What you need to know about Skeeter Syndrome

Written by Irene Lopez

Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on April 28, 2022

• What Is Skeeter Syndrome?
• Causes
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Prevention Tips
• Conclusion
• More

It’s common for a mosquito bite to cause a slight reaction on your skin. This reaction can worsen over the next 24 hours, but it usually gets better from then on, often clearing up within a week. 

More rarely, though, you may experience a more severe reaction called skeeter syndrome. Here’s what you need to know about this condition. 

Skeeter syndrome is diagnosed when you have a strong reaction to a mosquito bite. You may see a large area of swelling, soreness, redness, and itching or pain at the location of the bite. Such a reaction can develop within hours of the bite, and it may last for weeks. 

You may notice some redness and puffiness within a few minutes of the bite, followed by a red-brown bump showing up over the next two days. The bump is usually hard and itchy. Sometimes, you may get small blisters or small dark spots that look like an injury. 

You need to be in contact with a mosquito for at least six seconds for this type of reaction to take place.  

Skeeter syndrome is caused by the body’s reaction to polypeptides found in a female mosquito’s saliva. Polypeptides are chains of molecules called amino acids.

A female mosquito needs to feed on blood to produce eggs. Mosquitos use a mouthpart called a proboscis to pierce your skin and suck up the blood. While they suck blood, they also inject a small amount of saliva into your body because the saliva contains a substance that stops the blood from clotting. Male mosquitos don’t bite humans. 

Skeeter syndrome is rare, but some people are more likely to get it than others.

• Babies and children, as they have lower immunity. 
• Adults bitten by a species of mosquito they’ve not come in contact with before. Polypeptides can differ from one mosquito species to the next. A person can have Skeeter syndrome from getting bitten by one species but have no reaction to a bite from another species.
• People who have an immune system disorder. That’s the system that protects your body from infections. 

If you’ve had several mosquito bites, you become less sensitive to the saliva, so severe types of reactions like Skeeter syndrome are not very common.  

A large area of swelling, soreness, and redness with pain or itchiness is common in a severe reaction. In addition, you may become feverish. Skeeter syndrome symptoms can also include hives, a type of skin rash. Your lymph nodes, parts of your immune system, may also get swollen. 

Your primary care physician or doctor can assess whether you have skeeter syndrome by looking at the affected area on your skin. There is no blood test to check for the syndrome, so your doctor will usually arrive at their diagnosis after finding out if a mosquito has bitten you.

Your doctor will want to know your symptoms and how long you’ve been having them before they suggest a treatment plan. They will also check your medical history and ask about medicines, vitamins, supplements, and any other form of treatments you’re taking currently.

Skeeter syndrome treatment usually involves oral antihistamines and topical steroid creams.

Oral antihistamines are a class of drugs used to treat the symptoms of allergies. They are taken through the mouth. Topical steroid creams are creams, lotions, or ointments containing steroids that help fight inflammation in the body. These are to be applied to your skin near the site of the infection. Sometimes, your doctor may ask you to take oral steroids.

Avoid scratching your bites as that can lead to an infection. 

There are several different things you can do to help prevent mosquito bites: 

Use insect repellants. Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellants. As long as you follow the product label instructions, they should be safe and work well for pregnant and breastfeeding women. You will always want to follow the instructions, though, to ensure safe application.

An EPA registration can tell you that the repellent has had its effectiveness confirmed. It can be unclear how effective natural insect repellants or non-registered ones are.

Avoid using insect repellants containing oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD) on children under 3 years of age. Avoid applying insect repellent on your child’s hands, mouth, and eyes. You will also want to avoid applying it to any cuts or open infections that your child has.

Cover your body. Use long-sleeved tops and long pants to protect your body from bites. Thicker clothing can be harder for mosquitos to bite through.

Treat your wearables. Treat your clothes and even things like boots, mosquito nets, or the tents you’re sleeping in with a 0.5% solution of an insecticide called Permethrin. Permethrin can kill mosquitos on contact. You can also buy clothes that have been treated with Permethrin for when you’re traveling.

Avoid applying Permethrin directly on your skin.

Use mosquito nets and screen guards. Use mosquito nets in hotel rooms with no air conditioning or on occasions when you’re sleeping outside. Use protective screen guards for your doors and windows. Follow up with indoor pesticides if you’ve had mosquitos or use the services of a professional pest control professional.

Use air conditioning as much as possible when you’re indoors.

