About this topic
Insect bites and stings can cause a reaction to your skin right away. Most often, you will feel pain from the bite of ants and stings from bees, wasps, and hornets. You will feel itching then pain from the bites of mosquitoes, fleas, and mites. You may feel burning, numbness, or tingling. You may also see redness and swelling. In rare cases, some insect bites can lead to diseases such as malaria, plague, or lyme disease. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
- Relieve itching
- Block allergens
What problems could happen?
Some people have a very bad allergy to insect bites and stings. If you have this kind of allergy, it can be dangerous to your life. If you are stung, you might have: ‚
- Chest pain
- Face or mouth swelling
- Problems with swallowing
- Trouble breathing
- Shock
Be sure to carry an anti-allergy kit if you know you have very bad reactions to insect bites or stings. ‚
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Do not bother insects.
- Wear bug spray on any skin that is showing when you go outside. Put bug spray on top of boots, bottom of pant legs, and sleeve cuffs.
- Wear clothes that can protect your skin from any insect bites and stings.
- Be careful when you eat outside because food attracts insects.
- Put screens on windows.
- Empty any standing water outside and wash containers with soap and water.
- Use citronella candles outdoors to keep mosquitos away.
- Treat your pets for fleas.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of a very bad reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call for emergency help or go to the ER right away.
- Redness, drainage, pus, or warmth at the site of the bite
- You have abdominal cramping, throwing up, or loose stools
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have redness, drainage, or warmth around my bite.
Where can I learn more?
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/_summerspotlight/_parks/insect_bite.html ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/allergies/sting_allergy.html ‚
Journal of the American Medical Association ‚
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/data/Journals/JAMA/927228/jpg120054.pdf ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