In summer, many go on a picnic, hike, to the beach, to the forest or to the country. Often we go out of town not alone, but with family and children. It must be remembered that in addition to all the charms and pleasures, nature is fraught with many dangers. One of the possible threats that await a person in the warm season (especially in the countryside) 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 at least once in our lives suffered from their bite. The reaction to this phenomenon is determined by the type of insect and the state of the body of a particular person. There are times when even a mosquito bite can be fatal. Painful manifestations are caused not so much by damage to the skin as by toxins that insects release into human blood. These creatures may bite for various reasons: to drink blood or in self-defense. In any case, no one is immune from accidents, and, going to nature, you involuntarily ask yourself the question: "If there was an insect bite, swelling and redness, what should I do in this situation?"

What 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 any more severe 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 turns red and swells. Wasps and bees deal damage with their stingers. In this case, the insect dies, and the sting remains at the site of injury. capture areas of the skin with mandibles, usually repeatedly, while a toxin is released into the human blood. When a person is bitten by an insect (mosquito, flea, tick or bug) and sucks blood, this is accompanied by pain.

Reaction types

An insect bite causes swelling and redness, but not only. 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). The bites of spiders (black widow, karakurt, brown hermit) can provoke dangerous disorders of the body, up to death.

The most common side effects are allergic reactions. Their manifestations vary in signs and severity.

There are four types of such pathologies:

1. Minor (skin irritation, general weakness, restlessness).
2. General (toxins cause malfunctions in several body systems, which is manifested by pain in the abdominal cavity, vomiting and dizziness).
3. Serious reactions (impaired breathing and movement, difficulty swallowing, confusion, hoarseness).
4. Anaphylactic shock (a sharp decrease in pressure, cyanosis of the skin, impaired consciousness and fainting).

Serious poisoning most often develops as a result of multiple bites, and its symptoms appear only after a few 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 is characterized by a fulminant course, therefore, it requires emergency hospitalization. The consequences of this condition are: a drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness and serious violations of cardiac activity. If the victim is not immediately provided with medical assistance, he may die. When there is an insect bite, swelling and redness, what if there is dizziness, nausea, increased heart rate and shortness of breath? Of course, call an ambulance. Usually, adrenaline is administered to the patient, but sometimes hospitalization is required, as well as droppers and additional injections. If you have already had a similar reaction to an insect bite, before leaving the city, take an ampoule of adrenaline with you. But one dose is not enough, and if you were bitten by an insect, even after giving an injection, you are not completely safe. It's better to see a doctor anyway.

Bee, bumblebee, wasp or hornet sting

These insects sting solely for the purpose of self-defense.

Together with the sting, toxins enter the human body. In this case, the bite site becomes painful and red, the skin swells, there is a burning sensation. With intolerance to the toxin, fever, nausea and headache appear, in severe cases - muscle aches, respiratory failure, fainting and anaphylactic shock. If you were 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 got into it. Those who have had cases of allergic reactions need to drink an allergy medicine, make a compress from ammonia or ethyl alcohol diluted with water. Warm tea is also helpful. If the bite site hurts a lot, you can also drink an anti-inflammatory drug. Be sure to monitor the condition of the victim (if there is nausea or dizziness, if there is fever and skin rash, if the pressure drops).

mosquito bites

This phenomenon is not only unpleasant, but also potentially dangerous. Mosquitoes of certain species carry serious diseases. Only the females of these insects are blood-sucking. The blood contains the elements they need to lay eggs. When a female bites a man, she introduces a substance into his body. It is a toxin that slows down blood clotting.

It is because of him that the skin turns red and itches at the site of the bite. If you are bitten by a normal (non-malarial) mosquito, it is most likely not dangerous if you are not allergic (serious health problems and even death can develop in this situation).

In any case, if the affected area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe skin causes you inconvenience, you need to treat the place with a solution of baking soda, calendula infusion, boric alcohol, kefir, bird cherry leaf, tomato juice, or make a cold compress. From itching, you can use "Fenistil" swelling and redness, it relieves well), "Golden Star" balm. If there are a lot of bites or a severe allergy, you need to drink an antihistamine.

If bitten by a spider

These insects are 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 is represented by hermit spiders, tarantulas and karakurts. The tarantula bites very painfully, the bite causes redness, weakness, swelling of the skin. Symptoms may last for several days. When a slight tingling sensation is felt, then muscle pains, nausea and dizziness appear. The bite of a hermit spider is characterized by the appearance of a large ulcer. It is also accompanied by high fever, general weakness.

