A small midge can cause big problems. During the warm season, the number of visits to doctors about insect bites, including midges, that live in the grass and unexpectedly attack a person, increases significantly. Their bites usually occur on the arms and legs, which subsequently become swollen, painful and itchy. The seemingly harmless small black midge behaves aggressively all over the planet and has many varieties. What to do if you are bitten by a midge and your leg is swollen? How to minimize the consequences of this unplanned and painful contact?
Signs of an insect bite
The tiny creature is very poisonous. It is dangerous for allergy sufferers due to the body's unpredictable reaction. The problem with quickly locating the bite site is the ability of midges to anesthetize. By biting through the skin, the insect injects a substance from the salivary glands, which makes the process of sucking blood and lymph invisible to humans.
Having had enough, it flies away, and the person is left to acknowledge the fact of the bite, which is discovered after some time, accompanied by the most common symptoms:
- burning sensation and pain at the site of the lesion;
- the wound is clearly visible, it bleeds;
- the skin near the bite site is red;
- increase in severe itching, swelling;
- the presence of rashes, blisters, spots on the skin.
If there are a lot of bites, or the body’s reaction is violent with a weak immune system, or there is a tendency to allergic reactions, then the following symptoms are added to the above listed symptoms:
- change in body temperature;
- swelling of the lymph nodes;
- tachycardia with hypotension;
- in rare cases, anaphylactic shock may occur.
The bite sites are usually the limbs. Hands at the wrists and elbows. Legs under the knees, in the area of the foot, lower leg, ankle. Less commonly affected are the eyelids and ears, chin and neck, and other open areas. What to do if the bitten limb is swollen and painful?
What should not be done and what should be done?
Midge bites always itch, but this is not recommended, since there is a possibility of infection in the wound. Infected tissue and blood will lead to suppuration, which will significantly complicate treatment. You should not apply any substances yourself to the wound itself, but only to the areas around it.
There is no need to use household chemicals for these purposes, as well as medicines without a medical prescription. Antibiotics are prescribed by a doctor, and only in severe cases. Here is a list of measures that can be taken in case of midge bites to alleviate the condition and speed up the treatment process:
- The bite itself requires a quick rinse of the skin with water, followed by removing excess moisture with a napkin. Then the wound is treated with an antiseptic (an aqueous solution such as furatsilin). The victim takes pain medication and later an antihistamine.
- How to relieve leg swelling due to redness or rash? The bitten areas are wiped with ammonia, allergy medications are taken, and lotions are made with soda solution.
- To relieve itching, which may remain after other symptoms disappear, use external remedies. This is a popular drug among the people: Fenistil or Cynovit. A bandage soaked in novocaine will also help with severe itching.
- When it is not possible to keep the bite wound uncombed, it is worth using lotions. They are made with boric acid or iodine-containing preparations. Antiseptics in the form of ointments are applied exclusively according to a doctor’s prescription.
Alternative options
They are used in emergencies in the absence of medical assistance. For example, when visiting nature. And the main factor determining the success of the procedure is the speed of response to the problem. How to treat midge bites outside the home? With improvised means:
- the skin is immediately washed with river or drinking water;
- washed plantain leaves are kneaded into a paste, which is applied to the affected area and wrapped with a bandage (as an alternative - dandelion leaf);
- The dressing must be changed every two hours.
It is possible to apply menthol ointment or mint toothpaste to the skin around the wound, which helps reduce pain and itching. If you have food, you can use vinegar, soda, and salt. They are also used to relieve pain and skin itching with swelling:
- vinegar is diluted in equal parts with water and used for lotions (compresses);
- dissolve salt and soda in a glass of water (one teaspoon each), use it as a compress or rub (one of the substances is possible);
- soda is diluted with a drop of water to obtain a thick mixture, which is applied to the affected area;
- Cabbage leaves, onions with parsley, in a mushy state, are also applied to the skin to relieve symptoms.
If you have a strong reaction to a midge bite with an increase in the number and quality of symptoms, you should seek medical help. And during hikes and other outdoor activities, it’s worth stocking up on protective equipment in advance in order to quickly provide first aid for midge bites.
