Worried about mosquito bite

[bitebitebitebite]

I react badly to mosquito bites (steroids for swelling last year)
I had one tiny bite mark on Thursday evening near elbow and as usual it's very swollen but today it's spread to my forearm. I've had a hell of a day (Ill child) so haven't really given it thought but I'm now in bed panicking. My arm is a bit achey and it's hot to touch and itchy. Not sure if it's a reaction or infection... what do you think?

That needs antibiotics and probably tonight. Can you draw a line around the redness to monitor how much it's spreading?

That looks really bad. Try taking antihistamines and steroid cream but if it doesn't go down or gets worse I would get that checked out

Do you think I should go to a&e? It seems ott but I'm feeling quite worried.., it's half hour drive away and it's already ten

It doesn't look infected. Do you mean antihistamines?

I think that's an allergy. I reacted worse and worse to them (got a lot of mosquito bites in 2 years, travelling for work) until finally anaphylaxis. Mine looked like that, I have epipens now. I

i'd really recommend taking an antihistamine and maybe going to a&e. Do you have an adult to keep an eye on you at home, should you go in to shock?

Edit - banking on not an infection because you say you always react badly to them. Mine were hot, itchy, swollen and huge, like having an extra knee.

I often get a reaction like that from bites. It wouldn't occur to me to go to A&E for something looking like that (of course that doesn't mean that would be right for you, I'm just giving an alternative opinion.) In my case, the site of the bite was hugely red and swollen for about 3 days then it started to subside, and that was that.

It looks like it may be an allergic reaction rather than an infection to me. Are you able to take Piriton or other antihistamine tablets? Try that, and also apply some antihistamine cream to the area.

If it gets worse by the morning or if you start to feel strange or unwell in the night, then seek medical advice asap.

Definitely try antihistamines.

DD had a huge one last year in the US and the pharmarcy gave us really strong antihistamines but advised that we need a doctor if it doesn't go down.
Luckily it did.

I had one at my knee years ago and the issue was that it could have infected the joint and the GP wrote a sickness note, interesting discussion at work why I couldn't come in.

Try ice packs as well and if nothing helps call 111 to get an out of hour appointment.

Have you tried soaking a cloth in cold water to leave on for a while ?

Take antihistamines asap, we also use a cream called Antihistan which works really well if you are able to get some. Otherwise I’d have an ice pack/frozen peas on it to try and reduce the swelling. If you start to have any other symptoms of severe allergic reaction go straight to a&e

Draw a line around it.

What's your temperature?

You don't mention antihistamines, so they would have been my first port of call days ago. Cetirizine/ loratadine plus piriton dosed according to the packages.

Also topical Anthisan or hydrocortisone.
A cool compress too, like a wrapped ice pack to cool it.

Paracetamol if still painful. Hot spoon method if itchy and you can see the original bite location.

Bites can be awful if you are allergic, hope it reduces soon.

I have allergic reactions to mosquito bites. To ease the itchiness I take antihistamines to calm it down, it works. Take one every morning. Mine take about a week or so ti go away. My dd2 is the same. She got bitten whilst away in the Caribbean and we had to get medical help for her. She still has the scars.

I'd get ice on it, take antihistamine and draw a line around it in black biro. You may need antibiotics but I'd try out of hours GP, not a and E.

I've had a few like that. The worst one did nearly require hospital treatment but it was a horsefly and infected.

Keep an eye on it obviously.

A very similar thing happened to me on holiday in Mexico years back. Hot skin, a spreading swollen pink area encircling the mosquito bite and in my case a trip to hospital and a strong dose of intravenous antibiotics! For me it had turned into cellulitis, so I’m glad I had it seen to when I did. Then again, a similar thing happened years later and it subsided alone without any interventions.

I can't see any tracking and the swelling redness looks to be moving downwards rather than upwards.

I'd take a chance, take some antihistamine and apply a cold compress.

That's an antibiotics job. I had that two years ago in the same location. Call 111 for an OOH app.

Thanks all - with first pic you need to click on it to see the swelling, my forearm is worrying me as I've never had a spread like this.

It's bright pink and swollen; why would you say it doesn't look infected?

@bitebitebitebite
You should have it seen, but if you don't go now, at least do as pp said and draw the outline with a pen or marker so tomorrow A & E can see what size it was tonight. (I write date and time within the circle each time I draw the border as the size changes.)

I hope it's not cellulitis or staph, but that's what I thought of when I saw it.

How uncomfortable is it, is it driving you made with itchiness or is it hot?

If neither of those I'd ignore; if not hot& antihistamine can reduce the itch, I'd also ignore & wait it out.

I once had flea bites create a huge red area like that, antihistamines managed it IIRC.

Mine look like that and sometimes go blotchy looking. I have never been a&e they just go away on their own. Let us know if u do go

It's hot and itchy. On call to 111...

It looks like cellulitis tbh.