9 Natural Remedies For Mosquito Bites

Some people kid that New Jersey's State Bird is the mosquito. Obviously, that's not true, but we do have a lot of those bloodsuckers here in the Garden State.  Every time my daughter goes out to play, she comes in with lots of mosquito bites. Granted, when I offer to spray her with diluted white vinegar (don't laugh – it works!), she blows me off and runs outside anyway. I know that later, she'll be lying bed, complaining about how itchy she is. That's when I reach for one of these:

9 Natural Remedies For Mosquito Bites

Aloe

1. Ice – Place some ice in a wash cloth and apply to the itch. It numbs the nerves that conduct the itching and subsequent pain. 
   
   
   
   
2. Lavender or tea tree oil. I keep tea tree oil because it serves a multitude of purposes (it's fantastic for cleaning) and itch relief is one. Dab a little on the skin.  Just be sure to check the label on the bottle first to make sure it's okay to use on skin. If you need to, dilute it with a little cooking oil.  Both lavender and tea tree oils contain anti-inflammatory properties that sooth what itches you.
   
   
   
   
3. Baking soda and water. Mix 3 parts baking soda with 1 part water and apply to the itch. Note: don't use if the skin is broken.. 
   
   
   
   
4. Apple cider vinegar. Dab a little on the bite and let the acid in the vinegar take away the itchies.
   
   
    
5. Lemon juice. Lemons have anesthetic and anti-inflammatory properties and can be effective against itches. Again, don't use if the skin is broken or if the child is going outside since lemon can react with the sun to cause blistering.
   
   
   
   
6. Honey. Long-known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, this “honey” of a remedy works well for mosquito bites.
   
   
   
   
7. Peppermint toothpaste. It's the mint in the toothpaste that calms the itch.
   
   
    
8. Aloe. I keep an aloe plant in the house for burns but it's also great for relieving bug bites.
   
   
   
   
9. Witch hazel. This drug-store staple is great for relieving those itchy welts. (Check back here soon for more uses for witch hazel).
   
   

If all else fails, I will reach for the Benadryl spray. Obviously I'm not a medical professional, but the above remedies, most of which you probably already have in your house, work great for me. 

Give them a try and let me know what works for YOU!

Here's How To AVOID Bed Bugs

It's vacation time and many of us are looking forward to enjoying the many amenities hotels offer. 

But they also increase our risk of bringing home an infestation of bed bugs.

I can tell you from personal experience that bed bugs are no laughing matter! Several years back, unbeknownst to us, my late father-in-law had them in his apartment. I remember sleeping in his spare bed one night and feeling itchy, as if a hoard of mosquitoes had attacked me. I looked on the sheets and between the mattress, but saw nothing. The next night, the same thing happened again. 

The itching woke me up and the scratching left me with sore, bleeding legs.


We, of course, brought bed bugs home and the itching continued. I thought maybe my legs were dry, so I moisturized them. It was no help. I looked everywhere – between the mattress, in our clothes, in our luggage – and never did see them. I postulated that my reaction was due to allergies or the new laundry detergent we were using. A decade later, my husband told me that shortly after we'd gotten back from his Dad's and while I was going crazy trying to find the source of my itching, he had found the bed bugs stationed on the side of our mattress. I had seen them, too, but thought they were just dirt since they looked like brown and gray specks. He'd vacuumed the entire room and thrown the vacuum bag out. He'd decided not to tell me because he knew I'd flip out (EXCELLENT CALL).


We were lucky because a bed bug infestation can cause thousands of dollar to eradicate. Most of the statistics I found on the number of reported bed bug cases were quoted by extermination companies which, of course, have a vested interest in their eradication, but municipalities across the United States and world wide agree that bed bugs infestations are on the rise: in some cases, dramatically! 

No, they do not spread disease, but once you've been affected by these critters, you will NEVER forget it! So what can you do?

• Investigate the hotel before you check in. Heck, I even look it up before I make the reservation! My favorite sources for this data are BedBugRegistry.com and Raveable.com  but TripAdvisor  often lists this info as well. Be aware, however, that just because a hotel is flagged as once having bed bugs, does not mean they still have them. And one that has not been flagged may, in fact, have them. These critters are fluid, moving with people and their belongings. Their presence is not an indication of how clean or dirty an establishment is. 
  
  
• Minimize the amount of stuff you pack – You know how your kids always want to take more toys and clothes than they'll ever need? This is the time to say “no.” The less stuff you bring, the fewer items you'll need to worry about later on.
  
  
• Try to pack your items in resealable plastic – There are many manufacturers of resealable bags that are large enough to pack clothes in. Place your clothes, etc., in those and then place the bags inside your luggage. 
  
  
• ALWAYS inspect your hotel room BEFORE you move in - When you enter the room, put your luggage in the bathroom where bugs are less likely to hide, take a flashlight (download the Tesla light from the Google Play Store if you have an Android) and check the perimeter of the bed, between the mattress, around the headboard, etc. Also check chair cushions, drapes, etc. Here's a nice article and checklist with more details on how to conduct a hotel inspection.
  
