Leonard Mlodinow is a (Not) perfect accident. How chance rules our lives. About the book “(Im)Perfect Accident. How chance rules our lives" Leonard Mlodinow

It’s summer, the whole family goes on vacation. Where? Of course, to nature in the forest, to grandma’s village, to the dacha, to the sea. And there they are waiting for us - our smaller brothers, ready at any moment to demonstrate their art of biting. How to avoid aggression, and if you become a victim, how to protect yourself from the consequences?

Suddenly a small mosquito appears out of nowhere

Summer. Night. You go to bed on the terrace of your own dacha or in a luxury hotel room in the south, you are ready to fall into a restful sleep... And suddenly the silence of the night is cut through by a nasty mosquito squeak! It is unlikely that anyone will refuse to call it chilling. In the morning you get up with a face that reflects the torment of a sleepless night, and also swollen from mosquito bites. And if you also have hypersensitivity to nasty insects...

During the day, in a garden plot, in a forest or on a river, you are greeted by dense clouds of microscopic midges. Despite their small size, they leave an indelible mark on your body for a long time. Let's save ourselves from pest attacks!

You don't like mosquitoes and midges, and they don't like strong smells, with the exception of sweet ones. Therefore, refrain from dousing yourself with your favorite perfume and scare them away with means that have long been used by the people. They are sometimes more effective than the fumigators that have become a part of our lives (the latter, moreover, can only be used where there is electricity).

For example, you can spray your house or tent with a decoction of lupine root, imperial grass, wormwood and rue.

For the same purpose, as well as to treat clothes, you can use an infusion of lemon balm or lemon balm. And you should simply rub the green leaves of these plants on your skin.

The great herbalist Odo of Mena, back in the 15th century, wrote in his “Collection of the Properties of Herbs”:

“With vinegar, he who grinds wormwood and then anoints himself with it can despise mosquitoes.”

Try to follow his advice.

If you don’t have any repellents at hand, don’t worry: let the mosquitoes bite you as much as you want for the first few days, and your body will definitely develop antibodies. And subsequently, nasty insects will not be scary for you: they will bite less, and the bitten areas will not become so inflamed. Unfortunately, this does not apply to midges.

Children will be well protected by baby cream with vanillin added to it.

If it happened

If an attack does occur on you, the bite is inflicted and itches unbearably, the first thing you need to do is thoroughly wash the bite site with soap. This will prevent dirt and dust from getting into the wound, which could worsen the situation. Soothe itching with a compress of vinegar water (1 tablespoon per cup). But just remember that you can’t put the compress on your eyelids!

To prevent allergic reactions, take an antihistamine tablet.

The question of how to treat a mosquito bite can be resolved by studying the presented range of products that will help relieve negative symptoms.

Reasons why mosquito bites itch

During the bite process, the female mosquito pierces the human skin with its proboscis and injects saliva into the wound, which contains an anticoagulant designed to reduce blood clotting. It is this substance that can cause unpleasant symptoms in some people, namely the fact that it is even strong. The most exposed parts of the body are most often affected in hot weather. The feeling of itching your legs, arms or even your face is unpleasant, irritating and nervous tension even in adults.

Intensity negative manifestations is individual and depends on the reaction of the human body: most simply do not pay attention, but sometimes, severe tissue swelling, redness and inflammation are also accompanied by painful unbearable itching. In such a situation, the question arises: what can be done to prevent mosquito bites from itching and to heal faster?

The healing of wounds and the reduction of discomfort may differ for all people, therefore, the answer to the question of how long the bite site itches can only be approximate: from 2 days to 2-3 months if any complications or infection occur.

Interesting!

• The simplest technique is to smear the wound with saliva;
• using regular toothpaste, preferably with menthol, will help solve the problem;
• , mixed in water in a ratio of 3:1 to a paste, placed on the mosquito-bitten area;
• ice or any frozen product from the refrigerator;
• lemon or orange juice, freshly squeezed or ready-made;
• cut slice of onion, garlic or tomato;
• regular brilliant green or;
• aloe leaf, cut in half good way relieve inflammation in the bitten area;
• dairy products: kefir, yogurt, sour cream;
• apple or table vinegar mixed with water;
• camphor oil or tea tree;
• drops of Corvalol or Valocordin are also suitable for smearing the bitten area.

