Cause 5: Insect Bites – The Creepy Crawly Culprits
Insect bites can quickly turn your day from pleasant to prickly. Mosquitoes, spiders, ticks, and fleas, among others, can all cause skin reactions that result in itchy rashes. Not only are these rashes itchy, but they can also sometimes lead to more serious health complications.
When an insect bites, it injects its saliva into your skin. This saliva contains proteins that most people are allergic to, causing the skin around the bite to swell up and itch. This is the body’s reaction to the foreign substance and is typically a mild reaction that goes away on its own.
However, not all insect bites are benign. Some spiders and ticks can cause severe reactions. For example, a bite from a black widow or brown recluse spider can cause severe pain, while ticks can carry diseases such as Lyme disease.
Moreover, scratching insect bites can break the skin, leading to secondary infections. This is especially concerning in the case of mosquito bites. Mosquitoes are known carriers of several serious diseases, including malaria, dengue fever, and Zika virus.(5)
