Picture this: You’re hiking through a pristine forest, surrounded by the scent of rain-drenched earth and the sounds of birdsong and crunching leaves. You look back at your kiddo for confirmation that this place is seriously magical when you see their face. In place of the serene smile you expected, they are scowling down at their arm, vigorously scratching a pair of quickly swelling red splotches.
This scene may be a constant in your outdoor adventures. Especially if your kiddo happens to be a magnet for biting insects like my son. Thankfully, there is a new little gadget that boasts the ability to stop the maddening itch of an insect bite within seconds, without the use of chemicals.
Meet heat it: a pocket-sized, smartphone-powered “bite healer” that uses controlled heat to calm itching and reduce swelling. Plug it into your phone, open the heat it app to choose the desired treatment (there is even a child setting!), place the tip on the bite, and feel the relief within seconds. It feels a bit like magic, but does it actually work? And if so, how does simply adding heat relieve the pain and itch of a bug bite? Keep reading as we dive into the science behind this convenient technology.
Why Does Heat Help Relieve Pain and Itching From Bug Bites?
When I was growing up, my grandmother used to recommend applying a hot spoon to my bug bites. She claimed that the heat “got rid of the sting”. While it worked, I usually burned the area around the bite as well, which often hurt worse than the actual bug bite itself. I chalked it up as a myth, but it turns out my granny was on to something (I just wasn’t doing it correctly).
Applying a short burst of moderate heat to a bug bite, called “local hyperthermia”, can be an effective way to treat bug bites… if done properly. Science backs this claim in two ways. First, heat acts as counter-stimulation, temporarily distracting the sensory nerves, reducing the “itch signal”. Second, brief heating can denature some of the foreign proteins in insect saliva that trigger local immune responses (histamine release), which in turn reduces redness and itch.
The heat it device allows you to use this principle of hyperthermia in a much safer way compared to the old “hot spoon” technique. The small tip makes the treatment more localized, and the app helps you control the temperature setting. They have treatment options for adults (around 126 oF), children (around 120 oF), and people with sensitive skin. You can also choose the treatment duration (from 4 to 9 seconds).
Does this still sound like a high-tech folk remedy? You don’t have to take our word for it. Various scientific studies have been conducted to test the effectiveness of local hyperthermia treatments. In fact, a recent study published in the Medical Journals Sweden in June 2023 used the heat it technology to study the efficacy of using concentrated heat to treat bug bites. The study included over 1,700 participants with over 12,000 total treatments using the heat it device and app. They found that using this method is an effective way to reduce the irritation and pain from various insect bites, including mosquitos, horseflies, bees, wasps, and others. In other words, this little gadget works!
How to Use the heat it Device
The application of the heat it bug bite treatment is pretty straightforward. Here are the steps to follow:
- Connect the heat it device to your smartphone.
- Open the free heat it app on your phone (I recommend downloading the app as soon as you purchase the device, so it’s ready to go when you need it).
- Select Your Desired Treatment: There are options for children, adults, and people with sensitive skin. There are also different treatment durations.
- Start the treatment and place the warmed-up tip on the bug bite
- Follow the instructions on the app, holding the tip on the bite for the full duration of the treatment.
Benefits of heat it Bug Bite Treatment
Here are just a few of the family-friendly benefits we have found with the heat it bug bite treatment:
- Multiple Settings to Choose From: What sets this product apart from other hyperthermia treatment devices is the options for children (3 years and older) and those with sensitive skin. It allows you to safely personalize the treatment to fit the needs of the person, and it helps prevent burns on sensitive skin.
- Free of Chemicals: In a world full of chemical treatments, a chemical-free option is a huge benefit, especially for children.
- Easy Application: Using this handy device is as simple as connecting it to your phone, opening the app, choosing a treatment, and applying.
- Portability: It attaches right to your key chain, so you won’t have to go searching for it in the black hole of your hiking pack. You can attach it and forget about it, knowing it’s always with you.
A Few Considerations
As with any treatment, there are a few things to consider when using this device:
- Not Suitable for all Bug Bites: While hyperthermia can be effective for the most common bug bites (especially mosquitoes), it is not as effective for tick bites and venomous stings. It should also not be used if a bug bite causes an allergic reaction.
- Age Restrictions: The heat it device is not suitable for young children under 3 years old.
- Skin Conditions: Use caution for those with skin conditions such as highly sensitive skin or sensory impairment.
The heat it bug bite treatment device is a great option if you’re looking for a convenient, chemical-free, and family-friendly solution to pesky bug bites. This science-backed hyperthermia technology relieves the itch and irritation quickly, so you can get back to enjoying the magic of nature. Check it out in our online shop, available for both iPhone and Android smartphones.