Plants that help relieve itching and other negative effects:

• leaves of plantain, dandelion, parsley, mint, basil - they can be ground or chewed and put in the form of a paste on the bite site;
• If possible, look for useful plants in the forest: bird cherry, celandine or elderberry, which will also help relieve itching.

All folk and herbal mixtures are applied to the skin for 20 minutes, then it should be washed with clean water, preferably with a soap solution. If the damaged areas itch for a long time, the procedure should be repeated until the symptoms are completely eliminated.

Medicines

If you have an allergic reaction to single or multiple bites, you must take antihistamines: Claritin, Suprastin, Tavegil, Erius, Loratadine, etc. They will not only have an anti-allergenic effect, but will also reduce the unpleasant sensations of itching, burning and inflammation.

• creams Rescuer, Boro-plus, Panthenol, ;
• hormonal ointments containing corticosteroid substances will help quickly reduce itching, redness and other unpleasant sensations: Sinaflan, etc.

If mosquitoes bite a child

To treat mosquito bites in infants, preference should be given to traditional methods of relieving itching. It is recommended to wear special mittens made of cotton jersey on the baby’s hands, which will allow him not to scratch himself. This will help protect your skin from scratches and infection. You should also try to distract your baby with interesting procedures so that he stops scratching his irritated skin: watching cartoons, doing exercises, turning on music, etc.

You should know that due to the delicate sensitive skin of children, mosquito bite marks often turn into red spots and swellings, which may not heal for 2-3 months and even begin to fester, so they must be immediately treated with brilliant green or special lotions with a drying agent. action containing calamine or zinc oxide. Itching and discomfort often cause sleep disturbances, whims and tears in babies.

For treating the bitten area in children aged 1-11 months. The following medications can be used:

• Cosmeceutical creams Spasatel and Boro-plus, containing only natural ingredients, can be used in young children. They contain thermal water and microelements that help reduce itching, speed up healing and prevent infection of the wound.
• Bepanten cream is recommended for use in infants. Main active ingredient: vitamin B-dexpanthenol, which has a healing and restorative effect on the skin of infants.
• Elidel is a strong remedy that is recommended for use only in case of severe allergic reactions after bites in adults and children over 3 months.

To treat bites on a child over 1 year of age, the following are suitable:

1. (pencil-balm, cream, patch), which contain natural ingredients: castor oil, D-panthenol, essential oils of mint, allantoin, citric acid, extracts of chamomile, string and mint. They help to quickly cool the affected area, relieve irritation and itching, stimulate skin cell renewal and wound healing.
2. Nezulin is a cream-gel intended for the treatment of insect bites and can be used in children one year of age or older. Its active ingredients: extracts of chamomile, licorice, celandine and plantain, essential oils (lavender, mint, basil), D-panthenol. It has an anti-inflammatory and reparative effect on the skin, is anti-allergenic, cools, relieves itching and irritation, and redness.
3. Psilo-balm is a gel that relieves swelling after insect bites, itching, and has a calming and cooling effect. Contraindicated in children under 1 year of age.
4. Fenistil-gel – has antigolinergic and anti-allergenic properties due to the content of dimethindene maleate.

If the baby scratches the bitten area vigorously and a wound with blood appears, it must be immediately disinfected with hydrogen peroxide or salicylic alcohol. It is necessary to smear scratched bites with any wound-healing cream or lotion.

When going to the country or to nature, it is better not to wait for mosquitoes to bite and then be treated for itching and other unpleasant consequences, but to use repellent or destructive or, which will help protect adults and children from attacks by “bloodsuckers”.

Roast sunny summer and everyone loves outdoor recreation without exception. But blood-sucking insects can ruin the mood of summer residents and vacationers. There is a huge selection of repellents in stores, but it is much safer and more economical to use.

Mosquitoes are very sensitive to various aromas; they are repelled by the smells of basil, cloves, anise, and eucalyptus. They cannot tolerate tobacco smoke and valerian. Camphor, bird cherry, and vanilla are irritants for bloodsuckers. To prevent mosquitoes from biting, you can use various oils from the listed plants for rubbing. A little vanillin can be added to baby cream, or a decoction of wheatgrass or wormwood roots can be spread on the skin. Essential oils can also be added to cologne, just make sure they are cosmetic and can be used to lubricate the skin. There is an opinion that it repels mosquitoes yellow, therefore, for a trip to the country or to the forest, you should choose clothes in sunny shades. You can pour 100% eucalyptus extract into an empty fumigator bottle. Sprigs of elderberry, chamomile and tomatoes placed around the house repel mosquitoes. To protect yourself from bloodsuckers on the street, you can brew a samovar on spruce or pine cones, or throw juniper into the fire. Itching at the bite sites can be removed with a solution of ordinary baking soda (half a teaspoon per glass of water), ammonia or potassium permanganate. You can lubricate red spots with kefir or yogurt. Pain and itching are well relieved by fresh leaves of parsley, bird cherry, mint, and plantain. To use the mashed leaves, rub the skin.