A trip to nature, a vacation in the country, or even a walk in the park can be ruined by the appearance of seemingly harmless, but in fact very dangerous creatures: midges, mosquitoes, wasps, bees. The slightest contact with them can lead to the appearance of slight swelling, and in some cases even puffiness. Moreover, this is how almost everyone’s body reacts to poison. Therefore, every person should know the dangers of insect bites and how to treat them.
Among the huge number of insects inhabiting our planet, not all are harmless. Many of them pose a great danger to people, even if they do not produce poison, like bees and wasps:
Insect bite, swelling and redness
The appearance of redness, itching, and slight swelling are signs of damage to your skin by one of the many smallest representatives of the fauna. Even a substance that enters your bloodstream from an ordinary mosquito can cause swelling of your arm, face, or any other part of the body that comes into contact with the sting.
A lump on the forehead from a regular mosquito bite
As for contact with hornets and other predatory representatives of this family, it even leads to the appearance of an inflammatory process, and in absolutely every person.
A bee or wasp sting on the eyelid sometimes leads to complete swelling of half the face and closing of the eye
The reason for such a violent reaction is the response of the immune system to the action of toxins that have entered your blood. And as a result, you get swelling after an insect bite. If it is insignificant, then you don’t have to worry. It will go away on its own in a couple of days.
Hornet sting: Blood flows into the damaged area, and the volume of intercellular fluid increases.
It’s a completely different matter when your leg is swollen so much that when you walk you feel pain, but the swelling does not subside and spreads further. This reaction is excessive and can lead to the development of allergies. Therefore, if your leg is very swollen after an insect bite, then this manifestation should be dealt with without delay. And one way is to use anti-inflammatory drugs. We will tell you how to choose them further.
Remedies to help relieve swelling
Inflammations that appear after the poison gets under the skin are removed using special ointments or gels. The most popular are:
Available both in the form of drops for oral administration and gel. This drug has an antiallergic effect and helps relieve swelling and itching. It is recommended for use both for allergic reactions and in many other cases and is available in pharmacies without a doctor's prescription.
This is an ointment intended for topical use. It has an anti-inflammatory effect and helps relieve swelling if a leg, arm or other part of the body is swollen after a bite. This drug easily penetrates deep into tissues, leading to stimulation of their regeneration processes.
Available in two substances: cream or fatty ointment. It is designed to suppress allergic reactions, relieve swelling, and reduce itching.
Gel intended for the treatment of allergic skin diseases caused by sting damage.
Treatment with folk remedies
You can eliminate itching and relieve swelling using not only pharmacological drugs. There are many folk remedies that are used if the consequences of contact with poison begin to appear: the wound becomes inflamed, redness appears.
What is recommended to do if an insect bite leads to swelling and redness? If your leg or arm is swollen, you can apply aloe leaves, a paste of parsley leaves, or treat the inflamed areas with plantain juice or calendula tincture.
However, you should not count on greater effectiveness of such funds. With minor swelling, treatment is generally not required. But if you have a violent reaction to the poison, then folk remedies will not help.
Step-by-step instructions on how to treat a bite
The procedure in this case depends on how much time has passed since the moment when you were bitten by the insect. If symptoms are just beginning to appear, then applying a cold compress to it will significantly slow down its further development. Moreover, this remedy is one of the very first used at home and helps relieve the severity of an already formed eyelid tumor if you have been bitten in the eye. One such compress is enough to avoid going blind from swelling for several days.
So, if the tumor has just begun to appear, it will be enough to apply a cold compress to it
If this place hurts and it was not possible to stop the development of the allergic reaction with cold, you need to resort to the next stage of treatment - the use of medications. By lubricating the swollen area with Soventol, you can slow down the process, preventing it from progressing.
Further development of inflammation should be a signal that it will not be possible to cope with the problem on your own. When your leg is swollen after an insect bite and none of the remedies used has reduced the swelling and alleviated the patient’s condition, you should immediately consult a doctor. Otherwise, the consequences can be very dire, including anaphylactic shock.
Useful video: Insect bites, treating the consequences
What if an insect bites a child?
The answer to this question depends on what species it was. For example, an ordinary mosquito or midge leaves behind only a small red spot. Therefore, by lubricating it with water and vinegar, you can relieve the itching and after a short period of time it will go away.