If an insect bite caused swelling and redness, what if we know that it was a spider?

First, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water. Then apply a firm bandage or tourniquet (without squeezing the tissues too much) so that the affected area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe body is motionless. It is also necessary 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, a doctor should be consulted. 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 bed bugs 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. Bed bugs 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 employees of the sanitary and epidemiological station or by treating the room yourself. To destroy bedbugs, special means are used (they are very toxic, so it is important to take precautions). After treatment, you need to rinse the floor, walls and furniture.

Tick ​​bite: danger and precautions

These insects are most often found in forests and grasslands. They are dangerous because they carry encephalitis - a serious illness that leads to disability. If a tick has attached to you, first of all, do not panic. Do not apply any ointments or alcohol solutions to the affected area of ​​the skin, because in this case the tick will fight back, introducing even more toxins into your body. With tweezers or fingers, you need to carefully twist the insect out of the wound. It cannot be pulled out abruptly. After you have removed the tick, examine the place of attachment (perhaps the proboscis remained in the wound). Take an allergy medicine and treat the affected area of ​​​​skin with an alcohol solution. If cases of encephalitis have been recorded in your area, contact a medical facility. If you're heading into the woods, take precautions to avoid becoming a victim of a tick. 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 your shoes or hook them with an elastic band. Do not wear bright and dark clothing outside the city, because it is easier for ticks to notice you in it.

Insect bite: swelling and redness on the face

Most people are characterized by a pronounced sensitivity to the attacks of 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 looks like, swelling and redness on the face (photos demonstrate this). If you observe such symptoms, first of all, remove the sting from the wound and treat it with alcohol. Then apply an ointment to the skin, which will relieve swelling, redness and swelling.

If allergic reactions have been noticed before, drink the medicine or give an injection.

If the leg is swollen after a bite

Thickening of tissues is a normal reaction of the body to a toxin that has entered the bloodstream. Your body's defenses are activated to fight the poison, and inflammation occurs.

If an insect bite occurs, a swelling is noticed, it is very unpleasant, since this place itches, a burning sensation is felt, and it hurts to walk.

To reduce inflammation, it is necessary to remove the sting from the wound, treat it with ammonia, an ointment with a cooling effect. You can use a compress with vodka or cologne, apply ice to the bite site, anoint with iodine or peroxide. If the swelling does not subside, you need to drink an allergy remedy. If this does not help, you should consult a doctor.

What are the remedies for relieving symptoms?

If you have ever seen an insect bite, swelling and redness, a photo of this phenomenon, you certainly know what an unpleasant picture it is. In addition, pain, burning and other disgusting sensations are added to this.

There are many remedies to relieve symptoms. These drugs are divided into internal and external. A very unpleasant phenomenon is an insect bite. Swelling and redness (what to do in this case, we discuss in the article) can be removed using various means. First of all, these are medications (Zirtek, Loratadin, Suprastin, Tavegil) aimed at relieving allergy symptoms. How to smear swelling and redness with an insect bite? To do this, use the balms "Golden Star" and "Vitaon", as well as "Fenistil-gel". You can also make an ice pack to relieve itching and burning.

Folk remedies

Plants can also help relieve symptoms. 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, tincture of Veronica officinalis, parsley leaves - lotions from these herbs can significantly reduce painful manifestations. Compresses from string, frozen milk, mint juice, echinacea drops (can also be taken orally) are no less effective. Activated charcoal will help with poisoning. In addition, there are complex homeopathic remedies such as Vitaon, Apis and Ledum, which can be bought at the pharmacy.

And, of course, repellents (aerosols and ointments that repel insects) are an effective method for preventing insect bites. However, precautions must be taken when using them. Spray is not suitable for children, so they can only use gel or ointment to protect against insects. It is impossible to treat inflamed areas of the skin with repellent, it is necessary to avoid getting it into the eyes, and after a walk it must be washed off. 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.

Insect bites can be very painful. It all depends on the type of insect, as well as the individual characteristics of the human body. The reaction to the bite is not due to a direct puncture of the skin, but to the poison that the insect injects during the bite.

In addition to insects, special attention should also be paid to the attack of reptiles. What to do so that the bites of insects and snakes do not have time to cause irreparable harm to the body? What types of dangerous insects exist, how to provide first aid in case of an attack? The answers to all these questions can be found below.

