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DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN BUGS BITE?
Small creatures can cause major irritations. Learn what happens when a flying insect makes a meal out of you.
Before the bite
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You're swatting like crazy, but your body heat and the carbon dioxide in your breath are luring critters—mosquitoes, gnats, other biting flies—toward you, from as far away as 150 feet.
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Hanging with your favorite pet? They can unleash more heat and CO2, making them bug magnets. However, they have more protective body hair, prompting biters to hop over to your smooth skin.
During the bite
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The insect lands and starts probing for a thin-skinned area, preferably one close to a blood vessel.
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You may or may not feel the bite. The mosquito in particular is a stealth offender: It can break your skin and inject numbing saliva before sucking blood. By the time you feel a prick, she (yep, only female mosquitoes bite) is likely done feeding.
Minutes later
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Your body has ID'd the bug's saliva as a foreign invader. Lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, rush to the scene to kill it off, a process that causes itching and swelling. Don't scratch, you'll only make things worse by aggravating newly sensitized nerves.
In a few hours
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Insect saliva can stick around for hours (more itching). Your best bet is to ignore it.
The next morning
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Every person has a different post-bite reaction. If you're lucky, your itching has subsided, though the bite may still look inflamed.
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If however, you're super-sensitive, you may wake with a welt up to five inches wide. It's probably a sign you're allergic and that your immune system has released an army of antibody special forces. Nasty-looking? Yes. Dangerous? Probably not. Apply an ice pack and take an antihistamine.
Two or three days later
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Chances are, those white-blood-cell soldiers have done their job and left the scene. Your bite mark may be gone or may slowly fade after a few more days. (If you feel any flu-like symptoms, including headaches or nausea, see your M.D. to rule out an insect-related infection like West Nile Virus.)
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Headed out again? Wearing light-colored clothes can fend off biters by confusing their field of vision. Or, try using Dr. Cole's NEW Herbal Insect Repellent Stick. (See below.)
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Dr. Cole's Herbal Insect Repellent Stick - An easy solution that was formulated to keep insects of all kinds away from you in the first place. Simply open this stick and massage it onto the exposed areas of your skin that bugs would most likely be attracted to. Easy to carry in your pocket or purse so it can be applied as often as needed in any situation. Insects hate the smell of the ingredients in this balm and should stay far away from you or your children. Can also be used on pets.
Dr. Cole's Herbal Extraction Balm - This is the product to use after you are bitten by any kind of an insect. This has always been one of Dr. Cole's most popular products, used to extract everything from serious bug or spider bites to infected pimples or intense skin rashes. Follow the instructions closely and let it go to work to reduce all sorts of skin impurities that would otherwise be difficult to handle.
Dr. Cole's Insect First Aid Bundle - A must-have during summer months if you plan to be spending much time outside. Use Dr. Cole's Herbal Insect Repellent Stick to protect yourself and your loved ones from those pesty insects, yet, be ready to use Dr. Cole's Herbal Extraction Balm in case any insect bites occur. These two products work together beautifully to keep you protected from insects during the summer, or any time.