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Folk remedies from mosquito bites

www.kakprosto.ru

Simple folk remedies to prevent mosquitoes from biting

05.06.2013 23:15

Mosquitoes can cause not only discomfort, but also dangerous diseases. There are several natural ways to help you avoid these annoying insects.

Essential oils. The most important weapon in the fight against mosquitoes is the smell that they cannot tolerate, for example, the smell of anise, eucalyptus, basil or cloves. Buy any essential oil of these plants at the pharmacy, add a few drops to any base (cream, milk) and lubricate exposed skin.

Carnation. Buy cloves (the dried, unopened flower buds of the clove tree) from the spice aisle. Pour the contents of a five-gram sachet with a glass of water and boil for 15 minutes. Mix a small amount of the decoction with any cologne and apply to exposed skin. This home remedy for mosquitoes promises to protect you for two hours.

Pine smell. A picnic is usually not complete without a fire. Throw fir cones into the fire, which are usually easy to find in the forest, or dried branches of coniferous trees. There will be no trace of mosquitoes.

Fish fat. Lubricate exposed areas of your body with fish oil; mosquitoes do not like this smell and will not bother you for a while.

Cedar oil. Cedar oil is famous for its wonderful healing properties. It turns out that its usefulness does not end there. Mosquitoes cannot stand its smell. Lubricate exposed skin with this oil and enjoy your walk, advises LadyNews.

As MIGnews.com.ua reported, mosquitoes choose their victims by smell and blood composition. Mosquitoes prefer to bite women - especially blondes or pregnant women.

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How to get rid of mosquito bites

Since childhood, I can't stand mosquitoes. Small ones. Vile. Noisy. Mother Nature has not created more intrusive and nasty insects in our area. I remember, back in childhood, when my peers rejoiced at the onset of summer and looked forward to a fun holiday, I shuddered internally, because then I still didn’t know how to get rid of mosquito bites.

Nobody likes mosquitoes - they are potential carriers of diseases and their bites are wildly annoying. My hatred for them as a child reached the point of fanaticism. I have matured and the intensity of passions in my soul has subsided (I don’t want to see a common mosquito in the Red Book), but over the years I have accumulated enough knowledge about how to deal with mosquitoes and the consequences of bites at home, and now I will share it with you.

The cause of itching is the mosquito's saliva, which it injects into the victim's body when feeding. It contains anticoagulants that prevent blood from clotting. Mosquito saliva causes itching, irritation, swelling, and a severe allergic reaction.

If you have recently been bitten by a mosquito and want to quickly get rid of the itching, try first wiping the bite area with a cotton swab containing alcohol or an alcohol wipe. You can even wash the bite with water. This will help remove excess saliva and relieve itching.

1. After you've cleaned the bite with rubbing alcohol or water, you can try pressing on it with your fingernail a few times.
2. Draw a sun at the site of the bite or a cross - this will help disperse the accumulation of foreign protein compounds at the site of the bite and the body will quickly cope with their elimination.
3. You can lightly pat the bite site to remove the unpleasant sensation. It is also important to distract yourself by doing something that you usually immerse yourself in (a work task, cooking, cleaning, watching a TV series).

Folk remedies for mosquito bites

Remedies for mosquito bites can be divided into pharmacological and folk remedies. Since mosquitoes are a constant seasonal problem, the market is flooded with supply. However, to get rid of the itching of a mosquito bite, it is not necessary to go to the nearest pharmacy and ask for a remedy that is advertised on TV. There are many ways to eliminate the problem at home using folk remedies.

Let's look at foods that can help relieve itching. For convenience, I will list the known remedies in the table.

In addition to food products, a number of indoor plants, essential oils or household chemicals are suitable as a remedy for mosquito bites.

A toothpaste containing menthol is also suitable - it relieves irritation and speeds up the healing of bites. It is better to choose a neutral soap that will not increase irritation. Aspirin can be crushed into powder, add water and apply the paste to the bite until it hardens.