What is the danger

For residents of the middle Russian latitudes, insects such as bees, wasps, hornets, red ants, gadflies, midges pose the greatest danger. Moreover, the bites of these insects are exclusively self-defense. The poison that enters the human body during a bite consists of special components that can cause an allergic reaction.

After a bite, redness, swelling appear on the skin, and severe pain may occur. According to statistics, the attack of ordinary bees or wasps leads to death much more often than snake bites. Insects affect the offender in different ways. What stinging insect leaves a sting at the site of a bite? The bee, digging into the skin with a stinger, leaves him in the wound, after which he dies. And, for example, ants bite through the skin and inject poison there.

In addition to discomfort and allergies, insect bites can be associated with very serious diseases that a person can become infected with. Therefore, it is very important to find protection against them.

What and from what insects can you get infected:

1. The malarial mosquito is a carrier of malaria.
2. African mosquitoes can transmit West Nile encephalitis.
3. Ordinary lice can cause relapsing fever, rickettsiosis.
4. Mosquitoes are carriers of leishmaniasis.
5. Tsetse flies carry sleeping sickness, and ordinary flies can be infected with typhoid or dysentery.
6. Together with a flea bite, you can get such a serious illness as bubonic plague.
7. The simplest mosquito can cause infection with yellow fever, dengue fever or equine encephalitis.
8. Ticks can transmit Lyme disease.
9. The attack of such dangerous spiders as the Black Widow and the Brown Recluse can be fatal.

How to recognize

An insect bite can cause swelling and redness. What to do in this case? First of all, figure out who exactly bitten. The photo shows what the bites of various insects look like.

By what symptoms can you recognize the bites of certain insects:

• bee, wasp - the attack of these insects is accompanied by pain, swelling, redness. Severe itching contributes to the spread of infection throughout the body, can cause not only an allergic reaction, but also make breathing difficult, cause a rash, and impair consciousness. A fragile or especially sensitive organism may not withstand and die within thirty minutes after the bite. An allergic reaction in the form of swelling of the pharynx causes suffocation, as well as subsequent death;
• hornets are also stinging insects. Unlike bees, hornets do not die after being attacked, although they use their sting in the same way. As soon as the sting digs into the body of the offender, a poisonous substance splashes out of it within five minutes. So that the poison does not have time to cause severe harm, the sting must be removed from the wound as soon as possible. The photo shows that the bite of this insect causes severe swelling, redness. In addition, in a sensitive organism, poison can cause fever, nausea, headache, impaired coordination of movements, lethargy, and fever. When attacked by several insects at the same time, the heart rhythm may be disturbed, convulsions will appear. Joint pain may also appear, consciousness may be disturbed. In some cases, hornet stings can cause an asthma attack or anaphylactic shock;
• mosquitoes - the itching from their bite can be especially dangerous if the mosquito is malarial. These blood-sucking insects cause a lot of inconvenience, and there are more than two thousand species around the planet. Only females bite. Proteins of human blood are necessary for them in the period of preparation for reproduction and laying eggs. After the female drank blood, her ability to bear children increases - she can lay up to three hundred eggs. During a bite, a special substance is injected from the sting into the human body, which prevents blood from clotting. It is this substance that causes redness and itching. A mosquito bite does not threaten a healthy person, but an allergic person can be brought to death;
• spiders - the degree of pain of the bite of these insects and its consequences depend on whether the spider belongs to the poisonous type or not. Hermit spiders, karakurts, tarantulas are poisonous. They live in warm regions, away from people. Of these three, the tarantula bite is the most painful. Symptoms in the form of redness, swelling of severe pain, lethargy, drowsiness can last for several days. The action of the bite of a karakut does not begin immediately, but after a couple of hours. A strong swelling appears on the body, pain occurs, which gradually flows to the back, stomach, legs, dizziness, nausea. In rare cases, these symptoms can be fatal. The bite of a recluse spider can be overlooked. However, after eight hours, a large blister appears at the site of the bite, followed by redness, and then an ulcer, which only increases with time. The body temperature begins to rise, the state of health worsens, the body aches, and nervousness occurs. Deaths from recluse spider bites also occur;
• bedbugs are pastel insects that cause a lot of trouble to residents of a house or apartment. Neighborhood with them is a huge problem. Their bites most often occur on the female and children's bodies, as their skin is thinner. If numerous red spots appear on the child's skin, then the most likely occurrence is an attack by bedbugs. The photo shows what the bites of these insects look like with a description of the symptoms. The places of the greatest accumulation of bedbugs are cracks, spaces between the wall and the plinth, furniture, paintings, spaces under the wallpaper. The bug bite is not sensitive, but noticeable, and can also be the cause of such serious diseases as tuberculosis, plague, anthrax, smallpox;
• ticks are residents of forests, fields, meadows, parks. To avoid bites from these insects, it is necessary to use the following methods of protection: dress in light-colored clothes, since it is easiest to notice a tick on it, periodically inspect each other while walking, it is best to wear trousers with cuffs at the bottom or tuck into boots. Since the tick can only climb up, choosing the right clothes becomes a very important means of protecting against them and their bites. After a walk, you need to carefully examine the clothes and everything that was brought from the forest or park;
• Ants can be both domestic and wild. As a rule, the technique of injecting poison in any species of ants is the same - injecting poison based on formic acid into the wound. The bite force of an ordinary ant is not too strong - there is a slight swelling, redness, itching. If there is an allergy to formic acid, then the symptoms may be supplemented by high fever or a rash. A mild to moderate reaction often does not require treatment. Allergy sufferers should consult a doctor. To understand who bitten in the apartment - a pastel bug or an ant, you can look at the presented photos of insect bites and compare.

