In general, insect bites and stings are more annoying than a risk to your health. However, it is important to know allergic reaction symptoms and when to seek medical care. Read on to learn the basics and information specific to bee, yellow jacket wasp, mosquito, spider, and bed bug stings and bites.
Bug Bites and Stings That Can Cause Allergic Reactions
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology (ACAA), a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction happens to 3% of adults who are stung or bitten by an insect. Pay special attention to reactions from bee, wasp, and fire ant stings.
Allergic Reaction Symptoms
The most important thing to watch out for is anaphylaxis after a bug bite or sting. The ACAA states that anaphylaxis is “a potentially life-threatening reaction that may impair breathing and can cause the body to go into shock.”
Other allergic reaction symptoms include dizziness, a sharp drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, or cardiac arrest. Anaphylaxis is a less common allergic reaction symptom, but it is important to seek medical treatment. Inject epinephrine, like an EpiPen if you have one, if these symptoms develop.
It is also important to seek medical attention if you experience:
- Swelling, itching, or hives in an area other than where you were stung or bitten
- Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or abdominal cramping
- A hoarse voice, swelling of the throat or tongue, or difficulty swallowing
- Tightness in the chest or having trouble breathing
Typical allergy symptoms include:
- Itching
- Hives
- Flushing
- Swelling
- Redness
- Pain
Insect Bites and Stings Self-Care
If you are experiencing a typical allergic reaction (itching, swelling, redness, or pain), take these steps to alleviate and ease symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic:
- Gently clean the area with soap and water
- Reduce pain and swelling by “applying a cloth dampened with cold water or filled with ice to the area of the bite or sting for 10 to 20 minutes”
- Elevate your arm or leg if that is where you were stung or bitten
- Apply hydrocortisone cream to the affected area
- To reduce itching, take an anti-itch medicine, like an antihistamine
- An over-the-counter pain reliever can be taken as needed
Can an Insect Bite Cause a Bacterial Infection?
Yes, according to the Cleveland Clinic, any type of insect bite can cause a bacterial infection in the skin. Known as cellulitis, the skin infection can develop when bacteria enters the skin.
If you are bitten by an insect, bacteria has the potential to enter the skin. Scratching or picking the bite can increase your risk of developing cellulitis. The bugs themselves do not cause a bacterial infection. Instead, the opening of the skin from the bite is where bacteria can come in.
Symptoms of Cellulitis
The Cleveland Clinic points out that cellulitis can cause fatigue, chills, fever, and sometimes nausea. These symptoms can occur before you even notice the bug bite. Signs of the skin infection at the site of the bite include:
- Tenderness, warmth, swelling, or redness around the bite area
- Blisters
- Yellow discharge from the bite that is similar to pus
- Swollen lymph nodes
It is also important to monitor if the bug bite area grows in size. If it does, the Cleveland Clinic advises a trip to a healthcare provider. A healthcare provider, like one at Advanced Urgent Care in Colorado, can assess your symptoms and prescribe antibiotics, if necessary, to treat the infection. The provider may dress the wound to prevent further infection.
Skin Infection Prevention
The Cleveland Clinic suggests following these steps to prevent cellulitis:
- Keep fingernails trimmed. Bacteria from under your fingernails can enter the skin if you scratch the bug bite
- Clean the bite with soap and water
- If the bug bite is itchy, take an over-the-counter oral antihistamine
- Apply antibiotic ointment to the bite if the skin is broken
- Bandage the bite to prevent you from itching it, but to also keep germs from entering the skin
Bee Stings
A bee sting can cause immediate pain, a red welt to form, and there might be slight swelling where you were stung. The Mayo Clinic states that the pain and swelling typically go away in a few hours.
If you experience a moderate reaction, the redness will be more extreme and swelling may enlarge over the next couple of days.
A severe reaction is known as anaphylaxis. Keep an eye out for these symptoms: hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of tongue or throat, dizziness, fainting, loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. It is important to seek medical treatment for severe reactions. Keeping an EpiPen on hand if you know you are allergic can also help.
Similar to a bee sting, a yellow jacket wasp sting has similar symptoms. One thing that is different, though, is that bees can sting you once, while a yellow jacket can sting you several times, according to Healthline.
