mosquito and insect bites and type2 diabetes

I don't know about diabetes but I read somewhere that the number of bites doesn't matter so much as the reaction. Those that think they get bitten a lot are probably just more allergic.
High bg causes things to heal more slowly and infection more likely and this can be what you are seeing.


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I have been more prone to bites as I've aged and for about the last 15yrs I have slept with a full mosquito net right over the bed. They are not expensive and well worth buying and fixing over your bed.
Browse Amazon dot com and take your pick.

I take a garlic tablet every day to stop me getting bit, I also give them to my dogs to stop them getting fleas, so far so good

Lorna

Hi All .

Read about diabetics having sweet blood - hence why they like to nibble 'us'

Could it this really be the case? as we are all about sugar/glucose levels in our blood :think:

Anna .

I never have been bitten when abroad my wife has I all ways think because I have type 1 and smoke may be


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Nothing works as well as DEET for me and as Ive always had problems with mossi bites I cant say that being diabetic has made it worse.

I tend to swell up at the area of bites often the size of an egg and find that Piriton tablets helps reduce the swelling and itching but that its better to not get bitten in the first place.

I have often read that eating Marmite daily helps to deter mosquitoes and that it has something to do with a vitamin, V12 perhaps, but Im not sure thats true as I have never tried it not being a Marmite lover...

Another thing that did used to work reasonably well for me was a moisturiser called "Skin So Soft" by Avon used a lot by fishermen but I believe that they have now changed the formula and that it is no longer as good, so DEET it is for me and I favour the "Jungle Formula"

I do the Marmite thing as well and the UK Mosquitos tend to ignore me at least. Even when sharing a tent with my boyfriend who go eaten up.

OMG I used Skin SonSoft this morning and it is fantastic. Soaks in really well leaving you moisturised and soft for days without being /greasy/. A little goes a long way too.

Neem oil is good as well.


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seanlisa said:

Thanks guys. Lots of good info there. Going to look into the garlic think..if works could be a good quick fix as I love italian. If it works on vampires may work on vampring insects as well..

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Good afternoon "seanlisa". Having lived in Uganda for 15 years I am well used to mosquitoes & other insects biting me. On one occasion I had 49 bites in one night - quite painful. 3 times I have been in hospital with a bad dose of Malaria. Anti Malaria tablets are very useful but don't always work. I have tried them all and found Doxycycline to be the best. They are cheaper to buy overseas than in the UK.

I do know someone who used Garlic and never takes an anti Malaria tablet, yet after 30 years in Uganda has never had a bite. My wife can't stand the smell of Garlic so I don't use it. A Mosquito net is a "must" if you are going overseas. There is a cream supplied by Avon which smells very sweet and my friends tell me it works, but I never used it. If gong overseas make sure your arms, neck, upper body and legs are kept covered from about 30 minutes before dark until the sun is well up.

Anti Mosquito coils are excellent for keeping Mosquitoes away - Also, Mosquitoes don't like any kind of smoke - so if you are a "smoker" you won't die of Malaria, but you might die of cancer.

Day time Mosquitoes do not carry Malaria, only the night time ones do - but they still bite. Above all, do not scratch or rub a bite - you will only make matters worse and may leave a scar.

If you do get bitten and after a couple of days you feel like the "flu" is coming on, get to a doctor or hospital quick - it is most likely Malaria. The symptoms of Malaria are "Flu" like, fever, rigors, heavy sweating.

Being Diabetic Type 2 I do not think that this increased my likelyhood of being bitten - my wife is not Diabetic and she also spent some time in hospital with Malaria.

I used to be allergic to mossie bites when I first came to Australia, big sods they were as well called Scotch Greys. They were big enough to through a saddle over.

I got bit by a 300 mm centipede that gave me some problems and had to go to the emergency dept for treatment.

I steer clear of our delightful collection of deadly spiders as well.

I've also read that all people get about the same number of bites in the same situation (room) but some people are just more allergic to it. A single bite can ruin my night (i wake up from it) regardless the amount of bug repellent i seem to be using (even DEET). We got gauze on all windows we open but still some suckers get it.

I usually have to go downstairs and get an ice cube to numb the pain/itch. Alternatively i've learned this "trick" a few years ago and it does seem to work: heat up a spoon with a lighter and rub it over the bite, the heat supposedly neutralizes the toxin. Off course be careful not the burn yourself, a 5-10 second flame is more than enough to heat the spoon. I know it seems drastic but i'd rather take a scalpel and cut the bite off and live with that than have the bite there. Needless to say the reaction i have to being stung is fairly heavy.

Tipetoo said:

I used to be allergic to mossie bites when I first came to Australia, big sods they were as well called Scotch Greys. They were big enough to through a saddle over.