An encounter with a more dangerous representative, such as a wasp or hornet, is more dangerous for the baby. Firstly, it is quite painful. Secondly, it is necessary to remove the sting to avoid the development of an inflammatory process. And often children have a rather violent reaction that requires taking antihistamines.
For minor swelling, apply a piece of ice to the bite site, but in other cases it is necessary to use ointments, creams or gels
If your leg is swollen after an insect bite, you can use a special drug, a folk remedy. If your neck, tongue, or larynx swells, you must urgently seek help from specialists and immediately take antihistamines. Swelling is a normal reaction of the immune system to the ingress of a foreign substance or damage to the skin, but sometimes it can be too strong.
How to treat swelling from an insect bite
To relieve painful symptoms and soothe the skin, it is enough to wash off the remaining irritating substance and wipe the bite site with a disinfectant. They use folk and professional preparations.
On a note!
A toxic substance is injected under the skin, which instantly causes an allergic reaction. Blood rushes to the site of the lesion, swelling, swelling, and inflammation begin. This symptomatology is accompanied by pain, burning, itching. If a significant amount of poison enters the body during a bite or with an increased tendency to allergies, a severe allergy appears with a deterioration in overall health.
A similar reaction occurs after wasps and other poisonous insects. To treat edema and other undesirable manifestations, antihistamines are used locally, externally, as well as antiallergic medications.
Dangerous and normal reaction
How and how to relieve swelling, what to do after an insect attack, depends on the location of the bite. A reaction is normal if swelling occurs within a radius of 1-2 cm.
On a note!
If there is extensive redness, the entire limb swells, breathing difficulties begin, and allergies are said to develop.
The situation is less dangerous if the insect has bitten the leg, arm, or back. Swelling of the face and eyes always appears after attacks by a wasp, bee, hornet, or bumblebee. The most dangerous reaction occurs when an insect bites the neck, face, lip, or tongue. The risk of swelling of the larynx, difficulty breathing, and swelling of internal organs increases.
You can remove swelling from an insect bite yourself if you limit yourself to a local reaction. If there is a deterioration in general health - weakness, nausea, vomiting, loss of coordination of movements, arrhythmia, increased blood pressure, you need to call an ambulance or immediately go to the hospital.
What to do if your leg is swollen
Initially, you need to wash the wound, wash away any remaining saliva or toxic substance. Use running, spring water. To increase efficiency, use household, tar, and antibacterial toilet soap.
Cold will help remove swelling after an insect bite. The blood vessels narrow, inflammation decreases, swelling decreases, and the spread of the allergen through the blood stops. Apply a cold object, a heating pad, frozen meat, a bottle of drink, and a compress. You can soak your swollen foot in cool water for a few minutes or use ice cubes. Wrap in gauze folded in several layers and apply for 10 minutes.
Aloe juice can help stop swelling of the limbs. A fresh leaf is placed in the freezer for 15 minutes, cut lengthwise, applied to the sore spot, and wiped over the swollen leg. You can use ready-made juice for insect bites, sold at the pharmacy. The product has several beneficial properties - relieves swelling, stops inflammation, relieves itching, relieves pain, accelerates tissue regeneration.
If your leg is swollen from an insect bite, first aid remedies do not help, start treatment with antihistamines. The active component of the drugs reduces the production of histamine, which causes swelling, swelling, inflammation, and other allergy symptoms.
Be sure to take antihistamines orally in the form of drops or tablets if your leg is swollen to incredible sizes.
What to do if your hand is swollen
When an insect bites the hand, a severe allergy develops only in young children and people with pathologically weak immunity. In most cases, treatment of edema is limited to rinsing and disinfection. The condition returns to normal within a few hours, the skin recovers in 3-5 days.
If your hand is swollen, use cold, water, antiseptics, antihistamines, etc. The algorithm of actions is identical to the situation with a swollen leg. Severe swelling after a bite is eliminated with antiallergic ointment based on glucocorticosteroids. The products relieve inflammation, swelling, eliminate itching, burning, and accelerate the restoration of the epidermis. The effect is felt 5 minutes after applying the medicine.
