Home Remedies for Mosquito Bites
There are many home remedies for mosquito bites. However, it is better to take precautions against mosquito bites rather than wait to get bitten, especially if you are in a tropical location. Sleep under a mosquito net, use insect repellent and make sure windows and doors have well-fitted insect screens.
1,001 Home Remedies tells you how to quickly and easily treat common ailments safely at home, without needing a trip to the doctor.
If you do get bitten by a mosquito, bite and sting relief spray or cream helps relieve relieve the itching and swelling caused by mosquito bites. Alternatively, there are home remedies for mosquito bites.
Home Made Remedies for Mosquito Bites
To begin with, wash your mosquito bites with soap and water to reduce the risk of infection. Then, make your own remedies with ingredients you have in your cupboards at home:
- Meat tenderiser paste: Mix 1 teaspoon of dry meat tenderiser with 1 teaspoon of water to make a paste and dab it on your mosquito bite. Leave the paste on the bite for thirty minutes before rinsing clean. Meat tenderiser contains enzymes which help draw toxins out of the skin.
- Baking soda: Mix 3 parts baking soda with 1 part water and apply it to your mosquito bite.
Aromatherapy for Insect Bites
Insect bites may benefit from aromatherapy – essential oils can be safely used at home to treat swelling and discomfort. Please note, with few exceptions as described below, it is not usually safe to apply essential oils directly to your skin undiluted.
- Lavender oil: Lavender essential oil has soothing and antiseptic qualities and can be applied neat to insect bites.
- Tea tree oil: Neat tea tree oil is antibacterial and good for treating insect bites.
- Eucalyptus oil: Eucalyptus oil is antiseptic and helpful for treating bites. It is safe to use on your skin after dilution in a carrier oil or ointment.
If your mosquito bite is uncomfortable, make a cold compress with lavender and german chamomile essential oils to help reduce swelling and inflammation. Fill a bowl with very cold water (add ice cubes if necessary). Sprinkle about 3 drops of lavender oil and 3 drops of german chamomile essential oil onto the water – the oil will spread out in a fine film on the water's surface. Dip a clean flannel lightly into the water, so the flannel soaks up water and some oil. Wring the flannel out to get rid of excess water and place it over your mosquito bite. Repeat as necessary.
Dietary Supplements
Dietary supplements may help support your immune system, control inflammation and reduce the severity of allergic reactions to mosquito bites.
- Grape seed extract: Grape seed extract is an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may help reduce inflammation.
- Quercetin: Quercetin is a bioflavanoid and an antioxidant. It may help minimise allergic reactions to insect bites.
- Vitamin C: Vitamin C is anti-inflammatory and helps support your immune system. It may help reduce the toxicity of insect bites.
Homeopathic Remedies
Homeopathic remedies may help reduce symptoms of mosquito bites, although their effectiveness is unclear. For example:
- Apis mellifica: If taken soon after you've been bitten, Apis mellifica may quickly help reduce swelling and burning.
- Ledum: Often used in homeopathy as a remedy for mosquito bites, Ledum may reduce swelling if the affected area feels cold.
- Staphysagria: Staphysagria may relieve symptoms of large mosquito bites with severe itching.
Sources:
Balch, Phyllis A. Prescription for Nutritional Healing. 4th ed. New York: Avery, 2006. Print.
Good Housekeeping 1000 Home Remedies: Safe and Sensible Treatments for Everyday Ailments. London: Collins & Brown, 2010. Print. Halls, Gill.
The Aromatherapy Bible: The Definitive Guide to Using Essential Oils. New York: Sterling Pub. Co., 2005. Print.
Mayo Clinic: Mosquito Bites
University of Maryland Medical Center: Insect Bites and Stings