Summing up, it is worth noting that the most painful insect bites are stings of a hornet, wasp, tarantula, bullet ant, scorpion. As for the children's body, children are a tasty morsel for blood-sucking insects. Their skin is very thin, and the blood supply is active. At the same time, the children's body is much more susceptible to the attack of domestic insects than an adult. The symptoms may be slightly larger, but they also pass quickly. The photo shows the types of insect bites on the skin of an adult and a child. According to the ICD 10 code, an allergic reaction to an insect bite can manifest itself as severe swelling, anaphylactic shock, suffocation or a rash.

In addition to insects, in central Russia you can also get snake bites. Basically, such consequences appear from vipers. This snake is venomous and can only sting if stepped on. The viper itself will never attack first.

This snake looks quite expressive:

• its length is slightly less than one meter;
• the head is small, flat;
• body color can be gray, green or black;
• a characteristic feature of the viper, regardless of color scheme, is a black groove on the back.

Biting, the viper leaves a mark on the body of the victim in the form of two points from poisonous teeth and two more from non-poisonous ones. Snake venom contains substances such as phospholipase, hemorrhagin, hyaluronidase, lecithinase, etc. The interaction of all these substances, after the poison enters the bloodstream, can lead to soft tissue edema, as well as necrosis of the affected areas.

Death after a viper attack is extremely rare. However, the consequences can be the most serious:

• swelling and severe pain can lead to mental disorders in the form of fear, anxiety, feelings of anxiety or incomprehensible excitement;
• physiological symptoms include pain in the form of contractions in the abdomen, diarrhea, swelling of the face, pressure can drop dramatically and, as a result, loss of consciousness or the onset of blindness;
• if more severe cases are considered, after stopping breathing for a long time, death can occur.

Methods of treatment

Looking at the photo of the types of insect bites on the skin, there is a need to choose the right treatment. What to do if swelling and redness appear at the site of an insect bite? What tools should be used? What to smear?

Below is a list of actions after the attack of various insects.

1. Wasps, bees, hornets.

• when bitten into the hand, all rings, if any, must be immediately removed from the fingers;
• carefully pull the sting out of the wound, squeeze out the liquid;
• gently pry off the pouch containing the poison with a hard object, without trying to pull on it. In this case, the poison may spill out;
• take an antihistamine, apply a swab moistened with ammonia or diluted ethyl alcohol to the wound;
• after all procedures, rest is necessary, as well as a cup of warm tea or a small glass of vodka;
• to speed up the disappearance of the symptoms of a bite, an antihistamine must be taken for several days;
• if the pain is very strong, then it will be useful to take an anti-inflammatory drug, for example, ibuprofen;
• if the symptoms did not immediately appear, then in the first few days after the attack, it is important to monitor the occurrence of nausea, jumps in pressure and body temperature, rash, breathing complications.

How to avoid multiple stings of wasps, bees and hornets? If such a danger arose, then the first step is to quickly leave the place of mass accumulation of insects, without trying to crush or brush them off. This is due to the fact that insects, like other living beings, have a herd mentality. As soon as one insect releases poison, its other relatives will immediately smell it and rush to attack. If it was not possible to avoid a mass attack, then you should immediately consult a doctor.

