Insect Bites
Insect Bites
Soothe the Itch
Red, swollen bumps are the bothersome but harmless symptoms of most bites from many common insects, including flies and mosquitoes. Most bug bites are an uncomfortable nuisance, but not a health hazard.
Bugs bite you because they're hungry. Like mini-vampires, they want to suck your blood. Usually, you don't even know what bit you. They dine and dash before you even realize that they've visited. "Most people find out that they've been bitten belatedly, when they realize that something hurts," says Leslie Boyer, M.D., medical director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center in Tucson.
Other persistent little buggers, like blackflies, horseflies and deerflies, aren't so subtle. They go for the all-out attack, making a deep puncture wound and lapping up blood until they've had enough, says insect specialist May R. Berenbaum, Ph.D., head of the Department of Entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Either way, the swelling, itching and red welt that you experience are reactions to the foreign proteins that the insect injected into your skin, says Dr. Berenbaum.
CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON
Regardless of what bit you, the treatment is the same, says Dr. Boyer. Here's what women doctors advise.
Wash away the itch. Even if a bite is mild, take time to wash it with soap and water. "Cleansing removes germs and allergy-provoking substances from your skin's surface so a bite doesn't get worse," says Dr. Boyer. For mild bites, washing may be all that's needed--they'll heal on their own, she says.
Rinse with cool water. Still uncomfortable? "Rinsing a bite with cool water can help take the itch and swelling down," says Dr. Boyer.
Try some ice. "If the bite is uncomfortable because of swelling and itching, you can also apply ice to cool your skin, decrease inflammation and calm your urge to scratch," recommends Constance Nichols, M.D., an emergency physician and associate residency director in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Amherst.
When To See A Doctor
Most insect bites are minor annoyances and can be easily managed at home. The following situations, however, call for medical attention. * You have redness or streaking around the bite, yellowish pus and fever. These are signs of infection. * You suddenly have trouble breathing, develop body-wide hives or feel faint after being bitten. You may be having a body-wide allergic reaction to a bite, which causes your airways to swell shut. Call your local emergency medical number immediately or get to a hospital right away. * You develop significant swelling--a local allergic reaction--and taking an antihistamine such as Benadryl doesn't help. * You repeatedly have local allergic reactions to bug bites. Your doctor may prescribe shots or medications. Still in doubt? "In general," says Leslie Boyer, M.D., medical director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center in Tucson, "you should call a physician or a poison control center any time you're bitten and develop an alarming reaction within 12 to 24 hours."
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Apply an ice cube on and off for a few minutes at a time (but not much longer, because you could get frost bite), says Dr. Boyer. You can continue this process throughout the day as needed. Or wrap ice in a towel to make a cool compress.
Don't scratch. The more you scratch, the more you'll itch, so try to resist, says Dr. Nichols. Plus, scratching a bite can cause a secondary infection, because bacteria and germs under your fingernails can get into the opening in your skin, she warns.
To lessen the tendency to scratch, trim your fingernails, says Dr. Boyer.
Dab on hydrocortisone cream. Gently rub bites with hydrocortisone cream to soothe swelling and redness. "Put a bit on your finger and rub it in until it disappears, so the medicine absorbs in," says Dr. Boyer. "The gentle massaging also gives you the sense of satisfaction that you get from scratching--except that it's much safer."
For easy application, look for Cortaid FastStick, a convenient roll-on form of hydrocortisone. It's available in drugstores.
Swab with calamine. Dab insect bites with drugstore preparations such as that old pink standby, calamine lotion, or Burow's solution to calm the itching sensation, suggests Saralyn R. Williams, M.D., a toxicologist and emergency physician at the San Diego Regional Poison Center.
Soak in an oatmeal bath. To soothe itchy skin, Dr. Nichols recommends Aveeno bath treatment, a powdered oatmeal preparation that you pour into a lukewarm bath. You can find it at drugstores.