What to do if your eye is swollen
An insect attack on the face is always accompanied by swelling. The swelling of the eye after a bite can be so severe that the victim cannot lift his eyelid. Initially, you need to wash with cold water without adding soap to avoid irritation of the mucous membrane. Gently apply a cold compress or ice cubes wrapped in gauze.
If the eye is swollen, first aid remedies do not help, antihistamines are applied. The ointment is distributed in a thin layer over the entire area of edema. Treat 2-4 times per day. A lump on the eye after a bite goes away within 2-7 days, depending on the type of insect. Midges go away faster, wasp, bee, and hornet bites take longer to heal.
If swelling of the face, neck, throat begins, breathing becomes difficult, self-treatment is prohibited, you should immediately call a specialist. If qualified assistance is not provided, a person may die from suffocation.
Treatment of edema with folk remedies
Initially, you need to apply cold to the site of the insect bite to slow down the spread of the toxic substance through the blood. Then treatment begins. Wipe the affected area several times a day with a decoction, plant juice, and apply compresses for 20 minutes.
Effective folk remedies for tumors are prepared based on herbs. Pour 1 tbsp. spoon of potion 200 ml of boiled water, leave for at least 30 minutes. Wipe the skin and apply compresses. In case of severe swelling, take 50 ml orally three times a day.
They have healing properties:
- green tea;
- cornflower;
- horsetail;
- corn silk;
- calendula;
- chamomile;
- bearberry;
- celandine;
- nettle;
- parsley;
- immortelle;
- dill;
- Melissa;
- elder;
- Linden.
To increase the effectiveness of the folk remedy, several ingredients are combined.
Swelling and redness on the leg are relieved:
- Contrast compress. Moisten a napkin or towel with hot water and apply it to the affected area until it cools. Then apply a cold compress for a minute. Repeat the procedure 4 times.
- Baking soda. Baking soda is added to the tea leaves. Wipe the swollen leg and apply a compress for 5 minutes.
- Ammonia. Dilute with water. For a glass of liquid, 1 teaspoon of ammonia. Application is similar to the previous product.
- Salt. Add kitchen or sea salt to the water, immerse the foot for 20 minutes or make compresses.
Juices of plants, vegetables, and fruits will help relieve facial swelling. Squeeze out the liquid or wipe with leaves, apply the paste for a few minutes. Effectively eliminate swelling:
- lemon;
- horsetail;
- garlic;
- parsley;
- Kalanchoe;
- cabbage;
- aloe;
- potato.
On a note!
Brewed green tea bags are applied to the eyes.
Professional products
If your leg is swollen from an insect bite, your arm is swollen, or your face is swollen, use antihistamines and antiallergic drugs. The former are allowed to be used without specialist prescription for 10 days, the latter – for 7. In most cases, improvement occurs within the first 3 days, the dosage is reduced or the use of the medicine is stopped altogether.
- Fenistil gel. An antihistamine with a pronounced anti-inflammatory, anti-edematous, antipruritic effect. Apply a thin layer up to 4 times a day. Allowed for use by children from 1 year. The cost of the gel in a pharmacy is on average 500 rubles.
- Psilo-balm. The action is similar to the previous product, but additionally contains menthol. Relief occurs the moment you apply it. Treat the insect bite site with a thin layer 1-4 times a day. The dosage is gradually reduced. Average price 550 rub.
- Advantan. The antiallergic agent is available in the form of lotion, cream, ointment. Quickly relieves allergy symptoms and accelerates skin restoration. Swelling disappears within a few hours after use, the epidermis is restored in 2-3 days. Allowed for use by children from 6 months. The drug is hormonal, do not use longer than 7 days. If the condition does not improve, seek help from specialists. The price of the drug is about 700 rubles.
- Elokom. Antiallergic ointment with a pronounced anti-edema, anti-inflammatory effect. It operates on the basis of the hormone betamethasone. Apply a thin layer 2 times a day. Improvement occurs the next day. The cost of an effective drug is about 90 rubles.
To enhance the therapeutic effect, take antihistamines orally - drops Fenistil, Suprastin, El-Cet, Diazolin, Claritin.
