Mosquito bites

Diagnosis and treatment

Your health care provider will likely be able to diagnose mosquito bites simply by looking at them and talking with you about your recent activities.

The inflamed, itchy, painful swelling referred to as skeeter syndrome is sometimes mistaken for a bacterial infection. Skeeter syndrome is the result of an allergic reaction to proteins in mosquito saliva. There's no simple blood test to detect mosquito antibodies in blood. Antibodies are substances the body produces during an allergic reaction.

Mosquito allergy is diagnosed by determining whether the large areas of swelling and itching occurred after mosquito bites.

Most mosquito bites stop itching and heal on their own in a few days. These self-care tips may make you more comfortable.

• Applying a lotion, cream or paste. Avoid scratching itchy bites. It may help to apply calamine lotion or a nonprescription antihistamine cream or corticosteroid cream. Or try dabbing the bite with a paste made of baking soda and water. Reapply the cream or the paste three times a day until the itch is gone.
• Rubbing with an ice cube. Try soothing an itchy bite by rubbing it with an ice cube for 30 seconds.
• Applying pressure. Another way to soothe an itchy bite is by applying pressure for 10 seconds.
• Taking an oral antihistamine. For stronger reactions, try taking a nonprescription antihistamine that doesn't cause sleepiness, such as cetirizine (Children's Zyrtec Allergy, Zyrtec Allergy, others) or loratadine (Alavert, Claritin, others).

You won't need to see your doctor for a mosquito bite unless you develop a fever or other symptoms that sometimes develop after such bites.

Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.