its proboscis, some of its saliva is secreted into your bloodstream. Mosquito saliva contains polypeptides that cause an allergic reaction in a small percentage of the population.

Babies, children, and immune-compromised adults are most likely to suffer from skeeter syndrome. It also may occur when an otherwise healthy adult is bitten by a species of mosquito to which they’ve had no prior exposure.

Skeeter syndrome is characterized by excessive inflammation that appears approximately 8-10 hours after the bite. This inflammation may be severe enough to limit movement in the area of the bite. It typically resolves within several days, but some cases take up to 10 days to go away.

What Does a Mosquito Allergy Look Like?

Symptoms of a mosquito bite allergy include swelling, pain, itching, blisters, skin warmth, and/or changes in skin color or texture – which may or may not be accompanied by a fever. If you’re allergic to a bite, your skin may react in a variety of ways: becoming lighter, darker, or redder. It may also develop bumps, or the bite can become hard.

How Do You Treat an Allergy to Mosquito Bite?

Most mosquito bite allergies can be treated successfully at home.

Applying ice and pressure on the bite may reduce swelling. Taking oral antihistamines, applying hydrocortisone cream to the bite, and using acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain and fever also help most individuals who experience an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite.

If your reaction to a bite is severe, seek medical treatment immediately. Your medical provider may recommend a course of corticosteroids to resolve the reaction. As well as long term solutions like immunotherapy or allergy shots.

East End Tick & Mosquito Control® Eliminates Mosquito Threats

Whether you suffer from skeeter syndrome or not, it’s important to keep your property mosquito-free. These aggravating pests transmit dangerous diseases to humans, pets, and livestock. So, contact East End Tick and Mosquito Control® at the first sign of mosquitoes in your home or yard.

We are Eastern Suffolk’s most trusted name in mosquito elimination. Contact us online for a free estimate, or call us at (631) 287-9700 near Southampton; (631) 324-9700 near East Hampton; or (631) 765-9700 near Southold. We look forward to hearing from you and keeping your family safe from tick and mosquito threats.