• Original Articles By Dr. Lavin Featuring Expert Advice & Information about Pediatric Health Issues that you Care the Most About

    Mosquito Bites on the Face: When to Worry

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    A warm hot summer has yielded an explosion of mosquitos in our area, and with the jump in the number of mosquitos has come a dramatic jump in the number of mosquito bites.

    Recent reports document this is happening and that we can anticipate a big jump in the number of mosquito bites through October.

    At the office, we have seen the beginning of this big jump, with a large increase in the number of calls about mosquito bites.

    Families have expressed two types of concerns about mosquito bites, are the infected, and is it really just mosquito bites or possibly chickenpox.

    Mosquito Bite Basics
    As the picture above shows, mosquitoes are tiny insects that live on the blood of animals they bite.  To make their living, they must slide a tiny tube into a blood vessel and suck some blood out the tube, all without you noticing in time to smash them.
    Aside from being noticed and killed, their other challenge is to make sure your blood does not clot while their snout is in your capillary.
    Here is why most people get a reaction.  To keep your blood from clotting during their visit, the mosquito first injects a little anticoagulant.  This material has an impact on your immune system, and this impact leads to inflammation at the site of the bite.  It’s this inflammation that causes the very familiar sight of a mosquito bite, namely, a red bump, often with a tiny dot in the middle where the bite occurs, and surrounding redness:

    Another basic to keep in mind is that the younger you are, the more vigorous your immune system, and so the more dramatic inflammation from mosquito bites can be.  Think of how young children can easily generate fevers to 105, but adults rarely go past 102.  Just so with mosquito bites.  Young children can get quite big red areas from even one bite.

    Chickenpox
    Now, take a look at this picture of the rash of chickenpox, and you can see why it makes sense for people to wonder if their child gets a bunch of mosquito bites, whether it really is mosquito bites or chickenpox:

    But there is a difference.  Notice that chickenpox nearly always ends up having three types of rash:
    starts with red spots which become blisters, which become scabs.  The red spots of chickenpox and small mosquito bites look about the same, really quite similar.  That makes the two conditions confusing to sort out.

    In a few days the red spots of mosquito bites are still red spots, or gone, or scratched to scabs; but the red spots of chickenpox become tiny yellow-filled blisters that we call vesicles.  These vesicles then turn into scabs without any scratching.

    Of course, if you are not sure that your child’s mosquito bites are not chickenpox, feel free to call.
    Hopefully this guidance will help, but should not stop you from inquiring.

    Is the bite infected?
    The other major concern that mosquito bites cause is whether the bites are infected.  This is most commonly feared when the mosquito bites are on the eyelids.

    Let’s talk about mosquito bites and infections, then you decide.

    The skin of the eyelid is very loose and capable of rather impressive swelling.  Even a simple mosquito bite can cause swelling enough to close the eyes shut.  The inflammation of a mosquito bite causes a lot of fluid to accumulate in the eyelid, especially if you lie down for a night’s sleep or a nap.  The swollen eyelid has a pale pink color, is not warm, often only involves one lid- just the upper or lower.  The redness of the swollen eyelid from a mosquito bite is pale, not deep red, and the swelling is soft, like a partially inflated water balloon.  The eyelid feels a little bouncy, not hard.  The eyelid can be itchy, not typically painful, and often there is a red dot where the bite occurred.

    When an eyelid is infected, all those properties of the eyelid are different.  Infections almost always spread to both eyelids, the redness is deep not pale, the eyelid feels hot and often hurts, and there can be pus.  The whole look is more like an angry red, hot appearance, and not the soft watery pale red of a mosquito bite.

    Now with that in mind, what do you think of the picture of the swollen eyelid, mosquito bite or infection?
    The answer is mosquito bite- only one lid, the upper is swollen, the redness is faint, the swelling is soft looking.

    One last clue, swelling from mosquito bites almost always gets worse after lying down for awhile, since most of the swelling is simply water accumulating in the area.  Sitting or standing helps the fluid move and the swelling gets better.  This is why when young children get a mosquito bite on their eyelid, they frighten parents after sleeping- their eye is swollen shut!  But ofter after an hour or so of getting up, the swelling is much less.
    Swelling from infections almost never shrinks after getting up.

    Again, these tips are meant to help.  Of course, if questions still remain feel free to call us.


    BOTTOM LINE
    The key points to keep in mind are:

    1. This looks like a big year for mosquitoes.  Expect lots more bites, more swollen eyelids, more patches of great numbers of bites.
    2. Chickenpox and mosquito bites look alike early on, but mosquito bites stay looking like mosquito bites and chickenpox rashes become tiny blisters and scabs.
    3. Mosquito bites on the eyelid typically cause big swelling, but the redness is fainter, the pain is less, the spread is limited, compared to actual infections.
    4. Call if you are concerned.
    Dr. Arthur Lavin

     

    39 Responses to Mosquito Bites on the Face: When to Worry

    1. Anonymous September 19, 2012 at 12:58 am #

      Wow, thanks for the photo and the description. It helped a lot!

    2. Anonymous September 19, 2012 at 2:39 pm #

      You mentiomed that in the case of an infection it would spread to both eyes. In th case of cellulitis wouldn't the infection stay around the bite?

    3. pinchood October 18, 2012 at 9:16 am #

      Its a usefull information, Magnetic Mosquito nets

    4. Anonymous October 20, 2012 at 10:48 am #

      Thank you, the information is clear, informative and very helpful. We really appreciat it.
      – Parent at ease.

