(单词翻译:单击)
Spring is in the air. And so are those dang insects, hungry for a blood meal. The victim can wind up with a bunch of bites, red and itchy. So what drugs can quench that itch? Maybe none, according to a study in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.
真是春意盎然啊。不过各种昆虫也活跃了起来，大吸特吸人类的鲜血。结果，人们可能被叮了满身的包，又红又痒。用什么药可以解痒？根据刊登在《药物与治疗通报》上的一项研究，目前也许还没有有效的解痒药。
Researchers reviewed the literature on a variety of treatments. Topical antihistamines? Generally not recommended. They’re only marginally effective and shouldn’t be used for longer than three days.
研究人员翻阅了多种有关解痒方法的文献。局部用抗组胺药怎么样？一般不予推荐。它们只能勉强有效，而且有效期不超过3天。
Oral analgesics like ibuprofen are sometimes recommended, but the scientists say there’s no evidence supporting that. Topical anesthetics such as lidocaine are only marginally effective and can sensitize the skin—meaning the itching could ultimately get worse.
有时推荐使用口服止痛药，如布洛芬。但科学家们说，没有证据显示这种解痒药一定有效。局部麻醉剂比如如利多卡因都只能勉强有效，但会让皮肤过敏，因而最终让瘙痒变得更严重。
And common topical steroids like hydrocortisone? The problem here is that they’re not supposed to be used on broken skin. And if you’ve been scratching, that skin may already be broken.
常见的外用类固醇（如氢化可的松）怎么样？问题是，这类东西不应用于破损的皮肤。如果你用手搔痒了，就可能已经把皮肤挠破。
The authors recommend a simple approach: clean the area, and use a cold pack to tamp down inflammation and numb the nerves. If you haven’t broken the skin, try the steroid cream. But your best approach may be ice. The cold hard fact is that this cold hard treatment works.
在此作者建议一个简单的方法：先清洗被叮咬的地方，然后冷敷以抑制炎症并使神经感觉迟钝。如果皮肤没有破损，可以尝试使用类固醇药膏。但最好的办法是用冰冷敷。事实证明，用冰来对付蚊虫叮咬确实很有效。
注：本文译文属可可英语原创，未经允许，请勿转载。