2. Mosquitoes.

• the mosquito bite site must be treated with a solution of baking soda to relieve itching;
• alcohol tincture of calendula, boric alcohol, tomato juice are also well suited as medicinal lotions;
• itching is well relieved by a cold compress;
• if there are a lot of bites, then antihistamines, such as fenistil or fucorcin, will help to avoid an allergic reaction. These remedies are also good at eliminating itching and nettle burns.

• the bite site must be thoroughly washed with soap;
• fix the affected limb with a splint to avoid the spread of poison throughout the body;
• apply a tourniquet slightly above the bitten place, which also contributes to the spread of poison. The tourniquet can be kept on the body for no more than four hours and not pinched strongly;
• the affected area should be cooled with a compress;
• plenty of drinking is shown, since the poison, together with the liquid, will come out of the body;
• take anti-inflammatory drugs - aspirin or paracetamol.

Bed bugs are a big problem. The photo shows what the bites of these domestic insects look like on a person.

• When bedbugs are found, every effort should be made to get rid of them. In this case, the destruction of insects can be either independently or with the help of a special service;
• if a decision is made to get rid of bedbugs on their own, then first of all it is necessary to prepare a protective suit, a respirator, rubber gloves, a spray bottle;
• treat with a disinfectant solution absolutely all places of the greatest and most likely accumulation of bedbugs: cracks, baseboards, furniture, jambs, ventilation ducts, without missing a single centimeter;
• as soon as the treatment is completed, all windows must be opened, the room should be well ventilated, and then wet cleaning should be carried out;
• before processing from the house, remove all its inhabitants, including pets and plants;
• if necessary, the treatment should be repeated, depending on the selected drug - in a period of seven to twenty-eight days.

• removing a tick with oils and alcohol is contraindicated, since in this case the insect may have a protective reaction - it will release even more of its poison into the body;
• take the tweezers, unscrew the insect like a screw, their body. In order for the result to be positive, it is necessary to twist, and not pull;
• as soon as the insect is removed, the wound should be carefully examined to make sure that there is no proboscis, then treat the wound with an alcohol solution;
• drink an antihistamine;
• the insect must be placed in a closed container, taken to the laboratory to check whether it is a carrier of encephalitis.

• immediately after the attack, the first drops of blood must be squeezed out of the wound. Also, blood can be sucked out, provided that the teeth and mouth are healthy, there is no damage, and there is also a mouthwash;
• after suction, blood with poison must be spit out;
• It is absolutely impossible to apply a tourniquet to the affected limb!

Particular attention should be paid to children. What remedies for children should be used?

Consider what methods of treatment for insect bites exist for children from a year old:

1. After the bite of a stinging insect, the sting should be removed from the wound, a cold compress should be made, and an antihistamine should be given to the child.
2. The bite site must be lubricated with Fenistil gel or Advantan cream. The composition of Fenistal includes plant components, Advantan is a hormonal drug.
3. As for blood-sucking insects, their numerous bites can cause severe swelling. The photo shows what a child may look like after being bitten by mosquitoes or bees.
4. Lubricate the blister that has arisen at the site of a mosquito bite with Fenistil-gel.
5. If the itching is very severe, and the child tries to scratch the sore spot, action must be taken.
6. You can get rid of itching with a soda solution, diluted ammonia. Mint toothpaste is also an excellent anti-allergen.
7. When walking near a pond, a child can be bitten by gadflies. Their attack causes severe pain. In addition to redness and swelling, pus may appear in the wound, which is the result of eggs laid under the skin.
8. Immediately after a horsefly bite, the wound should be treated by washing it with soap and water.
9. Apply soda lotions to relieve itching and change them every fifteen minutes.

General rules of treatment

There are general treatment rules that are great for all types of insects. When biting insects, first of all, it is necessary:

1. Examine the wound for swelling and redness.
2. Wash the wound with soapy water to avoid the spread of germs that insects can bring.
3. Apply an ice pack to relieve swelling.
4. Do not scratch and use your best efforts to get rid of itching, as scratching promotes the spread of germs.
5. As antihistamines for insect bites, Zyrtec, Loratadin, Suprastin,
   Fenkarol, Tavegil. These funds are sold in pharmacies, do not require a prescription.
6. If there is even the slightest suspicion of an allergic reaction, or if there were previously severe consequences after insect bites, an anti-anaphylactic package consisting of a syringe with adrenaline, an antihistamine and a tourniquet should be used. The package should be used only in consultation with the doctor, who will also prescribe diphenhydramine and a drug that is part of the cortisone group. The doctor will also show you how to properly use the anti-anaphylactic package.
7. When an infection enters the wound, the patient is prescribed antibiotics in the form of tablets or capsules.
8. If the reaction to the bite is very severe, an oxygen mask or intravenous medication may be needed. In this case, it is necessary to constantly monitor the work of the heart.
9. Reception of antihistamines lasts from three to five days. Preparations from the cortisone group should be taken only as directed by a doctor.

