THERE’S nothing quite as maddening as struggling not to scratch the mosquito bites you’ve picked up in summer evenings spent outside.
Though you’ve resolved not to touch the bumps covering your arms and legs, you’ll feel a slight tickle in one of them, which slowly builds to an itch so intense it’s impossible to ignore.
No need to shell out on creams and ointments – you probably have a cure to stop mozzy bite itching in your kitchen
Far from helping matters, your momentary drop in resolve only intensifies your agony, sending you into a vicious cycle of scratching, itchiness and sore, inflamed bites.
If you’ve shelled out on ointments and creams that just don’t seem to be working, don’t despair just yet.
There’s a cheap ingredient that health experts say can calm your itching – and you probably already have it in your kitchen.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), all you need is a little baking soda and water.
Simply mix a tablespoon of the powder with just enough water to create a paste and apply it to the inflamed area for immediate relief from itching.
You should wait 10 minutes before washing it off.
But before you get to applying the paste, the CDC recommends you do a few things first.
If you’re unlucky enough to be bitten by a mosquito, the quicker you tend to the sting the better.
You should first wash the area with soap and water.
Then follow up with applying an ice-pack to the bitten skin for 10 minutes to reduce any swelling or itching.
You can also use a clean cloth soaked in cold water, according to the NHS.
And this is when you’d go in with the baking soda concoction.
If you’re still experiencing a bit of an itch after keeping the paste on for 10 minutes, you can also calm it by taking an antihistamine tablet or using an antihistamine cream.
To best avoid getting bitten in the first place, it’s a good idea to use insect repellent that has DEET, Icaradin, lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 in it, according to NHS Fit to Travel guidance.
You should also wear light clothing to cover as much of your skin as possible.
If you’re travelling to a spot with lots of mosquitoes, it’s best to sleep using a mosquito net.
Mozzies in the UK thankfully don’t carry diseases like Zika, dengue fever or the West Nile virus, but they have been spotted in pests in holiday spots as close as Europe.