Do Mosquitoes Bite More Than Once?
Whether mosquitoes bite more than once depends on how sensitive your body is to their saliva. Some people have a mild reaction while others develop an allergic response. This is because the mosquito’s saliva contains chemicals that trigger your immune system to react. Depending on the type of reaction you have, you may experience redness, swelling, itching or even blisters.
The best way to deal with a mosquito bite is to avoid the area. Wearing heavy clothes and using screens over windows can help. However, you should seek medical treatment if you’ve experienced a serious allergic reaction to the bite.
There are 180 different species of mosquitoes in North America. Some of these mosquitoes are known to carry diseases like malaria and West Nile virus. Other vectors include fleas and ticks.
Female mosquitoes pierce the skin with a special mouth part to get blood from the human host. They then secrete saliva into the bloodstream to keep it flowing. They then rest for a few days before laying eggs.
While the mosquito’s saliva does contain anticoagulants, it also causes your body to produce histamine. This chemical is released by your white blood cells when they fight allergens. Your immune system then identifies the mosquito saliva as an allergen, and it sends the histamine to the bite site to attack the anticoagulant. This can cause a large swell in the bite, or a small bump.
If you are suffering from a mosquito bite, you should use an antibiotic ointment. You should apply the ointment three times a day until it heals.