Dengue treatment: Should you use a hot spoon for itchy mosquito bites?

Considering the rise in cases, it seems like dengue is here to stay. While experts are looking for ways to beat this mosquito-borne viral disease, you should also take steps to protect yourself from it. Using insect repellent and bed nets, covering yourself with long-sleeved tops and pants, and getting rid of stagnant water around your house are some ways to prevent mosquito bites. If you do get bitten by the insects, it will leave you with pain, swelling and itching. There are lotions or creams to get relief from the itching. Should you also use a hot spoon for mosquito bites?

What is dengue?

“It is a viral infection that is transmitted to a person through the bite of an Aedes mosquito, which is primarily found in tropical and subtropical regions,” says internal medicine expert Dr P Venkata Krishnan. It is caused by any one of the four related viruses that are transmitted by these mosquitoes that breed in stagnant water and are most active during the day. “Once infected, a mosquito can pass it on to other people when it bites them,” says Dr Krishnan. Approximately half of the world’s population is at risk of this disease with about 100 to 400 million infections taking place every year, according to the World Health Organization.

Though no specific treatment has been found for dengue, early detection with supportive care can better manage the symptoms that usually develop 4 to 10 days after a bite by an infected mosquito.

Here are some of the symptoms:

• High fever
• Severe headache with pain behind the eyes
• Nausea
• Joint and muscle pain
• Swollen glands
• Skin rashes

“There are cases where gums bleed or nose bleed, or the affected person shows difficulty breathing. These indicate the dengue hemorrhagic fever or severe dengue and need medical attention urgently,” says Dr Krishnan.

Hot spoon for mosquito bites: Know if it helps

When a mosquito bites, you will find it hard to resist itching. Pruritus or itching in people with dengue can be due to the release of certain cytokines (proteins) during the disease, as per research published in the Bulletin of the National Research Centre in July 2024. Itchiness from the bite occurs when mosquito injects saliva inside the skin while feeding. “The saliva contains proteins that cause an immunological response, leading to the release of histamine, bringing on inflammation, itching, and swelling,” says Dr Krishnan.

If you are thinking of using a hot spoon for mosquito bites, it may actually help alleviate the itchy feeling. “Hot spoons cause the proteins in a mosquito’s saliva to denature (destroying the characteristic properties of the protein by heat). However, it usually provides temporary relief and only lasts for a little while,” says internal medicine expert Dr Manish Choudhary.

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Hot spoon for mosquito bites: Here’s how using heat helps

There are no studies to support that a hot spoon for mosquito bite treatment can be used. But there is evidence that shows that applying concentrated heat like an electronic heated device to a mosquito bite may help get rid of itchiness. During a 2011 study published in the Clinical, Cosmetic And Investigational Dermatology journal, researchers found that using locally administrated concentrated heat for mosquito bites can lead to fast improvement of symptoms like swelling, itching, and pain. In another study, published in the Acta Dermato Venereologica journal in 2023, it was found that mosquito bite-induced itch was reduced by 57 percent within the first minute of local application of heat.

“Essentially, applying heat to the mosquito bite temporarily inactivates proteins within the saliva of the mosquito responsible for itching and inflammation,” says Dr Choudhary. Using a heating source like a warm compress or hot spoon may just trigger some heat-sensitive receptors in the skin, such that at least for a little while, the itching won’t be felt. Heat does improve local blood flow that reduces swelling.

Hot spoon for mosquito bites: Heat sources to relieve itch

If you don’t want to use a hot spoon for mosquito bites, you can go for other sources of heat for treating itch –

• Warm baths: Use colloidal oatmeal for skin by adding it to a warm bath. Soak your body in it for about 10 to 15 minutes then pat yourself gently dry. Oatmeal can help to get relief from itching and swelling, as it contains compounds with anti-irritant qualities, as per research published in the Foods journal in 2021.
• Heating pads: A low-level heating pad wrapped in a soft towel can be applied for several minutes.
• Hot towel: Soak a towel in warm water, wring it out, and put it on the itchy area.

What are the side effects of using a hot spoon for mosquito bites?

Using a hot spoon for mosquito bites has some disadvantages:

• Burns may be caused by excessive heat or staying too long with the heat source in contact with the skin. “It may cause damage, blistering, or scarring on the skin,” says Dr Choudhary.
• If the skin gets damaged or burnt, there will be an increased risk of infection at the site, especially if it is not cleaned and treated properly after.
• Most people have some kind of relief, but it usually does not last very long.

“Instead of using a hot spoon for mosquito bites, using antihistamine creams or cold compresses can help to reduce itching and swelling without any risk of burning,” says Dr Choudhary.

When mosquitoes bite, they will make you feel itchy. Using a hot spoon for mosquito bites can only provide temporary relief. So, it is better to use antihistamine creams as a remedy for mosquito bite relief.