TOP 3 best funds

Preparations that are used for insect bites have a different form of release:

• creams are made on a fatty or oil basis with the addition of medicinal substances. The consistency of the cream allows it to be perfectly absorbed and carry the medicinal components through the pores to the site of the lesion;
• gels, unlike creams, are made on a water basis, which allows it to be quickly absorbed without clogging pores. The gel also contains all the necessary medicinal components. Due to its consistency, gels can be quickly and painlessly removed from clothing;
• balms are made from pomace of medicinal plants and natural resins. The balm is most suitable for the treatment of stings of stinging insects, as it quickly restores the affected tissues;
• in addition to creams, gels and balms, there are also various pencils, patches, sprays, but not all of them are effective.

Of the inexpensive drugs that effectively help get rid of itching and redness after a bite, special attention should be paid to:

1. Balm "Rescuer", which relieves itching well, does not allow microbes to spread throughout the body, and quickly heals the wound.
2. Fenistil-gel, which has an excellent calming effect.
3. Cream "Biokon bite - OFF", which perfectly eliminates swelling and itching.

Below is the TOP 3 most popular drugs that effectively cope with the symptoms of insect bites:

1. Balm "Vitaon" - is an excellent complex of herbal ingredients, such as mint oil, pine buds, wormwood, yarrow, St. Such a composition effectively copes with itching, inflammation, quickly heals wounds, and prevents microbes from spreading throughout the body. Apply the balm as part of compresses, treat the affected areas twice a day. After the first treatment, the compress remains at the site of the bite for forty-eight hours.
2. Ointment "Golden Star" is another natural preparation, which includes mint, clove, eucalyptus, camphor oil. The ointment not only saves from insect bites, but also repels them. Before application, the wound should be washed with soap and water. Ointment in a small amount is applied to the affected area. Avoid getting the ointment in the eyes and mucous membranes. In addition, the natural composition can cause an allergic reaction, it is not suitable for children under two years of age.
3. Gel "Fenistil" perfectly relieves itching. The drug is applied directly to the bite site. The effect lasts up to four hours. Processing should be carried out two to four times a day. With severe itching, the gel is best combined with taking antihistamines. The gel is contraindicated in infants. Pregnant women should consult a doctor before using Fenistil-gel.

Folk remedies

Providing emergency care for snake and insect bites is quite possible with folk remedies that are no less effective in coping with the problem of itching and possible infection.

1. As a first aid, echinacea tincture is excellent, which can be used to treat the affected area, as well as take a little inside. Echinacea improves immunity, reduces the manifestation of an allergic reaction.

2. Activated charcoal also helps to get rid of the symptoms of insect bites. To prepare the solution, you need one tablet and a little water:

• activated carbon dissolves in water to the state of slurry;
• the composition is applied to the bite site, and covered with a film on top;
• the mask draws the poison out of the wound, acting as a kind of antidote.

3. Milk is great for itching when used as a compress. To do this, a tampon soaked in milk is left on the affected area for ten minutes.

4. You can get rid of the symptoms of stinging insect bites by using a plantain leaf applied to the affected area or by treating this area with your own urine. A compress with infusion of Veronica herb will also relieve itching and redness.

5. Parsley is not only a delicious seasoning for dishes, but also a remedy that effectively copes with the symptoms of bites. To prepare the broth, you will need two tablespoons of chopped parsley roots and half a liter of boiling water:

• raw materials are poured with boiling water, infused in a thermos for eight to twelve hours;
• infusion is taken three times a day for half an hour before meals;
• the remedy quickly brings the body back to normal after a bite.

6. From the infusion of the leaves of the series, excellent compresses are obtained. It is also good to take the infusion itself inside three times a day half an hour before meals. To do this, three tablespoons of chopped grass are brewed in a thermos with half a liter of boiling water.

7. Mint juice will relieve pain, eliminate inflammation and redness. For the same purpose, you can attach an onion to the site of the lesion to leave it that way all night.

