ah, hot water… stupid me always tried with a lighter, looking like a junkie and worried about burning myself.
not much to add, but that heat really works, as it breaks down the proteins that cause the infection/itching
Doesn’t have to be coffee of course - just get a spoon from hot (not boiling) water. It should be at the temperature where you can juuust stand to have it on your skin. Press and repeat as needed.
It will feel intense - even intensely itchy - for a couple of seconds, then….relief!
It makes sense but the itch comes from the immune reaction and I doubt it can be stopped abruptly, in terms of reversing the inflammation. (Here)[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0536.1989.tb04732.x} I read that “cold relieves itch” and that it is enough to go down to 20C.
that’s probably you have to make the heat treatment on quite short time after the bite. still, subjectively it still helps afterwards. It starts to itch more for a minute and calms down after
don’t really have a theory in why this works then…
how long does the child’s treatment helps? does the itch stay away after it warms up again?
I already tried to cool down stings with cold packs, but usually the itch comes back rather quickly.
will read your link now, as I got some surprise free time on hand - sorry for the possible premature answer/questions
edit: read the abstract (I think, I can’t access now without an account/paying?), and I think my questions still stands, as they only seem to say the applying cold stills the itch. maybe I’m missing something because of not having the full article - will try scihub
edit2: got lucky on scihub :-)
ok, seems there is really something to it. but my subjective reactions were different. maybe time of application plays a role here as well. would be cool to know the physiology behind it
I’ve got a little ‘bug-pen’ which heats up a small metal disk for about 6 seconds which you hold onto the bite. Works really well.
The “at home” version of this would be heating a spoon under hot water and then holding it onto the bite.
ah, hot water… stupid me always tried with a lighter, looking like a junkie and worried about burning myself.
not much to add, but that heat really works, as it breaks down the proteins that cause the infection/itching
This is the way
That’s my go-to relief too. Take the spoon out of someone’s coffee for extra laziness (ask first though. Avoids weird discussions. Or so I’ve heard.)
This is the answer. /thread
Doesn’t have to be coffee of course - just get a spoon from hot (not boiling) water. It should be at the temperature where you can juuust stand to have it on your skin. Press and repeat as needed.
It will feel intense - even intensely itchy - for a couple of seconds, then….relief!
Is the relief related to nociception, to inflammation, or to inactivation of the bug saliva?
as far as I know the heat breaks up the proteins in the bug saliva and that’s stops the itching/infection - but I’m no doctor…
It makes sense but the itch comes from the immune reaction and I doubt it can be stopped abruptly, in terms of reversing the inflammation. (Here)[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0536.1989.tb04732.x} I read that “cold relieves itch” and that it is enough to go down to 20C.
that’s probably you have to make the heat treatment on quite short time after the bite. still, subjectively it still helps afterwards. It starts to itch more for a minute and calms down after
don’t really have a theory in why this works then…
how long does the child’s treatment helps? does the itch stay away after it warms up again?
I already tried to cool down stings with cold packs, but usually the itch comes back rather quickly.
will read your link now, as I got some surprise free time on hand - sorry for the possible premature answer/questions
edit: read the abstract (I think, I can’t access now without an account/paying?), and I think my questions still stands, as they only seem to say the applying cold stills the itch. maybe I’m missing something because of not having the full article - will try scihub
edit2: got lucky on scihub :-)
ok, seems there is really something to it. but my subjective reactions were different. maybe time of application plays a role here as well. would be cool to know the physiology behind it
Hot coffee mug works as well
I never go anywhere with mosquitos without one! Really good for training you out of scratching too, you just use the pen each time instead.