
Reason mosquitoes bite you more than others may be simple
You might’ve noticed that when you’re in a room with people, one or two people get bitten by mosquitoes more than others. It seems there are a few factors that cause this.
Science has found that your blood type might be the reason the insects love hovering around you more than other people. Below we’ve covered a few tell-tale signs that you will be munched on more than others.
1. The amount of carbon dioxide you exude attracts mosquitoes:
Science dictates that people with a larger body mass and pregnant people are known to produce more carbon dioxide. These insects can sense carbon dioxide up to 160 feet away, meaning the more you exhale, the more they want you.
2. Having a higher body temperature:
People with a larger body mass and pregnant people are more susceptible because they have a greater body temperature.
For more on this story go to our Twitter account @amomama_usa.
3. The clothes you wear:
Mosquitoes use their eyes to find victims. Later in the afternoon, the insects develop a higher vision and wearing dark colors and red makes you easier to see.
4. Your blood type:
A
by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)concluded that people with type O blood were significantly more attractive to these insects. People with type A blood are less attractive.
5. The chemicals we secrete chemicals through our skin indicates what blood type we have:
It’s believed that some people do not secrete those chemicals at all which makes them less likely to be bitten.
6. The microbe composition on your skin:
Everyone has a unique flora of microbes living on our skin. This unique composition of our microbes affects how much mosquitoes want to bite us.
7. Exercising:
Exercising increases the amount of lactic acid your skin secretes, and your overall body temperature. Mosquitoes, find the scent very attractive.
8. Drinking beer:
Another NCBI study found a significantly larger number of mosquitoes landed on study participants after drinking a 12-ounce beer than before. They figured that it was due to increased ethanol content in sweat and skin temperature from consuming the drink, however, they weren’t sure.
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine collected hundreds of dirty socks to test whether genetic factors play a role in what makes us attractive to mosquitoes. A medical entomologist at the school, James Logan, said: "We know very little about the genetics of what makes us attractive to mosquitoes.”
He added:
"We hope this study will give us more insights into the mechanisms that help change our body doors to make us more or less attractive to mosquitoes.”
The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, and images contained on news.AmoMama.com, or available through news.AmoMama.com is for general information purposes only. news.AmoMama.com does not take responsibility for any action taken as a result of reading this article. Before undertaking any course of treatment please consult with your healthcare provider.