Chigger Bite Treatment

Chiggers are essentially sub-developed red mite in the larvae stage of their life. They are parasites that usually feed on snakes, turtles, birds and other animals; however, it is not uncommon to find a human being suffering from chigger bites. Needless to say, the symptom is a constant irritating itch all over your body. The itching is mainly due to the chigger’s saliva which it uses to suck liquids out of your skin. In some people an allergic reaction to this saliva might even result in large sores or hives. However, chigger bites are usually minor and can be treated quite easily and quickly. There are a number of home remedies one could adopt to alleviate the itching.

The adage ‘prevention is better than cure’, holds true in this case. Chiggers are usually found in open areas, woods, grasslands, lawns etc and they have the ability to quickly jump on to human or animal skin. Hence ensure the outdoors, especially the lawn, is treated using an effective insecticide. One thing to keep in mind with chigger bites is that as soon as the chigger starts sucking the liquids out of your skin, it starts to itch and scratching the itch kills the chigger anyway. So by the time you apply any ointment to the bite, the chigger is already dead. A warm water bath too eliminates almost all the chiggers that might have jumped on to your skin. Lather your body well using soap and rinse thoroughly. Additionally, use a gentle antiseptic lotion in your bath to better eliminate the chiggers. Also, whenever stepping out, especially into woods, wear long sleeves and long pants made of tightly woven fabric. This will prevent chiggers from jumping on to your skin. Ensure that your lawn is mowed fairly frequently. The clothes worn to chigger infested areas should be washed in hot, soapy water as the chiggers tend to survive when the clothes are washed using cold or warm water.

Ointments are ineffective in actually eliminating the chiggers since, by the time there is a bite, you have already scratched it and the chigger is dead. Application of ointment at this time only serves to seal the bite from air. This provides an immediate temporary relief from the burning thus making you feel better. To alleviate the burning sensation, another remedy is the application of nail polish. It immediately cools and seals the bite and makes one feel better almost immediately.