Moderate allergies are treated with homeopathic medicines based on plant extracts. Calendula, Rescuer, Zvezdochka help with swelling. Treat the insect bite site 2-6 times a day. You can use Menovazin, hydrogen peroxide, high-quality vodka.
In the summer, many people go on a picnic, hike, to the beach, to the forest or to the country house. We often travel out of town not alone, but with our family and children. We must remember that in addition to all the delights and pleasures, nature is fraught with many dangers. One of the possible threats that await humans in the warm season (especially in suburban areas) are insects.
general information
So, we will talk about living creatures belonging to the order of arthropods and living on almost all continents. This is the largest group of organisms on Earth. Such creatures are called insects. Of course, each of us has suffered from their bite at least once in our lives. The reaction to this phenomenon is determined by the type of insect and the state of the body of a particular person. There are cases when even a mosquito bite can be fatal. Painful manifestations are caused not so much by damage to the skin, but by toxins that insects release into the human blood. These creatures may bite for a variety of reasons: to drink blood or for self-defense. In any case, no one is immune from accidents, and when going into nature, you involuntarily ask the question: “If an insect bite occurs, swelling and redness, what to do in this situation?”
Which arthropods pose a threat to humans?
First of all, you need to figure out what types of these living creatures can harm your health. What insect bite causes redness and swelling or other more serious consequences? In general, species such as bees, wasps, bumblebees, hornets, and red ants are especially dangerous for humans. Such insects bite only for the purpose of self-defense, while a toxin enters the skin and blood of a person, which, due to its special composition, causes intense allergic reactions. In most cases, the affected area of the body becomes red and swollen. Wasps and bees cause damage using their stings. In this case, the insect dies, and the sting remains at the site of the wound. They grab areas of the skin with their mandibles, usually repeatedly, releasing a toxin into the human blood. When a person is bitten by an insect (mosquito, flea, tick or bedbug) and sucks blood, this is accompanied by pain.
Types of reactions
An insect bite causes swelling and redness, but not only that. The consequences can be much more dangerous. Blood-sucking arthropods often transmit serious diseases (malaria, typhoid infection, encephalitis, tularemia, sleeping sickness, various types of fevers). Spider bites (black widow, karakurt, brown recluse) can cause dangerous disturbances in the functioning of the body, including death.
The most common consequences are allergic reactions. Their manifestations vary in symptoms and severity.
There are four types of such pathologies:
- Minor (skin irritation, general weakness, anxiety).
- General (toxins cause disruption in several body systems, which is manifested by abdominal pain, vomiting and dizziness).
- Serious reactions (impaired breathing and movement, difficulty swallowing, confusion, hoarseness).
- Anaphylactic shock (sharp drop in blood pressure, bluish skin, impaired consciousness and fainting).
Serious poisoning most often occurs as a result of multiple bites, and its symptoms appear only after several hours and require immediate medical attention.
Threatening symptoms
The most dangerous consequence of an insect bite (especially a bee or hornet) is anaphylactic shock. It has a lightning-fast course and therefore requires emergency hospitalization. The consequences of this condition are: a drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness and serious disturbances in cardiac activity. If the victim does not receive immediate medical attention, he may die. When there is an insect bite, swelling and redness, what should you do if you experience dizziness, nausea, increased heart rate and shortness of breath? Of course, call an ambulance. Typically, the patient is given adrenaline, but sometimes hospitalization is required, as well as IVs and additional injections. If you have already had a similar reaction to an insect bite, take an ampoule of adrenaline with you before leaving the city. But one dose is not enough, and if you are bitten by an insect, even after getting an injection, you do not completely protect yourself. It's better to consult a doctor.
Bee, bumblebee, wasp or hornet sting
These insects sting solely for the purpose of self-defense.
Together with the sting, toxins penetrate into the human body. In this case, the bite site becomes painful and red, the skin swells, and a burning sensation occurs. If you are intolerant to the toxin, you may experience fever, nausea, and headache; in severe cases, muscle aches, difficulty breathing, fainting, and anaphylactic shock. If you are bitten by a wasp, bumblebee, hornet or bee, first of all, you need to remove the sting from the wound and try to squeeze out the poison that has entered it. Those who have had cases of allergic reactions need to take anti-allergy medicine and make a compress of ammonia or ethyl alcohol diluted with water. Warm tea is also beneficial. If the bite site is very painful, you can also take an anti-inflammatory drug. It is imperative to monitor the condition of the victim (whether there is nausea or dizziness, fever or skin rash, or a drop in blood pressure).
