Tips For Identifying Insect Bites And Stings
Insect bites and stings can burn, itch and/or swell up. There are some bites and stings that cause skin irritation just for a short while, and then there are others that irritate for a longer period of time. Some people can be allergic to insect bites and stings, and there are insects that can end up causing a strange reaction. Hence, it is important to be able to identify insect bites and stings, at least for peace of mind. |
Take a close look at the insect, if it is still biting you. Try to note down mentally what the insect looks like, such as a flying insect, non-flying insect, the color of the insect, the shape of the wings or any other physical characteristic you can think of. If you have a camera handy, click a photograph of the insect. Or capture the insect in a glass jar, so that you can take it to the doctor just in case the insect is poisonous or causes an adverse allergic reaction. The doctor will know what has bitten or stung you and will immediately be able to start the treatment.
Check out the sting or bite. See whether it has left a puncture wound, caused a swelling, rash or any other type of mark on your body. Some of the bites or stings can cause the formation of pustules, but usually this does not happen right after the bite or sting. It may take some time for the pustules to form.
Be watchful of any other symptoms that come on after the sting or bite. Some insects may cause symptoms such as headaches, lethargy, high fever or restlessness. Note these symptoms carefully.
Get in touch with a cooperative extension service in your town to figure out the type of insect that has bitten you. The office will be able to tell you which insects are indigenous to the region. Alternatively, you can make use of the Internet to log on to sites like the Mayo Clinic to identify the insect bite or sting. There are websites that have images of insects that bite and sting. Check out these websites to identify the insect.
Typically, most insect bites and stings are not serious and their reaction is temporary and wears off after a short while. However, if you suffer from an allergic reaction, such as shortness of breath or constriction of the trachea, it is a medical emergency, as you are suffering from an anaphylactic reaction and need immediate medical attention. Call 911 for help or get someone to rush you to the nearest emergency room.
Some of the common insect that tend to bite or sting are spiders, fire ants, chiggers, mosquitoes, fleas and ticks. These insects are found practically in all corners of the United States.
When it comes to spider bites, it all boils down to the type of spider that bites a person. At times, the person will notice just an elevated bump after the bite, and at other times, literally flesh will be torn off from the body. Typically, when a spider bites a person, a pustule develops on the bite site. A common house spider bite is not painful, but some spiders can inflict painful bites that end up looking like wounds.
As children, we have learned to stay away from fire ants, and this was for a good reason. Fire ants inflict painful bites and usually a whole group will bite you simultaneously, so that you have a bunch of bite marks. The bites will be dark red in the middle and pink on the edges. In addition, the bites will be like bumps that pain and itch a lot. Some people end up getting rash that emerges from the bite site.
Usually, chiggers bite and fly away and these bites are noticed afterwards. These insects tend to concentrate on areas, such as behind the knees, the groin region, in the armpits and around the ankles. The bites appear in a cluster, and they are raised tiny bumps that tend to itch a lot.
Mosquitoes are common in summer and their bites are large, swollen and soft. The bites do not harden into lumps, but tend to stay soft. The bites turn red or pink as the person continues scratching them. On the other hand, flea bites come across as a rash and occur in a cluster. The more you scratch the large the rash gets. When you get bitten by a tick, you will not notice it because the tick first injects a chemical that numbs the site of the bite. Usually, the bite is restricted to a single site and may not cause any kind of skin irritation. However, ticks are notorious for carrying a whole lot of diseases and getting a tick bite may cause you to get those diseases. So, if you feel weak, nauseated, stiff or have body aches, it is best to consult a doctor immediately.
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Wiki How: How to Identify Insect Bites
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Insect bites are very common in children and adults. Getting bitten by an ant or a mosquito is no big deal. However, some insect bites are much more harmful than the bite of an ant. Some of the insects that cause harmful bites are spiders, mites, ticks, fleas, bees, wasps and the popular and ubiquitous mosquito. Some insects can cause anaphylactic reaction in people.