Question:
I'm fairly used to mosquito bites. In my experience, they form an
itchy welt that expands (usually no more than an inch in diameter),
but it subsides within a day without scratching.
This summer, however, things are different. Once again, there is a
small, itchy welt. The next day, however, it's 2 inches in diameter,
turns pink and it itches more than ever. It seems to peak at the third
or fourth day, growing to 4 or 5 inches in diameter (and itching all
the way). After that, it slowly subsides, and the "epicenter" of the
rash turns darker (bruise-like) until it fades fully. The itching is
still present even when it's no longer visible for a few days.
The first time it happened on my arm, I thought it might have been an
infected mosquito bite. It got better before I saw my doctor and I
paid no attention to it. Then I got another one on my leg that did the
same thing. Now, I'm getting a third one. Surprisingly, a colleague
had a similar rash on his arm.
I'm a city boy and I don't even know how other non-mosquito bites look
like. Is this familiar to anyone? Spider bite? Ant bite? By the way,
hydrocortisone does nothing!
Answer:
Sounds like a spider bite to me. You have a little unwanted
roommate. Change your bedding or take everything outside and shake like
crazy, then give a spray with UNSCENTED (not Raid, their unscented still
stinks) Blackflag around the bed and on the wall. It doesn't take much.
Don't spray too much.
