why do gnat/midge bites itch???

Question

I recently went on holiday to Spain, and whilst there I was bitten about 25/30 times in a week. Since coming home i've spent days trying not to scratch the bites. So whilst my question is primarily why do they itch, I would also like to know if there is any way of stopping them itching? thanks.

sorry if i didn't make it clear, but I would like the science of why they itch, not just "because they have bitten you" or something. thanks.

Answer 1

There are two causes of the itch. First, many biting insects inject a small quantity of their own saliva into the wound, down the proboscis, to aid the flow of blood cells. By its nature, blood is quite viscous and would not be easy to suck through a very narrow tube such as the insect's. The saliva is treated by the human body as an invading substance like a nettle sting, and produces antibodies. Normally, this would be a flow of histamine which causes the human tissues to swell and become ready for an increased blood flow.

The second cause is simply the damage that the bite does to skin cells. Some insects (the malaria mosquito for example) have probosces so fine that they slip between cells or right through without touching nerves and you are not aware of the bite until the itch starts 15 minutes later. European gnats, midges, blow flies and the rest are not so fine. You are normally aware of the bite when it occurs. Even so, the itch comes from cell damage sometime later as the body tries to repair the tissues with increased blood flow and other fluids.

Answer 2

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RE:
why do gnat/midge bites itch???
I recently went on holiday to Spain, and whilst there I was bitten about 25/30 times in a week. Since coming home i've spent days trying not to scratch the bites. So whilst my question is primarily why do they itch, I would also like to know if there is any way of stopping them itching? thanks.

Answer 3

Contrary to whats asked in the question and what people have stated, mosquitoes dont actually bite. Rather they suck the blood from humans. Though referring to this as a bite has been the accepted description of this action.The blood is required for a biological reason, that is to provide protein for necessary egg production. The mosquitoe is actually quite a deadly insect due to the many disease it can carry, some species of mosquitoe carrying the Malaria parasite, malaria being responsible for millions of deaths world wide each year. Reassuringly for the world, AIDS cannot be transmitted through the mosquitoe bite as the virus that causes AIDS is unable to survive inside a mosquitoe. The Itch is caused by the mosquitoes salivas as it goes about stealing our blood, This saliva causes an allergic reaction, unfortunately for some this can be more severe than for other people.

Answer 4

Why Do Mosquito Bites Itch

Answer 5

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When a mosquito bites, it injects some of its saliva into the victim. The saliva contains an anti-coagulant to help the mosquito suck up blood. The saliva also contains germs and such that cause a mild localized infection that causes the itching.

Answer 6

After an insect bites, the protein from the insect's saliva evokes an immune response from the body. Histamine is released by the skin's cells, ultimately causing itching and swelling. Eventually, the swelling diminishes: the "itch" remains until proteins in the insect's saliva break down. Until the salive breaks down, the itching persists no matter how much you scratch!

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Answer 7

is a reaction with your skin...some people become immune to it after years of heavy exposure http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquitoes read that and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnat