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Mosquitoes are both pesky and sneaky. When they strike, most people won’t discover they’ve been bitten until minutes or even hours later. The itching. The swelling. The irritation. It’s all too common, so let’s take a look at how mosquitoes pull off this caper and how our bodies react to it.
When a mosquito finds an unsuspecting victim to feed on, they use their mouth, called a proboscis, to break through human skin — much like a hypodermic needle. You would think the proboscis would need to be as rigid as a needle to break through the outer skin layer, but it actually isn’t. In fact, it’s very flexible and almost burrows through the skin by bending and flexing to find a suitable blood vessel to tap into.
Before biting, mosquitoes coat the proboscis with their saliva, which contains a pain inhibitor and an anticoagulant. Working like an aspirin, the inhibitor numbs the body’s pain sensation from the bite, and it’s rarely ever felt. The anticoagulant, in turn, keeps the blood from clotting, so the mosquito can drink without being hindered.
Once they’ve located a vein and had their fill, you’ll soon start to feel that itching and swelling sensation. Most humans have an allergic reaction to mosquito saliva, and the human body releases a chemical called histamine to combat it. Histamine also causes blood vessels to enlarge and the stimulation of nerve endings, which causes the redness and itching around the bite.
It may take up to three days for the swelling and itching to subside while your body produces the antibodies to combat the bite, so it’s just best to let it run its course and steer away from scratching the area, as this can cause additional irritation and possible infection.
Sources:
“This Is What Happens To Your Body When You Get A Mosquito Bite” Huffington Post
“What EXACTLY Happens to Your Body When You Get a Bug Bite” Women’s Health
“Here’s What Happens Inside You When a Mosquito Bites” National Geographic
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