mosiquito bite reaction

I have two children a girl age 6 and a boy age 4 that both react severly to mositquito bites.  The bites will start out the size of 1/2 a dime and then spread to about the size of a quarter.  The bites end up as large red welts.  My son has a bite on his forehead that swelled up so much last night that you would have thought he hit his head on a bar at the playground. It was a huge goose egg on his forehead. How do I treat these?  Are they allergic to mosiquitoes?  Will just benedryl and cortaid on the bites work.  My son is also running a fever today could that be linked to the bites?  They both have allergies to what I am assuming is grass/pollen type stuff.  I have never had them tested.  But whenever they are outside playing and the grass has been cut within three days they both get stuffy noses and my son starts coughing and sneezing a lot.  What do I give them to help with the mosiquito bites?  Is OFF sunscreen with DEET in it safe to use daily?  Or should it just be used if we are going to be out when mosiquitoes are most present?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

What you're describing are large local reactions (as opposed to body-wide systemic ones.)  These reflect inflammation from what the bugs inject into the skin, not allergy.  Local reactions may look dramatic, but they go away by themselves--I don't know of any treatment which speeds things up.  Pollen and grass allergies are unrelated.  For bug spray, you might want to try Avon's Skin So Soft products.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[ltrimble0902]

I have a 2 year old girl and she has spots all over her legs and arms. last time i counted there were about 33 spots. They all are different sizes. there swollen has like a red ring around them and first blister, then deep scap. Have no clue whats going on.  Family said maybe something back in there day everyone call fall spots or now known as impetago or impetigo not real sure how to spell it.  some said flea bite allergies sand some said chickenpox which she hasnt had but the spots are only on arms, legs front and back of both. not real sure. but I could use some help of anyone has seen something like this.

[Jemicia]

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