Mosquito Bite: How to Get Rid of Mosquito Bites
Mosquitoes are prevalent in the United States and unwelcome visitors at many of our outdoor activities in the spring and summer months. A mosquito bite is typically harmless and causes an itchy bump to form at the site of the bite. You may experience hives, blisters, or a severe allergic reaction in rare cases. If you scratch your mosquito bites, you may develop a skin infection.
Mosquitoes can spread disease like the West Nile virus. In Colorado, cases of the West Nile virus have been around since 2002, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE).
If you are bitten by a mosquito infected with West Nile virus, you may develop symptoms 2 to 14 days after getting bitten. Some people do not get sick, but typical symptoms are fever, headache, and nausea. In rare cases the virus can spread to the brain and cause a stiff neck, tremors, disorientation, and coma, according to Medline Plus.
Looking for West Nile virus data? Click here to view the CDPHE site.
You can try to get rid of mosquito bites by dabbing the bite with rubbing alcohol, reduce swelling with ice or a cold washcloth, applying calamine location, or by taking an oral antihistamine, among others, according to Prevention.
How to Prevent Mosquito Bites
Using insect repellants like DEET is a great way to protect yourself from getting bitten by a mosquito. Wearing long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and long socks will reduce areas where mosquitoes can bite.
Spider Bite: When to Worry about a Spider Bite
The Mayo Clinic says “spider bites are usually harmless, and spiders don’t usually bite unless threatened.” Spider bites can cause pain, swelling, and redness, if you even have any symptoms at all. Are you wondering, “what does a spider bite look like?” Well, if you see two tiny holes on your skin where the irritation is occurring, then you might have been bitten by a spider, according to Prevention.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are only a few spider species worldwide that have fangs long enough to puncture our skin and have venom strong enough to hurt us. In the United States you should worry about a spider bite if you were bitten by a widow spider or a recluse spider and you are exhibiting certain symptoms.
Black Widow Spider Bite
Black widows are found in the Denver metro area; living in dry, semi-desert habitats, according to The Denver Gazette. These spiders are described as timid and only attack if threatened. The spiders are venomous, but they don’t always inject their venom when they bite.
If you have a venomous spider bite, watch out for these symptoms:
- Pain, swelling, and redness at the site of the bite, but it can spread to your chest, back, or abdomen
- Nausea, vomiting, tremors, or sweating
- Abdominal cramping
The Mayo Clinic states these symptoms can last 1 to 3 days. If you are wondering which type of insect bites cause muscle pain, spider bites can.
Brown Recluse Spider Bites
These spiders are not typically found in Colorado, but it is important to be aware because they have been spotted. Symptoms of brown recluse bites include:
- Fever, body aches, and chills
- The bite wound will grow into an open sore and the skin around the sore will die, turning a dark blue or purple with a red ring around it
- Increasing pain over the course of the first 8 hours after the spider bite
When to See a Provider for a Spider Bite
If you are bitten by a spider and worried, contact a healthcare provider to get the bite assessed and to get your questions answered. Otherwise seek medical attention if you develop:
- Severe pain, a wound is growing where the bite is, or have abdominal cramping
- Having trouble breathing or swallowing
- The sore is spreading with redness or red streaks
Bed Bug Bites: What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like?
The CDC states that bed bug bites are generally nothing to worry about. In fact, many people won’t even realize they have been bitten until a few days later when symptoms develop.
A bed bug bite looks similar to a mosquito bite. The bite can cause redness, swelling, and become itchy. If you have been bitten by a bed bug, pay attention for symptoms of an allergic reaction.
Bed bugs feed on the blood of people as they sleep, so they are generally found in mattresses, box springs, bed frames, or anything else near a bed. Bed bugs can live in many environments and are not limited to just dirty surroundings. Bed bug infestations are generally treated with insecticide spraying. Keep an eye out for bed bugs in the folds of sheets and mattresses, rusty-colored blood spots, bed bug exoskeletons, and a sweet musty odor.
Visit Advanced Urgent Care Today!
The providers at Advanced Urgent Care are here to assess your insect bite or sting. With locations across the Denver metro area, you can reserve your spot for a visit online or walk-in to get treated today. Click here for a list of our locations.