Mosquito bites
This phenomenon is not only unpleasant, but also potentially dangerous. Certain varieties of mosquitoes carry serious diseases. Only females of these insects are blood-sucking. The blood contains the elements they need to lay eggs. When a female bites a human, she injects a substance into his body. It is a toxin that slows down blood clotting.
It is because of this that the skin at the site of the bite turns red and itches. If you are bitten by a regular (non-malarial) mosquito, it is most likely not dangerous unless you are allergic (in this situation, serious health problems and even death may occur).
In any case, if the affected area of the skin causes you discomfort, you need to treat the area with a solution of baking soda, calendula infusion, boric alcohol, kefir, bird cherry leaf, tomato juice, or make a cold compress. For itching, you can use “Fenistil”; it relieves swelling and redness quite well), “Golden Star” balm. If there are a lot of bites or a severe allergy occurs, you need to take an antihistamine.
If bitten by a spider
These insects can be very poisonous. In some cases, a spider bite can be fatal, so if this happens, you should immediately call an ambulance. The greatest danger to humans are hermit spiders, tarantulas and karakurts. Tarantula bites are very painful; the bite causes redness, weakness, and swelling of the skin. Symptoms may last for several days. When a slight tingling sensation is felt, then muscle pain, nausea and dizziness appear. The bite of a recluse spider is characterized by the appearance of a large ulcer. It is also accompanied by high fever and general weakness.
If an insect bite caused swelling and redness, what should we do if we know it was a spider?
First of all, you need to thoroughly wash the wound with water and soap. Then apply a firm bandage or tourniquet (without squeezing the tissue too much) to keep the affected area of the body motionless. You also need to make a cooling compress, take Aspirin or Paracetamol. It is advisable to drink plenty of fluids to remove the poison from the body. If the victim's condition worsens, you should consult a doctor. It is necessary to call an ambulance if a spider has bitten a child.
In a hospital setting, patients are given an antidote.
What to do if bedbugs bite?
These insects live in houses and apartments and make people's lives simply unbearable. They usually live in pieces of furniture and inside walls. Bedbugs usually bite at night. Their bites do not cause much pain. But they are not as safe as they seem. After all, bedbugs are carriers of diseases such as plague, anthrax and tuberculosis. You can get rid of these annoying insects only with the help of sanitary and epidemiological station workers or by treating the premises yourself. Special means are used to kill bedbugs (they are very toxic, so it is important to take precautions). After treatment, you need to wash the floor, walls and furniture.
Tick bite: danger and precautions
These insects are most often found in forests and meadows. They are dangerous because they carry encephalitis, a serious disease that leads to disability. If a tick has attached itself to you, first of all, do not panic. Do not apply ointments or alcohol solutions to the affected area of skin, because in this case the mite will resist, introducing even more toxins into your body. Use tweezers or fingers to carefully remove the insect from the wound. You cannot pull it out sharply. After you have removed the tick, examine the attachment site (perhaps the proboscis remains in the wound). Take an allergy medicine and treat the affected area of skin with an alcohol solution. If cases of encephalitis have been reported in your area, contact a medical facility. If you go into the forest, take precautions to avoid becoming a tick victim. Check each other once an hour. Wear high trousers and boots for a walk; it is advisable to tuck the legs into the tops of the shoes or secure them with an elastic band. Do not wear bright or dark clothes outside the city, because they make it easier for ticks to notice you.
Insect bite: swelling and redness on the face
Most people are highly sensitive to attacks from these creatures. Often swelling and redness occur on the face, more precisely, near the eyes. The skin in these areas is very thin and sensitive, especially in children.
Let's talk about how to cope with the consequences of damage to these tissues. In the article you can see what an insect bite, swelling and redness on the face looks like (photos demonstrate this). If you observe such symptoms, first of all, remove the sting from the wound and treat it with alcohol. Then apply ointment to the skin, which will relieve swelling, redness and swelling.