Manage areas that hold water. You may have water features or areas that hold water both inside and outside your home, like buckets, pools, flowerpots, birdbaths, or trash containers. Empty these containers once a week and clean and scrub them from the inside out.

Fill tree holes so they don’t get clogged with water. Also, repair cracks and holes in your septic tank if you have one. Cover open vents and plumbing pipes.

Clear out areas that are damp and humid like the inside of your closets, the space under your sinks, or your laundry room.

Skeeter syndrome is rare. Call your doctor if you suspect that you have skeeter syndrome or if your mosquito bite symptoms are getting worse. Follow best practices both indoors and outdoors to prevent mosquito bites and safeguard your health. 

Top Picks

What you need to know about Skeeter Syndrome

Written by Irene Lopez

Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on April 28, 2022

• What Is Skeeter Syndrome?
• Causes
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Prevention Tips
• Conclusion
• More

It’s common for a mosquito bite to cause a slight reaction on your skin. This reaction can worsen over the next 24 hours, but it usually gets better from then on, often clearing up within a week. 

More rarely, though, you may experience a more severe reaction called skeeter syndrome. Here’s what you need to know about this condition. 

Skeeter syndrome is diagnosed when you have a strong reaction to a mosquito bite. You may see a large area of swelling, soreness, redness, and itching or pain at the location of the bite. Such a reaction can develop within hours of the bite, and it may last for weeks. 

You may notice some redness and puffiness within a few minutes of the bite, followed by a red-brown bump showing up over the next two days. The bump is usually hard and itchy. Sometimes, you may get small blisters or small dark spots that look like an injury. 

You need to be in contact with a mosquito for at least six seconds for this type of reaction to take place.  

Skeeter syndrome is caused by the body’s reaction to polypeptides found in a female mosquito’s saliva. Polypeptides are chains of molecules called amino acids.

A female mosquito needs to feed on blood to produce eggs. Mosquitos use a mouthpart called a proboscis to pierce your skin and suck up the blood. While they suck blood, they also inject a small amount of saliva into your body because the saliva contains a substance that stops the blood from clotting. Male mosquitos don’t bite humans. 

Skeeter syndrome is rare, but some people are more likely to get it than others.

• Babies and children, as they have lower immunity. 
• Adults bitten by a species of mosquito they’ve not come in contact with before. Polypeptides can differ from one mosquito species to the next. A person can have Skeeter syndrome from getting bitten by one species but have no reaction to a bite from another species.
• People who have an immune system disorder. That’s the system that protects your body from infections. 

If you’ve had several mosquito bites, you become less sensitive to the saliva, so severe types of reactions like Skeeter syndrome are not very common.   

A large area of swelling, soreness, and redness with pain or itchiness is common in a severe reaction. In addition, you may become feverish. Skeeter syndrome symptoms can also include hives, a type of skin rash. Your lymph nodes, parts of your immune system, may also get swollen. 

Your primary care physician or doctor can assess whether you have skeeter syndrome by looking at the affected area on your skin. There is no blood test to check for the syndrome, so your doctor will usually arrive at their diagnosis after finding out if a mosquito has bitten you.

Your doctor will want to know your symptoms and how long you’ve been having them before they suggest a treatment plan. They will also check your medical history and ask about medicines, vitamins, supplements, and any other form of treatments you’re taking currently.

Skeeter syndrome treatment usually involves oral antihistamines and topical steroid creams.

Oral antihistamines are a class of drugs used to treat the symptoms of allergies. They are taken through the mouth. Topical steroid creams are creams, lotions, or ointments containing steroids that help fight inflammation in the body. These are to be applied to your skin near the site of the infection. Sometimes, your doctor may ask you to take oral steroids.

Avoid scratching your bites as that can lead to an infection. 

There are several different things you can do to help prevent mosquito bites: 

Use insect repellants. Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellants. As long as you follow the product label instructions, they should be safe and work well for pregnant and breastfeeding women. You will always want to follow the instructions, though, to ensure safe application.

An EPA registration can tell you that the repellent has had its effectiveness confirmed. It can be unclear how effective natural insect repellants or non-registered ones are.

Avoid using insect repellants containing oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD) on children under 3 years of age. Avoid applying insect repellent on your child’s hands, mouth, and eyes. You will also want to avoid applying it to any cuts or open infections that your child has.

Cover your body. Use long-sleeved tops and long pants to protect your body from bites. Thicker clothing can be harder for mosquitos to bite through.

