Sunday, July 13, 2014

Stop The Itching?

This evening I spent about 10 minutes outside pulling weeds. By time I was finished I had three mosquito bites--one on my leg and two on my arm.  Remembering a tip several people have recently told me about, I decided to test out the idea that putting a hot spoon on a mosquito bite would break down the proteins that cause it to itch.

I gathered my equipment--a ceramic coffee cup and a metal spoon.  I filled the cup with water and heated it in the microwave, then submerged the spoon in it for 30 seconds.  Next I applied the spoon to the bite on my arm (and quickly discovered the spoon was HOT).  After 20 seconds I removed the spoon.  My arm no longer itched, but after the discomfort of the hot spoon wore off, the itching quickly returned.

I didn't try a second time.  Instead, I covered the bite with calamine lotion.  The itch went away.

Five years ago today: Facebook Friends

12 comments:

  1. I am LOADED with chiggers and one of the elder men at church told me to put some Preparation H on it. He said he has all sorts of uses for it and none of them are for the intended use. LOL I'm starting to seriously consider it...

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    1. HUH! That's a new itch relief remedy for me. I cover chigger bites with fingernail polish.

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    2. yes...nail polish! It works great...suffocates them!

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    3. When my boys would come home from Boy Scout trips with chigger bites I'd ask them what color polish they wanted. Somehow they always chose clear :-)

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  2. I've tried that spoon trick this year, too! Same as you...it worked for a while but the itching returned. I think the heat was supposed to kill the protein that causes the itching but obviously it didn't. And yes...SO hot! It would have been a great trick if it worked. I get mosquito bites so easily, too...they just love me. Yuck.

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    1. My flower bed in back is a mess because of mosquitoes! I don't to cover myself with bug spray every time I go outside.

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  3. I've seen that trick on facebook and wondered if it actually worked! Now I know not to try it.

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    1. The trick definitely worked short-term. It would be good if you had access to a spoon and hot water but not anti-itch medicine

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  4. oh well, you tried! these mosquitos are so stealthy these days, suddenly I have a bite and no idea when it could've happened, saw no mosquito.

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    1. I have the same problem with not seeing the mosquitoes first.

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  5. Nice. I am glad your itching went away. I hate the discomfort that the bites leave behind.

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  6. I learned a long time ago that if you take a B12 tablet 30 minutes before going outdoors, it causes your body to give off something (I don't rememeber what lol) that makes those skeeters leave you alone. Works for me, but maybe not for other folks. And something else I learned many years ago from my ex-mom-in-law... use a dab of hairspray on a skeeter bite... I still use that on the grandkids and they all say it works every time! :)

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