If allergic reactions have been noticed before, take medicine or get an injection.
If your leg is swollen after a bite
Tissue compaction is a normal reaction of the body to a toxin entering the blood. Your body's defenses are activated to fight the poison, and inflammation occurs.
If an insect bite occurs and a tumor is noticed, it is very unpleasant, as the area itches, there is a burning sensation, and it hurts to walk.
To reduce inflammation, it is necessary to remove the sting from the wound, treat it with ammonia, and an ointment with a cooling effect. You can use a compress with vodka or cologne, apply ice to the bite site, or anoint it with iodine or peroxide. If the swelling does not subside, you need to take an allergy medicine. If this does not help, you should consult a doctor.
What remedies are available to relieve symptoms?
If you have ever seen an insect bite, swelling and redness, or a photo of this phenomenon, you, of course, know what an unpleasant picture it is. In addition, pain, burning and other disgusting sensations are added to this.
There are many remedies available to relieve symptoms. These drugs are divided into internal and external. A very unpleasant phenomenon is an insect bite. Swelling and redness (we discuss what to do in this case in the article) can be removed using various means. First of all, these are medications (Zyrtec, Loratadine, Suprastin, Tavegil) aimed at relieving allergy symptoms. How to apply swelling and redness to an insect bite? For this, balms “Golden Star” and “Vitaon”, as well as “Fenistil-gel” are used. You can also apply an ice compress to relieve itching and burning.
Folk remedies
You can also relieve symptoms with the help of plants. So, if you are worried about swelling and redness after an insect bite, what should you do? Will folk remedies help in this situation? The answer, of course, is yes. Plantain, dandelion, Veronica officinalis tincture, parsley leaves - lotions made from these herbs can significantly reduce painful manifestations. Compresses made from string, frozen milk, mint juice, drops of echinacea (can also be taken orally) are no less effective. Activated carbon will help cope with poisoning. In addition, there are complex homeopathic remedies such as Vitaon, Apis and Ledum, which can be purchased at the pharmacy.
And, of course, an effective method of preventing insect bites are repellents (aerosols and ointments that repel insects). But when using them, precautions must be taken. Spray is not suitable for children, so they can only use gel or ointment to protect them from insects. You should not apply repellent to inflamed areas of the skin, you must avoid getting it in your eyes, and you must wash it off after a walk. There are also natural remedies. These are, for example, plant extracts (cedar, geranium, verbena, marigold, bergamot, vanilla, cypress, lemon balm, lavender and eucalyptus), the smell of which insects cannot tolerate.
Every person has encountered a situation where their leg is swollen after an insect bite. Sometimes a tumor can occur in harmless cases - after a mosquito or fly bite. An attack by “serious enemies”: bees, wasps, bumblebees, bedbugs - leads to the development of reactive edema in any person; the tumor reaches significant sizes and poses a danger to life.
After a bite, the body responds with an immune response to foreign toxic substances that the insect secretes under the skin. Inflammation develops, lymphatic fluid rushes to the tissues, and swelling occurs.
When a bee or hornet stings, excess toxin enters the body. The poison affects cell walls, causing a powerful inflammatory reaction and allergic swelling. The intensity of the reaction depends on the state of the individual’s immune system.
When a tumor occurs from exposure to poison, you should not immediately panic. Slight swelling in the arm or leg is a normal reaction of the body to the influx of foreign substances.
The venom of many insects, including bees, causes cell breakdown and leakage of cellular fluid into the intercellular space. For the body, what is happening becomes a signal about the penetration of a foreign substance, and the body reacts accordingly. The walls of the capillaries are destroyed, provoking the development of subcutaneous bleeding, and in case of massive bites - profuse internal hemorrhages.
An active rush of blood begins at the site of the bite, the amount of intercellular fluid increases, and swelling develops. If there is minor swelling, there is no need to panic. If the swelling is massive, it is important to take the right actions by providing timely assistance.
Clinical manifestations
Characteristic clinical symptoms are:
- Hyperemia is the appearance of redness due to a rush of blood.
- The occurrence of swelling and size depend on the type of toxins and the effect on the body. For example, a blister from a bedbug sting is usually up to 2 cm in diameter. The tumor from hornet venom is 5-7 times more extensive.