Treat your wearables. Treat your clothes and even things like boots, mosquito nets, or the tents you’re sleeping in with a 0.5% solution of an insecticide called Permethrin. Permethrin can kill mosquitos on contact. You can also buy clothes that have been treated with Permethrin for when you’re traveling.

Avoid applying Permethrin directly on your skin.

Use mosquito nets and screen guards. Use mosquito nets in hotel rooms with no air conditioning or on occasions when you’re sleeping outside. Use protective screen guards for your doors and windows. Follow up with indoor pesticides if you’ve had mosquitos or use the services of a professional pest control professional.

Use air conditioning as much as possible when you’re indoors.

Manage areas that hold water. You may have water features or areas that hold water both inside and outside your home, like buckets, pools, flowerpots, birdbaths, or trash containers. Empty these containers once a week and clean and scrub them from the inside out.

Fill tree holes so they don’t get clogged with water. Also, repair cracks and holes in your septic tank if you have one. Cover open vents and plumbing pipes.

Clear out areas that are damp and humid like the inside of your closets, the space under your sinks, or your laundry room.

Skeeter syndrome is rare. Call your doctor if you suspect that you have skeeter syndrome or if your mosquito bite symptoms are getting worse. Follow best practices both indoors and outdoors to prevent mosquito bites and safeguard your health. 

Top Picks

Skin reactions to bedbug bites

Other related articles: therapist, bites

• “Sedentary” diseases
  

• 10 examinations
  

• COVID-19

• Anemia
  

• Bronchitis
  

• Bronchoscopy
  

• Types of ELI tests
  

• All about flu
  

• Hypertension
  

• Flu and SARS
  

• flu during pregnancy
  

• Diarrhea (diarrhea)
  

• iron deficiency
  

• immunity to coronavirus
  

• Bleeding from the nose
  

• Lungs after COVID
  

• Medical examinations
  

• Uric acid
  

• Surveys in autumn
  

• Complications after angina
  

• Pneumonia
  

• Defeat the Flu
  

• Taking antibiotics
  

• Signs of COVID-19

• Application of ozone
  

• Rheumatism
  

• Vaccine testing
  

• Tuberculosis
  

• Tick ​​bite
  

• Bed bug bites
  

• ferritin
  

• Chronic fatigue
  

Bed bugs painlessly bite exposed skin at night and are rarely noticed by victims. Bites usually occur on the face, neck, and hands. Skin reactions to bed bug bites vary from person to person depending on their individual response. Some people do not react, and the only sign of a bite is a small dot. It has been observed that older people are less likely to experience skin reactions than younger people.

The classic appearance of a bug bite is an erythematous papule or blister 2-5 mm in size with a central hemorrhagic puncture. Itching is common.

Some patients have asymptomatic purple spots at bite sites. Bullous reactions sometimes occur. Sometimes bed bug bites can present as papular urticaria or mimic urticaria.

Skin reactions may occur on waking or one to several days after bites. Sometimes the skin reaction appears with a delay of up to 10 days.

The linear course of bites is often indicative of bedbug bites, but is not a strictly obligatory sign.

Bed bug bites usually disappear on their own within one week

Sometimes bed bug bites can become secondarily infected, causing impetigo or cellulitis, in which case see a doctor immediately. Treatment of such complications can take several weeks.

The most reliable sign of a bedbug bite is the presence of bedbugs in the victim’s environment. Most often, bedbugs live in cracks and crevices of mattresses, pillows, bed frames and other structures.

The causative agents of some diseases were found in bedbugs, such as hepatitis B virus resistant to methicillin, Staphylococcus aureus and others, however, clinical transmission of these diseases to humans has not been identified.

Appointment with a general practitioner

For more details, consult a qualified specialist at the Family Clinic.

To find out the prices for an appointment with a general practitioner or other questions, follow the link below:

Tags TherapistBites

Allergy to bedbug bites: symptoms and treatment

Allergy to bedbug bites

Last update: 11/21/2022

Bed bugs are blood-sucking insects that are active at night. Bed bug bites can cause a lot of trouble to a person: they not only cause severe itching and swelling of the skin, but also do not look at all aesthetically pleasing. Bed bug bites can also interfere with sleep patterns, leading to nervousness and irritability. In people who are prone to an atypical reaction of the immune system to the bites of other insects, cases of allergy to bed bug bites are common.

What are the causes of bedbug allergy?

Allergy to bed bug bites belongs to the category of so-called insect reactions – that is, manifested in response to an insect bite. Predisposition to this kind of reactions is living in places with unfavorable ecology, deviations in the immune system, general depletion of the body, as well as heredity.

