Why does scratching around bug bites feel so relieving and why are bug bites so itchy?
In: Biology
The bite itself is painless when in progress as the insects usually release some anesthetic chemical in their saliva.
However your body realises and releases a chemical called histamine. This is the same things that’s released in hayfever which causes the itchy watery eyes. Histamine serves a purpose as part of the inflammatory response to bring white blood cells to the area to fight any possible pathogen (anything harmful). The side effect is redness and itchyness.
Antihistamines help counter this so take one of these. Also hydrocortisone cream (only use short term, no longer than a week) can help relieve the symptoms around the bite itself.
The other comment explains the itchy part but the really interesting part is the relief. Itching is a sensation which your brain only thinks about with a low priority. That’s why if you take your mind of it it stops being registered. Scratching basically creates a bit of pain, a very tiny bit. And this sensation of pain, even if it is very light, has a very high priority. That’s why if you scratch, the signal of scratching overlays the itching signal, and with this blocks it out.
The itchiness doesn’t actually come from the bite, but your body’s histamine reaction to it. When I was in Costa Rica I got eaten alive one day, having Benadryl (an antihistamine) available was a godsend
Latest Answers