Some people have insect allergies, which may cause mild to severe allergic reactions. Symptoms of an allergic reaction depend on how severe your reaction is.
A mild allergic reaction may cause hives with intense itching and pain around the site as well as itching of the eyes. It may cause blisters in the area of the bite or sting.
A severe allergic reaction usually happens within minutes of the bite or sting and it can affect the whole body, causing serious symptoms. The symptoms may include:
Mosquitoes, biting flies, bedbugs, and some spiders usually cause mild reactions. Yellow jackets, honeybees, paper wasps, hornets, and fire ants cause more severe reactions.
If you are stung by a bee, remain calm and brush away the insect. Bees leave a stinger in your skin, but hornets, wasps, and yellow jackets typically do not. Remove a stinger within 30 seconds by scraping it with a fingernail. Do not squeeze the stinger, or it will likely release more venom.
When you are bitten by a tick, remove the tick right away using fine-tipped tweezers to grasp it firmly close to the skin. Do not squeeze the tick's body. You may want to save the tick for identification in case you become ill. This may help your healthcare provider make an accurate diagnosis. Place the tick in a sealable plastic bag and put it in your freezer. Wash your hands after touching the tick. Wash the bite area and put an antiseptic on it. See your provider if you start having symptoms such as a rash, fever, muscle aches, or joint pain.
If you have a mild reaction to an insect bite or sting:
If you are bitten by a spider or stung by a scorpion, put a cloth-covered ice pack on the area. If the scorpion or spider may be poisonous, go to the emergency room. Urgent care for a poisonous bite is especially important for children or older adults. If it can be done safely, take the spider or scorpion in a jar to the emergency room, so it can be identified.
If you know you are allergic to some insect stings, ask your healthcare provider about carrying an injection kit of epinephrine, such as EpiPen. With the kit you can give yourself a shot of medicine to counteract the allergic reaction until medical help arrives. Wear a Medic Alert ID that warns of your allergy and tells what to do in case of an emergency. Tell your family, friends, and co-workers what they should do if you have a severe allergic reaction.
A severe allergic reaction is life-threatening. Call 911 right away if someone is stung or bitten and has the symptoms of a severe reaction or if they have a history of severe reactions. If the person carries an injection kit, use it right away. Start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if the person has stopped breathing or has no pulse.
Call 911 right away if:
Call your healthcare provider if:
Follow these guidelines to help prevent insect bites:
It is also important to prevent the possibility of getting a tetanus infection. The skin broken by an insect bite could become infected with tetanus bacteria. You can prevent this type of infection by keeping up to date with tetanus shots. Adults should have a tetanus booster shot every 10 years.
Developed by RelayHealth.
Published by RelayHealth.
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.
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