Bedbugs have a special piercing-sucking organ, presented in the form of a proboscis. During a bite, the bug pierces the top layer of the skin with it to get to the capillary. Usually a person does not feel a bug bite, as the insect injects saliva into the wound – it contains a special anesthetic substance, the effect of which lasts about 10-15 minutes. After this time, the puncture site begins to itch and itch, but by this time the bug is already crawling away.

The reason for the appearance of an allergy to bed bug bites is the sensitivity of the body to the anesthetic substance found in the saliva of the insect. This is a fairly strong allergen: according to statistics, its intolerance occurs in 80% of the world’s population. Interestingly, the cause of the appearance of signs of allergy to bedbugs is not only their bites, but also waste products – particles of chitinous shell and excrement.

Symptoms of bedbug bites

Bed bug bites can be confused with other insect attacks, as well as diseases such as dermatitis or chickenpox. However, there are some distinguishing features that make it easy to distinguish bedbug bite marks from skin rashes or bites from other insects. These include the following:

• Bedbug bites usually form a chain, island or path. The distance between them is about 3-5 cm. Such a strict arrangement of bites is easy to explain: while searching for a suitable vessel, the insect makes several punctures, crawling to the side for a short distance. Such a series of bites allows the bug to get enough for several days, as it sucks up to 7 microliters of blood. This amount is not enough for the bitten person to feel unwell caused by blood loss. However, there are cases of constant and multiple bites by bedbugs of small children, as a result of which iron deficiency anemia develops in babies.
• Bed bug bites itch and itch a lot. But unlike traces of flea or mosquito attacks, the itching from bedbug bites passes quickly enough. If you do not comb the bitten places, they stop itching within one day.
• One of the signs of bedbug bites is a rounded swelling, on top of which there is a bump with a small red dot in the center. During the day, the redness disappears, and the point from the bite of the bug turns black.
• Skin around bed bug bites is swollen and red. Perhaps a local increase in temperature in places of bites (especially if there are a lot of them).

If a person is allergic to bedbug bites, more serious symptoms can join the above symptoms – a general increase in body temperature, headache, itching that does not stop for more than a day, cough, nasal congestion, sneezing, and Quincke’s edema. If there is a strong intolerance to bedbug bites, loss of consciousness and anaphylactic shock may occur. And if you can consult a doctor with itching and other non-dangerous signs of allergy to bedbug bites the next day after they appear, then if you experience dizziness, loss of consciousness or shortness of breath, you should call an ambulance as soon as possible!

Treatment of allergy to bug bites

The appointment of therapy should be handled by a doctor, so it is recommended to sign up for an appointment with an allergist or dermatologist as soon as possible. If the allergic reaction is not too pronounced, treatment may be limited to taking antihistamines. In cases where there is severe itching that interferes with normal life, the doctor may additionally prescribe sedatives. In the presence of pronounced skin manifestations, local preparations are prescribed – ointments, gels or creams of a hormonal or non-hormonal nature.

Folk remedies for bedbug bites

In addition to traditional medicines, traditional medicine recipes can be used for itching from a bug bite. Below is a list of fairly effective remedies that will help in eliminating unpleasant symptoms:

• Mint leaves. Peppermint has cooling properties that are good for itching. It is recommended to wash fresh leaves, grind them and apply to bite sites, wrapped in clean gauze or bandage.

• Onion juice. To relieve itching from bedbug bites, you can cut the head of an onion and attach it to the site of the cut to the swelling.

• Baking soda. It is necessary to dilute half a teaspoon of soda in a glass of warm water, stir and lubricate the bedbug bites with the resulting solution using a cotton pad.

• Plantain. Rinse and grind plantain leaves, then apply to itchy bites.
• A sequence. A decoction of a string has excellent antipruritic properties. To prepare it, you need to pour three tablespoons of grass with a glass of boiling water and leave for a quarter of an hour, then strain and wipe the bedbug bites. Also, the resulting infusion can be added to baths.
• Toothpaste. If the bite of a home bug is very itchy, and there are no other remedies at hand, you can lubricate it with a small amount of toothpaste. The extracts of menthol or eucalyptus included in its composition will help to forget about itching for a while.
• Cabbage. It is recommended to separate a fresh cabbage leaf from the head of cabbage and attach it to the site of the bed bug bite.
• Essential oils. Tea tree and lavender oils have drying, antiseptic properties, so they can be used to treat insect bites.

