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Heat really works!
This is how bite away® works
bite away®: The original thermal insect bite heat pen
bite away® is the original thermal pen for bites and stings which can provide effective and lasting relief of itching. But how does bite away® work?
In the case of an insect bite, the insect’s saliva triggers an immune reaction in the skin. Immune cells are activated and histamine is released.
The histamine can then bind to the receptors of the nerve cells. Itching can develop at the affected skin site. bite away® can relieve this skin reaction with concentrated heat. This is known as local thermal therapy which is based on two possible mechanisms of action.
Mechanism of action 1: Heat stimulus as counter-irritation
Through targeted counter-pain by means of heat-related activation of the TRPV-1 receptors, inhibition of the neuronal itch signaling pathway can be achieved.1 Simply put, the application of heat acts like a “counter-irritant” on the nerve cells of the skin. This counter-irritation can inhibit the transmission of the itching signal to the brain and thus relieve the sensation of itching.
1: Yosipovitch G, et al., 2005
Mechanism of action 2: Decreased histamine release
In addition, there is a second possible mechanism of action. Studies have shown that the application of concentrated heat can have a positive influence on various immune reactions. It is assumed that through inhibition (heat shock) of the mast cells, the release of histamine and other inflammatory mediators is decreased (in vitro).2 A decreased release of histamine can lead to relief of the itching sensation.
2: Greaves MW, Mongar JL., 1968
bite away® applies heat therapy
The original thermal insect bite heat pen bite away® applies targeted heat to the skin. In a clinical study with bite away®, it was shown that it can provide lasting relief of itching in just one minute. In a real-life observational study, it was able to be shown that, in general, one application is enough to stop the itching.3
