Snookums and I have been on vacation. Well, two vacations--to the Bahamas, then to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Bahamas weren't so bad, bug-wise, but St. Thomas had mosquitos. And no-see-ums. They took to Snookums immediately (must be the sweetness) but they took a while longer to find me. But when they did, they certainly made up for lost time. My right ankle has a ring of welts all the way around it. And, they itch.
So, I read the article
Giving in to the urge to scratch: Researchers find not all itches created equal[*1] at Science Daily with some interest:
While there are extensive commonalties between allergen- and
histamine-induced itch, perceptions about the intensity and the parts
of the brain that are activated by allergens differ when compared to
histamine. As a result, mothers who admonish their children to stop
itching may now be rightly told "I can't." For mold and grass-related
itches, it appears that science is on their side.
So far, I've avoided the urge to pop a couple of Benedryls. So far.