Four Seasons Pharmacist says: Learn these and you won’t be afraid of mosquito bites anymore!

The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and it is the season when mosquitoes are rampant. Whether adults or children, everyone has experienced mosquito bites. Due to different human constitutions, the size of the red spots and wheals after being bitten by mosquitoes is also different. Most people will have a small red dot swelling on their skin after being bitten by mosquitoes, but some people (especially infants and young children) are prone to allergies and will have serious conditions such as papules and blisters.

What should you do after being bitten by mosquitoes?

Basic care

Apply soap or soap soaked in water to the bitten area. Because soap is alkaline (OH-), it can neutralize mosquito venom (containing formic acid) and quickly relieve itching and pain.

Local redness and swelling of the skin can be treated with a cold towel.

Drug treatment

01. For wheals and papular rashes, if the swelling is mild, you can use calamine lotion to relieve itching.

02. When the skin is obviously swollen, itchy, or even accompanied by painful erythema, nodules, etc., it is recommended to use medium or weak corticosteroid ointments under the guidance of a doctor, such as desonide cream and mometasone furoate cream.

03. If red spots and swelling appear in many parts of the body, and even similar rashes appear in places where there are no mosquito bites, in this case, oral antihistamines should be taken under the guidance of a doctor: cetirizine syrup (suitable for children over 6 months old) and loratadine (suitable for children over 2 years old) to relieve allergic reactions.

04. If you have systemic allergic symptoms, such as chest tightness, difficulty breathing, hypotension, etc., it is recommended to go to the hospital immediately.

Daily anti-itch products

01. Floral water: Contains alcohol, menthol, and borneol, which can cause skin blood vessels to contract, and have a cooling and antipruritic effect. However, menthol/borneol has an inhibitory effect on the nervous system, so it is not recommended for children under 2 years old.

02. Fengyoujing: Contains camphor and menthol, which have a cooling and antipruritic effect. However, menthol/camphor has an inhibitory effect on the nervous system and is not recommended for children under 2 years old.

03. Lithospermum officinale ointment: Lithospermum officinale root extract can antagonize the release of inflammatory mediators such as leukotrienes and has anti-inflammatory effects. However, it has potential hepatotoxicity and is not recommended for children under 3 years old.

04. BibiDrop: Contains diphenhydramine, which has antihistamine effect. However, it has a strong central nervous system inhibitory effect and is not recommended for children under 2 years old.

05. Calendula anti-itch cream, soothing bite magic cream, anti-itch cream, etc.: can relieve itching, relatively safe, and can be used for infants over 6 months old.