skin problem

hi, i have a problem with my skin and am not sure whether or not it is allergies or just plain mosquito bites.
        around April, i  have a little flea problem but that was taken care. however i keep  getting itchy spots or patches, they are not like bed bug bites or fleas, since i get one itchy rash spot every four or three days. By mid May, the spots or patches stop appearing.  however on Friday i got two mosquitoes bites on my right leg, next thing i knew i have two patches on my left arm, it look quite different compare to the bites on my leg.
         this morning i found a (1in big) patch on the back of my leg.( it was bumpy, itchy and rectangular), i spent today sitting with my siblings ( separate seats) in MY room watch movies for the day, by the time we finish the second movie i had three itchy spots on my left leg  (not far apart and in a line), one patch on my right arm (very similar to the two patches on my left ), one on my thigh, one on my right leg and another on my left.
     The thing is neither my brother nor sister have gotten single itchy spot or patch or even a bite from a mosquito yet i was the only one that ended up with five patches or spots on my body,
Please help because i am absolutely paranoid because i am the only one with this problem.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
These itchy red patches which appear suddenly can be due to hives or urticaria. Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes and most of them are idiopathic.
Do not use any cosmetic products at the sites. You can apply some calamine lotion at the rash as it will help in soothing the skin. You can take some OTC oral antihistamine medications like Benadryl or Claritin and see if it helps.

For mild-moderate symptoms a weak steroid may be used, whilst more severe cases require a higher-potency steroid. But they are available under prescription and should be taken only after consulting a dermatologist. Also try to identify the allergens which you might be coming in contact with which may be causing the hives.
It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[Justoneperson]

hi again. thankyou for replying, i've bought the medicine yesterday and i have been doing a bit better since then. today i got one or two rashes, how long does it take for the redness to go away? can a person be allergic to a mosquito bite?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Using the antihistaminics and the calamine lotion, the redness should go away in a few days. Yes a person can be allergic to mosquito bites or insect bites as well and in such cases, even a single insect bite can cause itching and swelling.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. Treatment can be started only when the diagnosis is confirmed. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.