8 Effective Natural Home Remedies For Chigger Bites
What Are Chigger Bites?
Chiggers, or chigger bites, are caused by a mite. Chiggers can be found all around the world. Most of the time when someone gets a chigger bite it is from a larva and not an adult. Chiggers are almost impossible to see with the naked eye. You would most likely need a magnifying glass to see the small, red, six-legged mite.
Chiggers usually bit near the ankles, back of knees, groin area, and in the armpits. Unlike the myth says, chiggers do not burrow under the skin to eat.
There are usually gone in less than a few days when the host itches them away. The bite marks are not noticeable at first, but eventually, they start to itch and they turn red like most bug bites do.
By the time that you notice that you have a bite, the chiggers are already gone. All that’s left to treat is the itching and inflammation. This article will discuss how to properly relieve the itch and inflammation from your chigger bite using simple natural remedies.
8 Effective Natural Home Remedies For Chigger Bites
#1. Ice
Using ice is a great natural remedy to numb any sort of pain, including itching pain caused by chigger bites. Put ice or a cold pack on top of a cloth of some sort instead of directly putting it on your skin. If you were to leave on ice your skin for too long is could cause minor nerve damage or frostbite.
It is best to always have some sort of barrier between ice and your skin. Anyway, using ice should numb the pain, at least until you can find something else to treat the bite.
#2. Toothpaste
Toothpaste has certain ingredients that can help to treat the itchiness that comes with chigger bites. Note that only ‘minty’ toothpaste will be able to numb the itch, as it is likely that the peppermint flavoring has the numbing capabilities. Children’s toothpaste will likely not be able to help.
Dab toothpaste on your bite and leave it on throughout the day. You can use bandages or tape to hold it on without making a mess. Before bed, rinse off the bites and apply more toothpaste. Repeat this at least twice a day.
#3. Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol, or really anything with high alcohol content, make a good home remedy to numb the pain and treat the itching sensation of a chigger bite.
You can dip a cotton ball into the alcohol and rub it on your bites, or you can bandage or tape the alcohol-soaked cotton ball onto your bites until the cotton ball dries up so that your skin has as much time as possible to soak in the alcohol.
#4. Salt Paste
Making a salt paste can help to cure itching an inflammation that comes with chigger bites. Mix a tablespoon of salt with the same amount of water.
Once the mix becomes a paste, rub it into your bites. It may still a little at first, but overall it should be able to help. Do this as often as you need to in order to keep the itching to a minimum.
#5. Aspirin Paste
You don’t need to eat the aspirin to make it work well for you. Crush up a couple of aspirin pills and mix them with enough water to make a paste. Put the paste on your chigger bite.
This should also help to reduce the itching and swelling. Do this as often as you need to in order to keep the itching and swelling down.
#6. Baking Soda Paste
Baking soda paste is a good natural home remedy that can be used in exactly the same way as salt paste can be used. Use the same amount of ingredients that you would with salt and water, only exchange the salt for baking soda.
This paste may sting more than salt will, but it is easier to use. Like salt, you can use this to keep itching and swelling to a minimum.
#7. Lavender Oil
A great home remedy to reduce the itchiness that comes with a chigger bite, lavender oil can be applied to the skin. The best way to do this is to dip a cotton ball into lavender oil and bandage or tape it to the bites.
You can take off the cotton ball once the lavender oil dries up. You can also do this as often as you need to in order to reduce itchiness.
#8. Oatmeal
Using oatmeal is also a great way to reduce itching from chigger bites, and it can help to soothe the surrounding skin as well. Cook oatmeal like you would if you were going to eat it and then allow it to cool.
Once cooled slightly, apply the plain oatmeal to your chigger bites. Leave the oatmeal on your bites until it is completely cold. Once done, rinse off the oatmeal and apply moisturizer or aloe vera.
Hopefully, these natural home remedies can help you battle your chigger bites and give you immediate relief.
