Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch?

Photo Credit : Mrmr

Sometimes when we stay too long outdoors, say playing with the neighbouring kids, or having a chat with that charming girl next door, we tend to get back in with bumps on our skin. Usually as a result of how itchy our skin got, and how irresistible it was to scratch the life out of it, with less regard as to how unhealthy or detrimental it could be to us.   The female mosquito doesn't actually bite, as most people usually say. Mosquitos don't just bite, suck, and fly away. So for us to know what they actually do and why this little line of action makes your skin itchy, we need to understand a few things.  Stick with me. 
 How Do Mosquitos Bite?  As I mentioned earlier, they don't bite. Instead, they make use of their mouth-part which works like a straw, usually called the Proboscis. This enables them to pierce the skin of humans and animals. When mosquitos do this, they search for vessels containing blood under your skin.  And when they find the blood vessel, saliva containing anti-coagulant chemicals is released into the wound, causing your blood to keep flowing as they suck, until they are done with it. 
 Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch? 
 Most times, we are unaware of all these happenings, but when we do, that mosquito gets more than just blood. Our immune system usually helps our body produce a hormone known as histamine, which fights the chemicals. 

Photo Credit : Orkin
When histamine gets to the point of impact from the mosquito, it causes the blood vessel to swell real good, creating a noticeable red bump on your skin. The nerve cells in the area of the swollen blood vessel sometimes get severely irritated. Leaving an unresistible itchy sensation for you to deal with. In other words, mosquito bites itch due to the irritation of nerve cells within the area of swollen blood vessels, caused by the release of a hormone called histamine. 
 How Dangerous Are Mosquito Bites To Human Health?
 Female Mosquitos of many species are ectoparasites, which pierce the skins of animals and humans in general, to obtain and consume blood. Most of the female mosquitos live for about 42 - 56 days, while the males live for about 10 days.

Photo Credit : Wikipedia 

 In some parts of the world, female mosquitos can sometimes infect victims with a virus known as West Nile. And in many African countries, this little breed of insects tend to cause unhealthy issues like Malaria. Victims, most times, are usually subjected to varieties of drugs, which can show positive changes within a few days.   Stay tuned.