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I live in the south. A week and a half ago I stopped by at a friend who has a horse farm. It had rained recently so the ground was wet (this is for context). I spent a few minutes in the barn where the horses are kept and was standing for about 20 minutes in the house, which quite honestly was not very clean. I did not sit on anything.
Since then, I wake up every morning with my legs itching like mad. Sometimes I get weals that look like ordinary mosquito bites. Sometimes they are small, hard bumps that could also be irritated hair follicles. Usually the skin gets very red and blotchy and the blotchiness goes away when the itching does. Sometimes they look like hives. I've had a very few on my upper arms, but it is almost entirely on my legs, mostly on the fronts of my legs. I am almost exclusively a left-side sleeper. I use a sheet, blanket and comforter.
I have checked my bedding for bedbugs, and there are NO signs of bedbugs -- no brown spots, no shells, no feces. The mattress still looks new and clean (it is 3 years old). I pulled off the mattress and the box spring also looks still new and clean. I have a white cat and have checked her for fleas and I see no signs of flea dirt. There are no signs of insect infestation in the bedsheets -- no blood, no shells, no dead bugs, no nothing. I have washed my sheets and blanket in hot water and dried them in a hot dryer.
Claritin does nothing for this. I am using Cortizone 10 roller, Gold Bond anti-itch lotion, Benadryl spray. They do little. The itching is driving me crazy. I can't get a dermatologist appointment until the end of May (I did make one) and I'm not convinced that the PAs at the local urgent care are going to be able to identify this.
I'm thinking chiggers. If that's the case, how long do I have to suffer with this?
^^^ Here's a google image search for horse fly bites. You mention horses, this is one possible cause. I understand that you are not around the horses/flys anymore? but it could be a lingering allergic reaction.
^^^ Here's a google image search for horse fly bites. You mention horses, this is one possible cause. I understand that you are not around the horses/flys anymore? but it could be a lingering allergic reaction.
Doesn't sound like horsefly bites. Does sound more like chiggers. As the little beasts burrow around under your skin your reaction shifts around too.
One itch reliever I swear by is heat. I don't mean a warm washcloth, I mean applying focused heat to the bite itself. Such as heating up a spoon and pressing it to the bite. Here's a link to a little device I've used every summer since the 90s (I live in AK...the state bird is a mosquito and they flock). Keep one at home, one at work. You can use it as needed. Works much better than any topical at least for me. The heat apparently deactivates histamine formation which is what creates the itch response. Depending on where the bite is, the level of heat that will be comfortable varies. You can control the device's heat level.
Doesn't sound like horsefly bites. Does sound more like chiggers. As the little beasts burrow around under your skin your reaction shifts around too.
One itch reliever I swear by is heat. I don't mean a warm washcloth, I mean applying focused heat to the bite itself. Such as heating up a spoon and pressing it to the bite. Here's a link to a little device I've used every summer since the 90s (I live in AK...the state bird is a mosquito and they flock). Keep one at home, one at work. You can use it as needed. Works much better than any topical at least for me. The heat apparently deactivates histamine formation which is what creates the itch response. Depending on where the bite is, the level of heat that will be comfortable varies. You can control the device's heat level.
Thanks for the info. You got me curious, I've never heard of that device so I googled it. It is on Amazon but out of stock. I was interested in the reviews. Is this the same device?
Thanks for the info. You got me curious, I've never heard of that device so I googled it. It is on Amazon but out of stock. I was interested in the reviews. Is this the same device?
Looks like it. Mine is a plug in. The manufacturer is Hontech. There are other battery-powered pocket-sized gadgets with the same idea, but I've read that they don't produce quite enough heat. I hope they never discontinue them, though haven't needed to replace mine. Ah yes, it's spring. Time to root around in the bathroom vanity and dig them out!
Last edited by Parnassia; 04-25-2019 at 03:03 PM..
^^^ Here's a google image search for horse fly bites. You mention horses, this is one possible cause. I understand that you are not around the horses/flys anymore? but it could be a lingering allergic reaction.
Not horse fly bites. They are the size of B9 bombers and if one bites you, you know it. It hurts! Sounds more like fleas(any barn cats?), no seeums or chiggers.
Not horse fly bites. They are the size of B9 bombers and if one bites you, you know it. It hurts! Sounds more like fleas(any barn cats?), no seeums or chiggers.
I agree with everything you've said! Horse fly bites hurt like h€!!. I first thought chiggers, but it could also be fleas. No seeums mostly get my face, neck and arms. I still think chiggers are the likely culprit tho. They are nasty! Google chigger bites to see if they look like what you have OP.
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