Have you ever had the feeling of being attacked by mosquitoes when you have itchy marks all over your body, while your friends have the feeling that they do not even notice the existence of annoying Biters?
Well, it’s not your imagination. Research has shown that mosquitoes prefer to lter the people they want to suck blood.
In a WebMD report, Jerry Butler, professor emeritus at the University of Florida, said “every person in ten is very attractive to mosquitoes”.
Here’s the thing – mosquitoes do not suck blood for food. In fact, only female mosquitoes bite humans because they need blood proteins to develop fertile eggs and produce more baby mosquitoes.
Eighty-ve percent of our chances of being stung by mosquitoes are genetic.
- You have type O blood
Some blood groups are indeed milder than others, metaphorically. One study found that people with type O blood are 83% more likely to be stung. People with type A blood are the least likely to get mosquitoes while type B people are at the center. In addition, 85% of people produce secretions indicating their blood type, making them more obvious to mosquitoes than to non-secretors, regardless of their type.
- They have a large size
It depends on your metabolic rate or the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released by your body when it burns energy. Mosquitoes use CO2 as the primary means of target identication and can detect CO2 up to 50 meters away! Larger people tend to exhale longer and release more carbon dioxide, which is why mosquitoes are more for adults than for children. Men are also more likely to be bitten by mosquitoes than women, as are overweight or obese people because of their larger size and relative heat.
- You are pregnant
According to a study in Africa, pregnant women are twice as likely to get mosquitoes as their nonpregnant counterparts because they emit more CO2. In a 2002 study, it was even found that women at advanced stages of pregnancy exhaled 21% more CO2 than non-pregnant women, making them even more visible for parasites.
- You exercised or physically exercised
Mosquitoes are attracted to lactic acid, a compound that the body produces after sweating. As a result, you are more prone to be bitten by mosquitoes if you just run or train at the gym. In addition, the body also experiences heat gain due to an increase in its metabolic rate after intense physical activity or intense exercise. The heat becomes more attractive to mosquitoes as they approach a potential victim.
- You have just had a beer or a glass of wine
Alcohol consumption also increases metabolic rate and body temperature and makes mosquitoes attractive.
- They wear red or dark clothes
In addition to the smell, mosquitoes also rely on sight to recognize their prey. Red makes you a major target as well as dark colors like black and blue. Dr. Jonathan
Day, a medical entomologist and mosquito expert at the University of Florida, said: “Mosquitoes have diculty ying even in light winds, so they stay close to the ground and discover hosts by comparing them silhouette on the horizon, dark colors appear as clear shades mingle. ”
- Some elements of your body’s chemistry actually invoke mosquitoes
People who produce excessive amounts of certain acids (eg, lactic acid, uric acid) and / or have higher levels of steroids and cholesterol on the surface of their skin tend to attract mosquitoes . This does not necessarily mean that mosquitoes capture people with high cholesterol. These people metabolize and process cholesterol naturally faster than others whose by-products remain on the surface of the skin.
On the other hand, a study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found that people bitten less often “smell different from mosquitoes”, almost as if they were producing a natural repellent. Ugh, good luck.
Source: Says.com