All products featured on Self are independently selected by our editors.
However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
A bloodsucking bug will likely make a snack out of you before summers over.
Adobe Stock
Cue the incessant itching.
Of course, not everyone responds in the same way.
Some people find them slightly annoying, while others may think theyre torturous.
So what can you do to treat a mosquito bite quickly?
Seriously, stop the itch-scratch cycle.
Scratching a mosquito bite can make it itchier, Dr. Rodney says.
Soothe it with a cold compress.
It works by constricting the blood vessels, which makes it harder for those inflammatory chemicals to wreak havoc.
If thats not enough, try actual ice.
The Mayo Clinic recommends straight-up rubbing an ice cube over the bite for 30 seconds to soothe the area.
Slather on an anti-itch cream.
There should be plenty of over-the-counteritch-relief creamoptions at your local drugstore.
Make a DIY paste to calm the skin.
Cant trek to the store?
The Mayo Clinic suggests this mosquito bite home remedy: a homemade paste made of baking soda.
Baking soda has anti-inflammatory properties, Dr. Rodney points out.
Just add a few drops of water to some baking soda until you get a creamy consistency.
Then, dab it on the bite and leave it there.
it’s possible for you to reapply the paste three times a day until you feel better.
Take an oral antihistamine.
Once the itching resolves, you’re able to stop using it, she says.
Are there any other mosquito bite home remedies worth trying…or are they all BS?
It is best to avoid squeezing or scratching mosquito bites.
This home remedy comes up a lot, but Dr. Rodney says its an ineffective hack.
Meaning, you may feel better briefly, but toothpaste wont have a lasting effect on your mosquito bites.
Theres also a chance of causing an unwanted reaction due to possibleallergensin the toothpaste itself, Dr. Rodney says.
microscopic damage), which can open you up to a potential infection.
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should see a doctor, she says.
Thankfully, those types of reactions are pretty rare.
Usually, even if you do nothing, your mosquito bite will stop itching eventually.