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When Doctor's Help Is Needed

First aid for insect bites, if there are symptoms other than mild, requires a mandatory consultation with a doctor. Any delay in this case can lead to extremely unpleasant consequences, for example, in the form of anaphylactic shock. A rash may occur as an allergic reaction to the poison. Small red spots are very itchy and have a small swelling. In the absence of other symptoms, antihistamines are prescribed.

1. If an infection with microbes occurs during a bite, a visit to a doctor is mandatory. Especially if the state of health has deteriorated greatly.
2. If the victim had previously had a very strong allergic reaction to an insect bite, there is a risk of recurrence, you should not wait for the local doctor, but you should immediately call an ambulance after being hit by an insect.
3. Also, an ambulance should be called immediately if shortness of breath, shortness of breath, pain and heaviness in the chest, lethargy, impaired coordination of movement, inability to swallow and speak, and signs of infection occur.
4. To make an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to examine the victim, take the necessary tests, listen to the respiratory system and ECG.

First aid for an allergic reaction

According to the ICD 10 code, insect bites can cause both acute and mild allergies. If a mild form of allergy from insect bites and snake bites occurs, the following symptoms may occur: a small swelling, pain, rash, a slight increase in body temperature. First aid in this case does not differ from the standard. In addition, such symptoms indicate that the victim is not allergic. If the allergy took place in the past, then it may well happen again.

Acute allergies are manifested as follows:

• swelling of the face;
• breathing is disturbed;
• shortness of breath appears;
• heartbeat quickens;
• there is incomprehensible anxiety and nervousness;
• the whole body is covered with a rash that itches very much;
• the head starts to spin from the dropped pressure.

If left untreated, these symptoms can lead to anaphylactic shock and in some cases even death. First aid in the event of an acute allergic reaction to snake and insect bites consists in the use of adrenaline, the use of oxygen masks, droppers and other procedures. To stabilize his condition, the patient is best to stay in the hospital for another day.

At the end of the article, I would like to turn to esoteric knowledge and find out why I dream of being bitten by insects. Dream Interpretations interpret such dreams in different ways. According to Miller's dream book, an insect bite in the hand means imminent illness and failure.

A bite is a wound caused by the impact of teeth, proboscis, sting and other adaptations of animals, insects, snakes and humans. The consequences of bites are a significant public health problem. An insect bite can go unnoticed, or it can cause a severe allergic reaction or cause a dangerous disease. Animal bites, snake bites annually cause massive harm both by trauma and by a pathogenic, toxic effect on the human body. Knowing how to distinguish between different types of bites, how to protect yourself and loved ones from attack, and being able to provide first aid for bites is vital for everyone.

bites

The bites of various living creatures, from fleas to wolves and snakes, make up a significant part of the injuries and cause allergic, toxic reactions and deaths, depending on the type of creature that bit the person. Factors that increase the risk of a bite to health also include the creature's ability to carry various pathogens, its toxicity, the presence of pathogenic organisms on the teeth and body surfaces, the number and size of bites, as well as the size, health of the injured person and the availability of urgent medical care.

Biting symptoms

Symptoms of bites are varied and depend on the creature that caused the harm, the number of bites and the degree of injury. Some bites can go unnoticed, some can significantly affect health and cause death.

Symptoms of bites also differ depending on the state of the body: the physiological age of a person, sensitivity to poison, the immune system, the presence of contact with toxins in history, as well as (for animal bites) the ability to self-defense and the presence of vaccination against the most common infections.

Symptoms can be divided into local and systemic. Local include the level of tissue trauma at the site of the bite and the degree of response, limited by the localization of the wound. Systemic symptoms of bites depend on toxins, poisons, pathogenic microorganisms that have entered the body with saliva or in the process of contact with the aggressor.

Types of bites on the body can be varied, manifestations of aggression or a defensive reaction of various living beings depend on their body structure, size, type of wound, the presence of toxins or specific substances in saliva.

The bite site may look like a small and inconspicuous dot, or it may be a laceration with significant loss of flesh. Depending on the creature that bit and the degree of reaction of the victim, different types of bites require different therapy - from its complete absence to urgent resuscitation.

Prevention is the best defense against different types of bites. Repellent sprays, ultrasonic devices, avoidance of insects, stray dogs, snakes, tetanus vaccinations, and having a first aid kit available when hiking in the woods can greatly reduce injuries and reduce the effects of bites.