- The appearance of a dense nodule at the site of the lesion. The phenomenon is harmless, but long-lasting. Such a seal at the site of a bee sting can resolve within a few weeks.
- Severe pain is the most unpleasant symptom. Occurs immediately after an insect attack, a few hours later it turns into intense itching.
- Subcutaneous hemorrhage can appear as a bruise at the site of penetration of the sting. More often, bruises occur from waterbug or hornet bites.
- An increase in the local temperature of the diseased area and a burning sensation are a natural phenomenon; drastic steps should not be taken. If the temperature rise becomes systemic, you should contact a medical facility; you may need hospital treatment.
When it comes to the expected consequences for the body, it is imperative to take into account the individual characteristics of the person. In a patient, the consequences of contact with arthropod venom are varied. In many ways, the severity of the condition depends on the part of the body that was attacked by the insect. When after, such serious consequences and danger as a tumor on the face or neck are not expected. A bite to the eyelid area can cause swelling of half the face.
The body's usual reactions to exposure to toxins are given. However, a number of people experience hyperergic reactions associated with the general condition of the body and immune system. These include:
- Allergic edema.
- Tumor in the respiratory organs or other internal organs.
- Inflammatory reactions that develop as a result of infection at the site of the bite.
When to see a doctor
It happens that after being stung by an insect you need to seek medical help:
How to treat a tumor
Usually bees leave their sting in the wound, being unable to remove it. If possible, the sting should be carefully removed immediately and some of the venom should be squeezed out before the toxin has time to be absorbed.
Emergency care and treatment tactics depend on how long ago the bite was received.
If the bees have just stung, the tumor is barely beginning to develop; it is enough to apply a cold, damp compress. Cold causes blood vessels to constrict and prevents the spread of toxins throughout the body. The recommendation is especially important if the toxin gets into the eyelid area. In some cases, a cold compress is enough to prevent facial swelling and serious consequences.
As a rule, most bites are accompanied by pain. In case of an insect bite, it is possible to resort to pain-relieving anti-inflammatory ointments such as Fenistil. The drug has an antiallergic effect and will help relieve pain and swelling in the leg.
If, despite the measures taken, the tumor intensively increases due to the action of bee venom or other insects, you should not self-medicate and should contact the Emergency Service, having received advice at least by telephone. Often in such a situation, doctors advise immediately taking an antihistamine, Suprastin or Pipolfen. If possible, it is better to take the victim to a hospital. The rapid development of the clinical picture can lead to irreversible consequences.
You should not hesitate to seek medical help when swelling develops in your throat. It is necessary to immediately put cold on the swollen area and immediately call an ambulance. Increasing swelling of soft tissues is fraught with the development of suffocation and death from respiratory arrest.
Specifics of the bite of individual parts of the body
According to statistical studies, the most common location of stinging insect bites is the lower extremities. This situation is not pleasant, but in most cases it does not pose a serious threat to life. Although the appearance of the injured limb can be quite terrifying. In such cases, home measures are quite sufficient.
If a person’s immune system reacts excessively, symptoms of general intoxication, a rash all over the body, fever, chills, aching joints, massive swelling, nausea, and shortness of breath can develop. Then the victim is subject to immediate hospitalization in the intensive care unit.
Removing a tumor using folk remedies
It is possible to relieve swelling and pain from a bee sting with the help of a clove of garlic. It needs to be cut and the cut part applied to the damaged area. The best option would be to grind several cloves to a paste and apply them on a clean napkin to the affected area of the skin.
If, after removing the sting, severe pain, burning, and swelling persist, the common dandelion comes to the rescue. You need to quickly lubricate the damaged area on the body with the milky juice of the flower. In a few minutes the pain will go away and the swelling will subside. If the procedure is repeated after a few hours, the consequences will go away completely.
An effective measure is to lubricate the affected area with fresh juice from calendula flowers. You can make compresses from plantain leaves.
If there are multiple insect attacks, it is possible to take a medicinal bath with the addition of a decoction prepared from elderberry flowers. The plant material is poured with boiling water, left for 15 minutes, and poured into a bath of warm water.