Signs of Mosquito Bite Allergy

Could you have a mosquito bite allergy?

Summertime brings with it many gifts—longer days, warmer weather, beach trips …, and mosquitoes. While these tiny flying insects are simply a nuisance for most, for other people who experience allergic reactions to mosquito bites, they can be a nightmare.

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology (AAAAI), contact with a mosquito must last at least six seconds in order for a reaction to occur. But your best bite prevention is to avoid contact in the first place. Wear protective clothing like long sleeves and pants, eat bug-repelling foods like garlic, use insect repellent, keep food scents and fragrances to a minimum, and limit exposure where mosquitoes thrive—in shady, wooded areas and stagnant water, particularly during the dusk and dawn hours.

Fact: Most mosquito bite “allergies” actually aren’t allergies

For most of us, mosquito bites are simply an itchy annoyance. A normal reaction to a mosquito bite includes red, swollen, itchy bumps that occur within minutes of the bite and can stay for up to 10 days. More extreme symptoms, such as larger bumps and significant swelling, indicate what’s called a large local reaction—this is also known as Skeeter Syndrome. When people say they are allergic, it’s mostly the large local reaction that they’re actually referring to.

In order to make a diagnosis, your doctor will take into account your symptoms, but there is no official test to detect a mosquito bite allergy.

A rarer form of mosquito bite allergy is a systemic reaction which occurs throughout the body. This type of life-threatening reaction is much more common with insects like bees and wasps.

• Hives: Suddenly breaking out into itchy, swollen, pale red bumps either in the area of the bite or all over your body could show an allergic reaction.
• Swelling in mouth, lips, or throat: Any sudden swelling in your lower face can be a sign of a serious reaction.
• Nausea: If you suddenly feel nauseous as if you’re going to get sick after a bite, which can be another symptom of a serious reaction.
• Dizziness: Feeling dizzy and unsteady on your feet can show a systemic allergic reaction.
• Fever: Breaking out into a fever is a signal that your body is fighting off an allergy.
• Headache: A severe headache that comes on quickly could mean you’re having an allergic reaction.

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