The products should be used in approximately the same way. In the case of plants, squeeze the juice onto a cotton swab and apply it to the bite until the itching decreases. You can use tinctures (calendula tincture, for example). The oil is applied to the bite several times a day. If you doubt the effect of essential oil on the skin, you can test it on a healthy area or dilute it with water.

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Tincture of calendula and soda help me most effectively, however, choosing a mosquito repellent is an individual matter and you may have to try up to a dozen remedies before you find yours. In some cases, the use of pharmaceuticals may be preferable, especially if there is increased susceptibility to mosquito bites.

Among pharmacy products, according to reviews, “Rescuer” and “Anvantan” ointments, “Boro Plus” cream, Fenistil gel and any homeopathic cream help. All these products will not cause additional irritation and will not cause an allergic reaction.

• Large (5-10 cm) swelling at the site of the bite or blisters.
• Hives.
• Runny nose.
• Nausea.
• Edema.
• Shortness of breath, dizziness and feeling of weakness.
• Vomit.

The peculiarity of an allergy to mosquito bites is that with each subsequent bite the symptoms worsen and new, more severe ones may occur. It is important to remember that if a severe allergic reaction occurs, death Therefore, if you suspect severe allergic reactions, be sure to consult a doctor. In general cases of allergies, it is recommended to use antihistamines both externally and internally.

If you have an allergy and are bitten by a mosquito, first apply ice or another cold source to the bite site. The ice is first wrapped in a towel or other fabric. Then the effect of mosquito saliva is neutralized by injecting Prednisolone into the bite site. Allergic reactions are relieved with antihistamines like Fenistil. In the most severe cases, doctors prescribe hormonal drugs like Advantan.

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As a child, this question really haunted me, so I filled this gap in knowledge at the age of 7, if not earlier. Mosquitoes need human blood to reproduce properly. It is known that male mosquitoes feed exclusively on plant juices. Females also use plant juices to maintain life, and they need blood due to the high content of proteins, which are used for the formation and laying of eggs.

Some female mosquitoes die while laying eggs, and some are able to repeat this process again. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in bodies of standing and warm water in the form of small rafts. In turn, these eggs are food for many fish, so they are even sold in pet stores as food for aquarium fish.

Finally, here are some tips for preventing exposure to mosquitoes. Try to cover your body with clothing as much as possible, but don't wear too much black - this color attracts insects. Buy a mosquito repellent bracelet – it’s inexpensive and does a great job of repelling them. And avoid fragrant aromas in perfumes - mosquitoes love them too.

The secret of health

Insidious females I heard that not all mosquitoes bite people, but only females. Is it true?

There are more than 2,500 species of mosquitoes. In our area there are malarial and non-malarial species. Malaria mosquitoes (Anopheles) are easily distinguished from others by their spotted wings and characteristic position when biting and at rest - “butt” up, and not parallel to the surface, like “normal” ones. The main bloodsuckers in nature are mosquitoes of the genus “biters” (Aedes). And in cities, “real mosquitoes” (Culex) are more common nuisances. Indeed, only females bite people. The reason is the instinct of procreation: females are able to lay eggs only after they receive a portion of blood. They attack animals, birds and even frogs. Adult male mosquitoes are vegetarians, preferring plant nectar. It is interesting that the urban mosquito, unlike the rural one, lays the first portion of eggs without a “bloody” meal. Mosquitoes do not live long - about a month - but they constantly reproduce. They usually appear in April-May, but overwinter differently. “Real mosquitoes” hibernate in the fall in the form of a mosquito and are ready to drink blood in early spring, while “biters” overwinter in ponds in the form of eggs and emerge only in May. Although recently mosquitoes have become a year-round scourge in homes with damp basements. After all, the main condition for laying eggs is humidity and warmth.

Is a mosquito bite dangerous? Can a mosquito bite be life-threatening?

