如何缓解蚊虫叮咬症状
This summer, I decided enough was enough. I was no longer going to listen to myself complain about how I couldn't prevent a bug bite during the 12 seconds it takes me to walk from my car to my front door. The Bug Bite Thing I stumbled upon the Bug Bite Thing in my desperate search for a mosquito bite cure and I feel like I've hit the jackpot. I've only used it once so far, but it was on six different bites I managed to get while doing some yard work last weekend. The Thing is a suction tool that claims to extract the mosquito's saliva left under the skin. A mosquito's saliva contains proteins that are allergens to humans, says Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan, an allergist and immunologist (as well as one of the developers of Ready, Set, Food!). Our bodies create antibodies to fight off the allergens, and it's the resulting immune reaction that causes the redness, swelling and itchiness. "The whole allergic response is stimulated by the saliva, so if there's a mechanism to get some of that saliva out, I could see that working or at least minimizing the reaction," Marks-Cogan says. Out of the six bites I tested this on, five stopped itching immediately. The sixth bite was in a tricky ankle spot and I don't think I suctioned it well enough. It continued to bother me off and on for the next two days, although not as much as a bite normally does. I tried suctioning it a couple more times, but as the website says, the "best results are obtained when the Bug Bite Thing is used within the first two minutes of a bite or sting." So there's the con-you've got to carry one around with you and use it right away to get the most benefit. Which is why I promptly ordered two more, so I can keep one in the house, one in my purse and one in my car. The Thing is fairly small and lightweight, so this is a small price to pay. |