![]() HorsefliesĪ bite from a horsefly can be very painful. You may also get flea bites on your forearms if you've been stroking or holding your pet. Bullae may also develop.įleas from cats and dogs can often bite below the knee, commonly around the ankles. If you're particularly sensitive to flea bites, they can lead to a condition called popular urticaria, where a number of itchy red lumps form. Fleasįlea bites can be grouped in lines or clusters. Mosquito bites in certain areas of tropical countries can cause malaria. weals – circular, fluid-filled areas surrounding the bite.If you're particularly sensitive to insect bites, you may develop: Midges, mosquitoes and gnatsīites from midges, mosquitoes and gnats often cause small papules (lumps) to form on your skin that are usually very itchy. The symptoms that can occur from different types of insect bites are described below. In rare cases, some people can have a serious allergic reaction ( anaphylaxis) to a bite or sting that requires immediate medical treatment. The severity of bites and stings varies depending on the type of insect involved and the sensitivity of the person. Most insects sting as a defence by injecting venom into your skin. Insects that sting include bees, wasps and hornets.Īn insect bites you by making a hole in your skin to feed. Insects that bite include midges, mosquitoes, fleas, bedbugs and, although not strictly insects, spiders, mites and ticks, which are arachnids. However, some stings can be painful and trigger a serious allergic reaction. Those at risk can get a prescription for an epi-pen, which allows you to administer epinephrine yourself if you have a severe reaction.Insect bites and stings are common and usually only cause minor irritation. If you've had a mild or moderate allergic reaction to an insect sting before, you should discuss this with your doctor, as this may increase your risk for anaphylaxis in the future. This counteracts the hormones your body releases in response to the sting and prevents your body from going into shock, Cutler says. In the case of anaphylaxis, you must be treated with an adrenaline injection, known as epinephrine. Signs of anaphylaxis can occur within minutes of a sting and include: It's estimated that 90 to 100 Americans die every year due to anaphylaxis from an insect sting. In fact, about 3% of adults who experience insect stings develop a life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis, which does require immediate medical attention. But some allergic reactions are more severe. Swelling in other areas of your body, in addition to the sting siteĪccording to Cutler, most allergic reactions are mild or moderate, and can still be treated at home with antihistamines and ice.Excessive itchiness that persists past a few hours.Signs of an allergic reaction from a bee sting include: What to do if you have an allergic reactionĪbout 5% to 7.5% of Americans will experience an allergic reaction to an insect sting at some points in their lives, according to the Journal of Asthma and Allergy. Once the stinger is removed, wash the site with soap and water.Īfter you remove the stinger, you can use a few remedies to treat the pain, itchiness, and swelling that can accompany a bee sting. Don't try to pull the stinger out with tweezers or your fingers - this could result in even more venom squeezing into the skin.ģ. ![]() Use a scraping motion with a flat, blunt object like a credit card across the affected area to remove the stinger.Ģ. But if a honey bee stings you and the stinger remains in your skin, it can continue to pump toxins into your body, which will make symptoms worse if it's not removed.ġ. You won't need to remove a stinger if you're stung by a wasp, hornet, or carpenter bee. Other types - like carpenter bees, or venomous insects like wasps - have smooth stingers that stay attached to the insect, and they can sting you multiple times before flying away. Some types of bees - like honey bees - have barbed stingers that remain in your skin. You'll see a small black dot at the sting site, if so. First, it's important to immediately remove the stinger from your skin, if it's still there.
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