Of the mosquito troubles in our area, the most common are itching, redness and allergies (sensitivity to insect bites is called insect allergy). The body reacts inadequately not to the bite itself, but to the mosquito saliva, which it injects before the “meal” so that the blood does not clot. Saliva contains specific proteins - anticoagulants that cause allergies. After a bite, red, painful, itchy dots appear on the skin, and there may be blisters like burns. It all depends on the condition immune system person and predisposition to allergies. To relieve itching after a bite, you can treat the sore spot with calendula tincture, Corvalol, or boric alcohol. And if you are prone to allergies, take an anti-histamine. Sometimes a mosquito bite can cause the development of a serious skin disease - eczema. In addition to allergies, mosquitoes can carry various infections: malaria, fever and even some types of encephalitis. Malarial mosquitoes spread malaria, “biters” can give yellow fever or West Nile fever, and also, along with some types of “real mosquitoes,” they transmit encephalomyelitis and a special type of disease - Japanese encephalitis. Unfortunately, similar diseases also occur in our country: malaria in the form of imported cases, and fevers (except yellow) and encephalitis are widespread throughout the territory. It is quite difficult to distinguish the disease from a common acute respiratory infection. If you have symptoms characteristic of viral diseases (severe and rapid rise in temperature, pain in muscles and joints, nausea, watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing in the middle of summer), it is quite possible that a mosquito is to blame. If problems do not stop after a week, contact an infectious disease specialist.

Who gets bitten more often? Is it true that mosquitoes are most likely to bite children and sweaty people?

When a female is looking for a “victim,” she focuses on the temperature (hot people are attacked more often), the carbon dioxide that we exhale, and the smell of lactic acid contained in sweat. Indeed, mosquitoes bite children more often - they have thin skin.

Constant night “guests” What products can be used indoors without risk to health?

First, place a fine mesh on the windows of your house. You can also use chemical agents against mosquitoes: fumigators that kill insects and repellents that repel mosquitoes. To combat insects indoors, you will need electrofumigators and electric repellents - devices with replaceable plates or liquid that operate from an outlet. They begin to act 5-10 minutes after switching on and retain their repellent properties for about 10 hours. Although the smell of fumigator is not harmful to humans and animals, it can cause allergies in 3% of people. Therefore, try not to leave the fumigator turned on at night, especially with the window closed! Another type of “indoor” mosquito killers is ultrasonic devices. They generate a sound that repels insects, but their effectiveness has been little studied.

Mosquitoes are an eternal companion of summer and the first irritant for all those who like to relax in nature. Some people think that mosquitoes bite everyone, but in any company there is always a sufferer who is literally eaten alive, and next to him stands the same person, but the blood-sucking demons do not seem to notice him. In fact, there are reasons for this.

Most of the tips presented below do not have any scientific basis, but are developed empirically. So, here are a few factors that determine how attractive a person is to mosquitoes.

1. If you don’t drink, you suffer less

Although this fact has no explanation, it was confirmed by a fairly serious and authoritative organization (not British scientists) during experiments. The Medical Pharmaceutical University of Toyama, Japan, studied the behavior of mosquitoes in relation to humans.

A group of 13 volunteers was selected for the experiment. 12 men aged 20 to 58 years and one 24-year-old woman were asked to drink alcohol, while another 30-year-old man acted as a control subject and did not drink anything. Measurements were made of ethanol content in sweat secretions, sweating intensity, and skin surface temperature before and after drinking 350 ml of beer with a strength of 5.5%. Mosquitoes were significantly more likely to land and bite people who had recently consumed alcohol than a control subject who had not consumed alcohol.

2. Clothes color

It is unlikely that mosquitoes have developed vision in the range visible to us, but in practice it turns out that people whose clothing distinguishes them from others to a greater extent environment, suffer more from the attention of mosquitoes. Dark clothing is especially attractive to them.

3. Movement

The more and more actively you move, the easier it is for a mosquito to identify you as a living person, full of delicious blood.

4. Body heat

When approaching the victim, the mosquito is guided by the heat emitted by the body. In this case, pregnant women whose body temperature is slightly higher are at a disadvantage.

5. Carbon dioxide

A person exhales carbon dioxide, and a mosquito senses it, and from a great distance. Thanks to a special organ, the mosquito captures carbon dioxide exhaled by a person from 50 meters. Once again, pregnant women suffer. The need for more oxygen leads to the release of more carbon dioxide(on average by 21%). For the same reason, children are not so affected by mosquitoes.

Bad luck

You can become a sterilized teetotal paraplegic without wearing dark clothes and forget how to breathe, but mosquitoes will still bite you more than others. The reason is genetics. Chemical composition sweat, as well as the unique bacterial environment on the surface of your skin may be the most attractive to mosquitoes. Humble yourself.

Blood type is another factor that you cannot influence in any way. Do you have blood type O? You are somehow more attractive to mosquitoes. Next comes the third blood group. People in the second and fourth groups close the deliciousness chart.