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More than 30 years ago we stumbled across this bizarre tip in a dermatology text book (Dermatology: Diagnosis and Treatment, 1961, P. 94) edited by a giant in the field, Dr. Marion Sulzberger. The water has to be hot, roughly 120 to 130 degrees F. That means it is uncomfortable, but no so hot as to burn sensitive skin. The application is VERY short...a couple of seconds at most. Either expose the skin very briefly to hot running water or use a hot washcloth for a second or two.According to the dermatology experts from the 1960s, the hot water "short circuits" the itch reflex. In other words, the nerve network in the skin gets so overloaded by the heat stimulus, the urge to scratch is abolished for up to three hours. You will be amazed at how fast the relief occurs.
A word of caution, however. This approach is probably not a good idea for poison ivy where there are open sores or big blisters. Serious skin irritation or itching requires medical diagnosis and treatment. Be VERY careful NOT to burn yourself with water that is too hot. Only a second or two exposure is necessary.
To read more about this remedy and comments from visitors, visit our Home Remedy Library at the top of this page. You can read comments like this one:
"This hot water cure WORKS and is miraculous as far as I am concerned. A few months ago I had a terrible bout with insect bites: some I think were a severe allergic reaction to a bite. I tried everything the pharmacy and my dermatologist had to offer, and then went to People's Pharmacy web site in total desperation and read about the hot water treatment. I couldn't believe it. At first you think it isn't working, but then you stop the hot water and realize the itching is gone. I use it on any bite now, and have told everyone I know. It is great!"
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Yes Yes Yes! It is true!
I am a mosquito magnet and the only thing that works for me is to put my poor bitten legs under running hot water. I use soap and water to wash my legs (and get a good scratching in!) and then rinse with hotter water. The hot water heater is sufficient. After I have been out feeding the mosquitos, I just come in and take hot shower or an appendage bath. Then it is over.
Me too! I get so many bites that sometimes I scratch so hard I end up with scratches & abrasions all over my arms and legs. Then I can't use products to ease the itch because lotions & sprays sting in broken skin. Next time I will try hot water. It has to be better than scratching myself to death.
A hairdryer on the lowest setting works too for anything itchy, poison ivy, bug bites, etc...Get it as warm as you can stand it for as long as you can stand it (urge to scratch will be intense!) and you will see relief!
Yes, it does work for my numerous bug bites, including fleas. Not for spiders, though. But I find that running water is not necessary; I take a very small amount and put in a bowl and microwave for 15 seconds, then dip a cloth or paper towel in it and apply to the bite until it cools. About 20 seconds. It may still itch for a while after that, but soon stops. I find this to be much more energy efficient than running water constantly or taking a shower. But I take a shower too if I have a lot of bites.
I've used a small vacuum pump (Aspivenin) sold in European drugstores and pharmacies. Works well for mosquitos, wasps, scorpions, ticks etc. It comes with different suction cups, and depending on the bite, I apply suction for 1-2 minutes and then wipe the spot with a paper handkerchief.
I read this for the first time 09-21-09. Years ago I had a bad case of poison ivy on my forearms. The only way I could find relief was to fill the bathroom sink with hot water and soak my forearms until the itching stopped.
So glad to be reminded of this. I used to get poison ivy a lot and used the hot water method for relief. I recently got many bug bites (don't know what kind), and will certainly use this method on them. Many thanks!
I'm glad to be reminded about hot water for itching. I used to get poison ivy frequently and discovered that hot water helped a lot. I hadn't thought about using it for bug bites, but will certainly try it. Mosquitos LOVE me!
I have never heard anyone else who knew about hot water and itching -- when I was a kid I was plagued with HORRIBLE bouts with athlete's feet, 2nd degree, where I would get infections and have to be off my feet in summer for several days. I had to soak my feet in a totally ineffective tub with a purple pill every few hours... once, rinsing it off, I started turning the water hotter and hotter and it felt SO good. From that time on, very very hot water allowed me to go for several hours itch free, and was like a miracle cure!
I didn't know hot water was recommended for itching, but as a number of others have said, I also discovered its effectiveness accidentally. I always ended up with a terrible case of poison ivy in the summertime and found running hot water over the area was extremely helpful in relieving the itch. I see it's not recommended for poison ivy, but it sure was a great discovery and really helped at the time.
Hairdryer worked fabulously.
Sometimes hot water makes bites swell. So I wait until they are already swollen, and then when I am taking a shower, I turn up the water temperature and blast the bites! (I live in a semi-tropical country at the edge of the desert, so you can imagine how "backwards" it is to use steaming hot water only in the summer!)
Hot water Does work! Run the hottest tap water -and put the affected part with the insect bite under the hot water. Just hold it there momentarily. Or for as long as you can stand it. It relieves the itch for hours -sometimes days. Or alternatively you can place a hot washcloth on the itch.
Thank you so much. I've been suffering with chigger bites for the last couple of days to the point where I haven't been able to sleep. This is the only thing that's worked, and it worked so well, I think I might actually sleep tonight.
When my daughter gets bitten the bites come out in large lumps and she finds it so hard to not to scratch them. I've tried many products to stop the itching but none seem to work for her. I also heard that vinegar is great for bite, is this true?
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: ONE READER SAYS SOY SAUCE IS GOOD FOR BITES.
I have been suffering from bites on my lower legs for months,driving me insane. A few weeks ago I accidentally ran too much hot water in my bath, felt instant relief when the water soaked my legs, the relief lasted hours. I soak any infected areas frequently now, throughout the day, the hotter the water, the better the relief. Talk about pain and pleasure!!!!
Hot water is THE miracle cure for relief of mosquito bites!
I read about doing the hot water treatment a couple of years ago, and I have not needed to use cortisone or any other type of anti-itch cream since.
The heat of the water - as hot as you can stand it without getting burned - switches off the histamine reaction from mosquito bites. Just a few seconds under hot running water, or a minute applying a hot water compress, and voila! The itch is gone, and it stays gone for at least several hours.
This method is so much kinder to your skin than scratching. Just one scratch of a mosquito bite is enough to spread the venom and get that histamine reaction turned on. At the first sign of an itch, run to the faucet, and get the hot water on that bite as soon as possible. Almost INSTANT relief! And, it's organic. :)
it really is the most amazing thing ... I got bitten up pretty badly about a week ago. they were SO SO itchy! I did everything I could to make it stop. I tried so bad not to scratch because I don't want the scares. Hydrocortisone cream or benedryl spray didn't work at all! I've used rubbing alcohol in the past, but it wasn't doing anything to take away the itch this time. The other day I felt the urge to "clean" them ... I was just doing anything to stop the itch. I accidentally made the water too hot and found it felt so good on my legs, like an intense scratching would, but without breaking or damaging the skin. Then when I stopped, the itching was completely gone!
I've been doing this a few times a day now. I can't believe I found a miracle cure for itchy bug bites. We just moved to Costa Rica, so this is going to be very helpful. My husband has several scares now on the bottom of his legs from scratching and now this hot water trick is going to completely alleviate the problem. Also good to know that it's heat in general, like some of the other comments mentioned that a blow dryer works, as well.
Victoria, that is -great- to hear that you have found the miracle hot water treatment for bites, and that your husband is using it now too! :)
My husband has yet to get any mosquito bites since I discovered the hot water trick, and he thinks I'm a bit wacky for doing it. The next time we go on holiday to the Caribbean or some other mosquito-infested place, though, I can promise you that he'll be putting his bites under the faucet and/or shower!
Three cheers for hot water on bug bites! Hip hip HOORAY!