    5. Anonymous December 17, 2012 at 11:26 am #

      Thank you for the information. It is very helpful, especially the pictorial representation as it adds clarity.

    6. Glena March 21, 2013 at 6:55 am #

      Thank you. This info is a big help. Visit my blog too, http://www.the247mommy.blogspot.com/

      Thanks!

    7. Jo June 17, 2013 at 6:49 am #

      Thanks, this was a huge help and has put me at ease – especially as my son woke up unable to open his eye this morning! He was bitten on a walk yesterday, and by bedtime had an impressive swelling. The picture helped too as it looks exactly like my son's eye.

      Thanks!

    8. Anonymous July 1, 2013 at 3:21 pm #

      My son also had his eye look like the photo. No pain not red just lite pink but huge at night. I put warm cloth on it through out the night to help him sleep it was bothering him. I know its a bite he had a few from the same night. Thanks for the info helped relieve my worry.

    9. John July 8, 2013 at 9:07 pm #

      Thanks, matches my symptoms exactly – very clear explanation. Dunno if we have mosquitos in southern England, but that's where I am.

    10. aydin July 18, 2013 at 10:56 am #

      thanks a lot. This morning my son woke up with a huge swollen eye lid that looks like the one in the picture. We went to doctor, she gave antihistamine. I am hoping that it does not get infected…

    11. Anonymous September 10, 2013 at 2:06 am #

      Amazing, im in the tropics and this has put my mind at rest. Thank you.

    12. Anonymous September 25, 2013 at 2:25 pm #

      How long did the swelling last? What else did you do to help you with healing?

    13. Anonymous December 5, 2013 at 12:18 pm #

      This is exactly what my daughters eye looks like and I was freaking out. Thanks for the picture and the information I feel a little better. Is there anything more I can do for the swelling?

    14. Anonymous March 6, 2014 at 11:46 am #

      I took my daughter to the docs and they said it was a bite, now shes asleep and her eye is swollen, do i need anibiotics for this?

    15. Anonymous April 15, 2014 at 1:31 pm #

      Thanks! The advice you have given is very useful indeed! My whole face is still swelled up and its been 3 days. Please tell me what to do so it goes away FAST!!!

    16. Anonymous April 15, 2014 at 2:10 pm #

      This advice doesn't work. Its totally useless, NO OFFENCE. My swelling is still there. Please give me accurate advice.
      Thanks

    17. Anonymous April 15, 2014 at 2:12 pm #

      Hey, chill, it'll go soon. Don't worry, take it easy!!!

    18. Anonymous June 10, 2014 at 4:01 am #

      Funny I ran into this picture with the swollen eye. Actually it's a picture of ME when I was a child. I wonder how people got this photo. IT'S NOT A BUG BITE!!!! It's a bacterial infection in the eye –> a stye that got bad from rubbing. Sorry to burst the bubble.

    19. Anonymous July 24, 2014 at 1:19 pm #

      Thank you so much! The information was very useful, clear, and informative. The picture helped a lot.

    20. Anonymous August 13, 2014 at 2:59 am #

      I just got bit and my eye looks like this -_- Mann Fuck them Mosquitoes forreall!!!!!

    21. Anonymous October 10, 2014 at 2:19 am #

      so how would i treat a mosquito bite on my eyelid

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    24. Anonymous June 30, 2015 at 11:54 am #

      thank you for the informative response.

    25. natalia weisman July 5, 2015 at 2:24 pm #

      My eye Is exactly like the picture! Thanks for the information but is anything over the counter that I can take?

    26. Shannon Raposo August 24, 2015 at 12:14 pm #

      Thanks for the information!! You've put this mom at ease after a long night of worry!!

    27. Shannon Raposo August 24, 2015 at 12:14 pm #

      Thanks for the information!! You've put this mom at ease after a long night of worry!!

    28. Shannon Raposo August 24, 2015 at 12:14 pm #

      Thanks for the information!! You've put this mom at ease after a long night of worry!!

    29. Housewife September 1, 2015 at 7:35 am #

      Thanks for the information. My sons eye is swollen but its on the lower lid. Should I be scared?

    30. Housewife September 1, 2015 at 7:35 am #

      Thanks for the information. My sons eye is swollen but its on the lower lid. Should I be scared?

    31. Chris Schoneveld September 2, 2015 at 6:35 am #

      Do you have a suggestion how to reduce the swelling caused by a bite?

    32. twocute September 11, 2015 at 10:45 am #

      Omg thank you I almost died

    33. Anonymous September 23, 2015 at 11:49 am #

      bullshit

    34. mosquito spreading diseases February 12, 2016 at 12:45 pm #

      Chickpox disease is as similar as dengue and chikungunya. symptoms and precautions for this disease are same. Thanks for sharing this articles 

    35. Sarah February 21, 2016 at 9:57 am #

      Thank you! My son woke this morning with his eye swollen shut after a bite yesterday afternoon, was very alarming but your article answered all of our questions and saved a trip to the doctor. Very informative and the picture was great to compare.

    36. WahRahul .com April 15, 2016 at 10:04 pm #

      Thank you very much. Benadryl might be of great help to get rid of bite on eyelid.

    37. Unknown May 24, 2016 at 1:33 am #

      Thnx

    38. Zaman Khan May 24, 2016 at 1:34 am #

      Thnx

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