Allergy to bedbug bites in a child

Bed bug bites mostly affect women and children. This is due to the fact that women’s and children’s skin is thinner, smoother and more delicate, and blood vessels are located close to its surface. In addition, the male body has a more pronounced smell.

The appearance of an allergy to bed bug bites in children is due to a weak immune system, as well as the presence of a hereditary predisposition. If one of the parents or close relatives of the baby has a tendency to insect allergies, the chances that it will be inherited are very high.

How to get rid of bedbug bites?

Of course, getting rid of bedbug bites is very important. But in order for insects not to torment you every night, you must first get rid of their presence in an apartment or house.

• To do this, you need to buy a suitable product and process sleeping places – beds, sofas, and armchairs.
• It is recommended to beat the mattress well or take it to a dry cleaner and change bed linen in a timely manner.
• It is believed that bed bugs have a harder time climbing metal and polished surfaces, so it is advisable to sleep on beds made of smooth materials.
• If at the moment it is not possible to completely remove the bedbugs, you can try to scare them away. To do this, you need to lay out herbs with a pungent smell under the bed – it can be wormwood, lavender.

Consequences of bedbug bites

Even if you do not have an allergy after being bitten by bedbugs, severe itching on the first day can cause you a lot of inconvenience. One of the undesirable consequences of bedbug bites is combing the bumps with dirty hands, which can lead to infection entering the wound. Infection of combed bed bug bites can lead to suppuration and inflammation, so combing the swelling is not recommended.

By themselves, the bites of domestic bugs are not dangerous – of course, if there is no hypersensitivity to them. However, the feeling that insects are crawling on bed linen and on the human body at night is not the most pleasant. It can lead to sleep disorders and disruption of rest, and this is fraught with lack of sleep and irritability during the day.

In addition, bedbug bite marks can be very embarrassing for a person, interfering with his daily life, communication, work or study. Multiple redness and black dots, grouped in open areas of the body, cause a bitten person to be ashamed to appear in crowded places.

Many people are especially afraid of bedbug bites for another reason – the possibility of contracting viral diseases, among which HIV and hepatitis occupy a special place. However, with regard to bedbugs, this fear is unfounded. Even if the bug bites an infected carrier, the virus will lose its ability, as it mixes with the saliva of the insect. Another argument in favor of the impossibility of contracting viral diseases through a bug bite is as follows. The proboscis of the insect has two channels that do not communicate with each other: through one of them, an anesthetic substance enters the place of bite with saliva, and through the second the bug sucks in blood. Since these channels are not connected, infection by a bug bite cannot occur.

Do La Cree products help with bed bug bites?

As mentioned above, the appointment of treatment for bedbug bites should be handled by a doctor. However, you can supplement the therapy recommended by him with the use of pharmacy cosmetics. Regenerating cream “La Cree” has proven to be an effective remedy in the fight against itching and redness of the skin caused by bedbug bites. It contains no hormones, so the cream can be used for a long period of time. Since the restoring cream “La Cree” does not contain parabens and fragrances, it can be used by children, pregnant women and people prone to allergies.

Expert opinion

According to the results of numerous clinical studies, La Cree products, including a cream for sensitive skin, are recommended by the St. Petersburg branch of the Union of Pediatricians of Russia.

Efficacy, safety and tolerability of products has been proven by a clinical study. The cream is also suitable for daily skin care of a child with mild and moderate atopic dermatitis and during remission, accompanied by a decrease in the quality of life of patients. As a result of therapy, a decrease in the activity of the inflammatory process, a decrease in dryness, itching and flaking were noted.

La Cree cream for sensitive skin has been clinically proven to:

• reduces itching and irritation;
• relieves skin redness;
• moisturizes and gently cares for the skin.

Sources:

1. Sukolin Gennady Ivanovich, Illustrated Clinical Dermatology. Brief alphabetical guide, publishing house Lux Print, 2010
2. Chapman M. Shane, Habif Thomas P., Zug Catherine A., Dinulos James G. H., Campbell James L., Dermatology. Handbook of differential diagnosis, publishing house: MEDpress-inform, 2014
3. Mancini Anthony J., Crouchuk Daniel P., Pediatric dermatology. Handbook, publishing house: Practical Medicine, 2018

---

Allergy photos

Allergy on the child’s body

Photograph of a skin allergy in a child

Allergy in the legs

Allergy to the pope in a child

Allergy photo on the face

Allergy on the hands

Allergic edema on the face of a child

Photo album on the disease

See also

Dust Mite Allergy

Many people mistakenly believe they are allergic to house dust.