I got bit by a 300 mm centipede that gave me some problems and had to go to the emergency dept for treatment.

I steer clear of our delightful collection of deadly spiders as well.

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Good morning "Tipetoo". And I thought I was suffering in Uganda?

qe5rt said:

I've also read that all people get about the same number of bites in the same situation (room) but some people are just more allergic to it. A single bite can ruin my night (i wake up from it) regardless the amount of bug repellent i seem to be using (even DEET). We got gauze on all windows we open but still some suckers get it.

I usually have to go downstairs and get an ice cube to numb the pain/itch. Alternatively i've learned this "trick" a few years ago and it does seem to work: heat up a spoon with a lighter and rub it over the bite, the heat supposedly neutralizes the toxin. Off course be careful not the burn yourself, a 5-10 second flame is more than enough to heat the spoon. I know it seems drastic but i'd rather take a scalpel and cut the bite off and live with that than have the bite there. Needless to say the reaction i have to being stung is fairly heavy.

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Good morning "qe5rt". It amazes me that black Africans can walk about at night and seldom get bitten. White skinned people seem to attract insects & Mosquitoes. Yes black Africans do get bitten, but not nearly as much as white skinned people do. Even light brown skinned Africans get bitten more than black skinned Africans do. So it can't be the smell because both eat the same food. Perhaps this would be a good Phd research for somebody to do. Any takers?

charon said:

I don't know about diabetes but I read somewhere that the number of bites doesn't matter so much as the reaction. Those that think they get bitten a lot are probably just more allergic.
High bg causes things to heal more slowly and infection more likely and this can be what you are seeing.


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Good afternoon "charon". When in the morning you find 49 itchy bites that were not there yesterday morning, I think it is a fair estimate that during the evening and night you were bitten 49 times. Mosquito bites look different from other insect bites because the mosquito leaves behind a liquid in the bite which ouses out. DO NOT RUB THE BITE, OR SCRATCH IT, IT MAY LEAVE A SCAR.

My experience of Mosquitoes is from working in Montserrat rather than Africa but @Kyambala is correct the best thing is to leave the bites alone if at all possible. Dabbing on the ammonia type bite relief stuff helps. If you leave them alone they will eventually disappear without a scar and also you won't have a problem with diabetes causing them not to heal, if that risk actually exists with bites. My best friend was a gecko that lived on my bedroom ceiling and caught the mosquitoes, although that is probably not a solution for everyone

Kyambala said:

. It amazes me that black Africans can walk about at night and seldom get bitten.

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Same applies to the Australian Aboriginals they are pretty much immune to them as well, must be the black pigment in their skin that helps them.

Mr_Pot said:

l possible. Dabbing on the ammonia type bite relief stuff helps.

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I found dabbing "Metho" (methylated spirits) on them helped me takes the itchiness away.

Mr_Pot said:

My best friend was a gecko that lived on my bedroom ceiling and caught the mosquitoes,

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We get Gecko's in our place as well, they come in from somewhere and hunt around not much to eat though as we have insect screens in place.

As said before do not scratch them as if they get infected, they can ulcerate and then are very hard to heal if on the lower legs.

Tipetoo said:

Same applies to the Australian Aboriginals they are pretty much immune to them as well, must be the black pigment in their skin that helps them.

I found dabbing "Metho" (methylated spirits) on them helped me takes the itchiness away.

We get Gecko's in our place as well, they come in from somewhere and hunt around not much to eat though as we have insect screens in place.

As said before do not scratch them as if they get infected, they can ulcerate and then are very hard to heal if on the lower legs.

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WOW what a lot of useful answers. I presume that Gecko's are another name for the 3 inch light brown Sand Lizards which we had in Uganda. There are several types of Lizards in Uganda but the light brown ones lived indoors and the other ones choose to live outdoors.

Mosquitoes have a bad habit of biting on parts of the human body which has skin stretched over a bone. e.g. knuckles, forehead, knees, back of hand, shins, and ankles.

I think as a Diabetic you tend to be more aware of what is happening to your body because of healing problems.

You may not know this, but if you have Malaria and a "non-malaria- carrying" Mosquito bites you it is believed by the Medical Authorities that you will give that Mosquito Malaria and it now becomes a "Malaria carrying" Mosquito.

Question: Does the same hypothesis work for people with HIV and Mosquitoes?
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Geckos are a type of lizard.They have special adhesive pads on their feet. If you are interested in such things, Google gecko feet and you will find they are amazing.

Mr_Pot said:

Geckos are a type of lizard.They have special adhesive pads on their feet. If you are interested in such things, Google gecko feet and you will find they are amazing.

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They are very beautiful