  
  
  
  
  

When you return home, place all travel materials in a separate space, like the garage. Wash and dry all clothes worn on the trip. If possible, place the luggage in the dryer, which you've set on high, for about 20 minutes. Many stuffed animals which cannot be washed can usually also be put in the dryer for 20 minutes. Leave shoes outside until you've had a chance to inspect them. Yes, this is colossal pain, but preventing a problem and the peace of mind is worth it!
 

“Bed bug proofing” products are becoming more common and easier to find.  Various en casements for mattresses are available at Costco, Amazon, and department stores. You can also buy heaters that you can use to treat non-washable items in case you don't have a dryer or access to one. Although there are a lot of sprays readily available, I haven't seen any convincing evidence that they do much good and , besides, who needs toxins in your environment, especially if you've got kids around? For a list of products that might help keep you safe from bedbugs, click on this article I found on the website brickunderground.com.


For more information, visit:

• Thisoldhouse.com  – This article lists how to prevent and treat a bed bug problem.
  

• Spcweb.org – Yes, this is the site for pest control company, but the checklist is handy if you suspect you may have a problem.
  

• Vdac.virginia.gov – This fact sheet from the Virginia Department Of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences is a nice, calming, source of information on bed bugs.
  

• Dhhs.nh.gov – A less calming, but still informative sheet from the New Hampshire Department Of Health & Human Services serves a reminder of where else you should check for bed bugs, like your car and trains.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Performing due diligence before and while I check into a hotel may be a pain, and may even make you feel silly, but I'm figuring that if I ever do bring bed bugs home again, it won't be due to carelessness.  

Better to make the efforts to prevent an infestation than deal with one. Try these steps, use these resources, and, hopefully, you'll never experience the trauma of bed bugs in your home!

 

THANK YOU FOR READING!!!

Wisdom Teeth Problems? Here's What I Learned

As much as I love it, I'm convinced popcorn is the Devil's food. I've had more dental complications (a chipped porcelain cap, pieces I couldn't get out from between my teeth, etc.) from this, my favorite snack! I try to stay away from it, but recently, on a trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, I caved and grabbed a sample of Amish kettle corn. 

 CRACK!

My wisdom tooth cracked! 

It was a wisdom tooth, one that already had a large filling in it. A visit to my dentist confirmed that the tooth was unrepairable. It would have to come out. I, of course, panicked.

I'd heard HORROR stories about people getting their wisdom teeth out – how much pain and suffering was involved. 

So I did what every anal person does and researched the teeth, the procedure, and, since I had the thing extracted yesterday, want to share some of my new wisdom with you. Note: I am not a medical professional. I'm just a lay person sharing her experience and what she's learned. Here goes:

About The Teeth

These third molars have been called “teeth of wisdom” since the Seventeenth Century. Since they appear far later than other teeth (between the ages of 17 and 25) and at an age when a person is maturing into adulthood, it is “wiser” than when other teeth have come in. (Source: www.deardoctor.com)

According to my oral surgeon, they're actually relics from earlier times when ancient people had much larger jaws. Evolution has made our jaws much smaller and sometimes, when these molars are misaligned, they come in horizontally, may be angled toward or away from the second molars, or be angled inward or outward. This can crowd or damage the adjacent teeth, jawbone or nerves.  Ow!

About The Procedure – It's All About The Place

How simple or complicated the procedure is depends on their position and stage of development. My tooth was on the top and already erupted, so it was taken out like any other tooth. But a third molar that's underneath the gum line and embedded in the jawbone means the doctor will make an incision into the gums and then remove a portion of bone that lies over the tooth. According to webmd.com, “often, for a tooth in this situation, the tooth will be extracted in small sections rather than removed in one piece to minimize the amount of bone that needs to be removed to get the tooth out.”

 

About My Experience

Fortunately, my fears were mostly unfounded. Again, because the molar was on top and already erupted, the doctor gave me a few shots of Novocaine. Then there was a lot of rocking of the tooth. The weirdest parts were the “cracks” I heard as the tooth came out. I made him stop once or twice because it was so unnerving. After the tooth was out (and I got it – for the Tooth Fairy, you know), the surgeon put a few stitches in. He gave me a prescription for Tylenol with codeine (which I never did get filled). I kept gauze in my mouth for the first hour after the extraction, but my mouth still tasted like blood for most of the night.

Now, 24 hours later, it's just sore. I've been drinking kefir and eating ice cream. I'm also taking Advil for the pain, but it's really not too bad. Tonight I'll begin rinsing with salt water to help with healing and later this week, I get my stitches out. 

So what did I learn from this experience?

• Don't believe the hype. Just because others have had terrible experiences getting their wisdom teeth out, doesn't mean you will.
• It can be survived. Having my wisdom tooth isn't something I would choose to do, but compared to other experiences (giving birth, root canals), it wasn't as bad as I'd anticipated.
• Popcorn is not worth the pain it causes.
• Any experience where a doctor TELLS you to eat ice cream, can't be all terrible. 
  
  

Oh, and just for the record, the Tooth Fairy was good to me and left me these:

For even more about wisdom teeth, visit this great article from webmd.com.

Thanks for reading!