Insect bites

Insect bites, depending on their type, quantity and condition of the body of a particular person, may go unnoticed. However, in many cases, it is insect bites that lead to serious conditions, the development of various diseases, and even death. According to statistics, more people die every year from the stings of bees, wasps and hornets (poisonous hymenoptera) in Russia than from snake bites.

• Poisonous insects that bite when attempting aggression, crossing the boundaries of their territory.

An insect bite in this case is a protective reaction to external influences. When bitten, these species inject poison into the wound with a different type and strength of the damaging effect. This group includes ants, bees, wasps, hornets, etc.

Insect bites are quite unpredictable and variable in their effect on the human body. The consequences of a bite are a combination of traumatic injury, allergic and toxic reactions due to exposure to foreign components of insect saliva or poisons. Itching that accompanies the local reaction to the bite is often a provoking factor for scratching, which contributes to the addition of a secondary infection to the injured surface.

According to the frequency of local and systemic reactions, insects are divided into the following groups:

• allergic manifestations most often accompany the bites of wasps, bees, hornets, bumblebees;
• with toxic reactions, the body reacts to the bites of some varieties of ants, as well as poisonous spiders (karakuts, tarantulas), scorpions;
• localized changes in the skin and adjacent soft tissues appear with the bites of mosquitoes, fleas, lice, ticks, midges, flies, gadflies, and some types of beetles. Such changes include hyperemia, swelling, suppuration, tissue necrosis, hematomas, blisters, subcutaneous hemorrhages.

Combinations of all manifestations, as well as systemic infectious processes, can develop with the bite of any insect due to the characteristics of the immune response of a particular person.

In addition to the direct effect on the body, insects can also carry pathogens of various diseases. Mosquitoes are responsible for the spread of leishmaniasis, malaria, some types of fevers; ticks - carriers of pathogens of Lyme disease, encephalitis; flies - dysentery; fleas - tularemia, pseudotuberculosis, erysipeloid. In the foci of relapsing and typhus, this disease is spread by hair and body lice.

The most common symptoms of an insect bite are pain during and/or after the injury; the occurrence of edema, local redness, itchy sensation.

If the insect could not be traced at the time of the bite, then the general nature of the local reaction may indicate a possible type of "culprit":

• slight swelling, swelling, redness, itching most often indicate mosquito bites, midges, bedbugs;
• significant swelling without discoloration of the skin, severe pain during and after the bite, a burning sensation accompany the bites of poisonous hymenoptera, wasps, bees, bumblebees, hornets;
• in the presence of redness without swelling, especially if the redness is ring-shaped with a visible bite mark in the middle, a bite of a borreliosis tick can be suspected.

Allergic reactions due to insect bites can occur both locally and cover the entire body. The most allergenic insects are wasps, bees, bumblebees, hornets, and are often provoked by multiple mosquito bites.

According to statistics, an episode of an allergic reaction of the body to an insect bite occurs in 4 out of 10 people. 6 people with an insect bite of the same species will suffer from allergy symptoms again, and it is quite possible that its manifestation is more severe.

The following types of insect allergy symptoms are distinguished:

• Rash on the skin.

Reddish spots or papules may be located directly next to the bite or be found throughout the body;

• Edema.

Localized swelling at the site of injury, on the affected limb, or generalized, breathtaking and choking edema;

• Anaphylaxis.

Often a similar reaction accompanies hornet bites. Anaphylactic shock occurs due to a sharp decrease in blood pressure, causing loss of consciousness, respiratory arrest, and heartbeat.

In total, there are about 3,000 species of mosquitoes on the planet, living mosquitoes since the Cretaceous period. At the moment, only Antarctica is free from the presence of mosquitoes, in Russia there are about a hundred species of these insects.

Females bite humans and animals, they need our blood for reproduction. The rest of the time, females feed in the same way as males - carbohydrate food: flower nectar. During the bite, the mosquito injects an anticoagulant substance that prevents blood from clotting in order to suck it out as efficiently as possible.

It is the anticoagulant in mosquito saliva that causes redness of the injured area, swelling, and itching.

However, the desire to scratch the reddish bump left after the bite is not the most unpleasant consequence of contact with a mosquito. And even a secondary bacterial infection, which children often bring into wounds by combing bite sites, also refers to mild consequences.

Kulicidosis - this is the name of an allergy to mosquito saliva, from the word Culicidae, meaning "mosquito". Different degrees of culicidosis characterize the reaction of the body and the immune system to specific substances in the saliva of the mosquito.

A mild form of culicidosis often occurs in childhood. A mosquito bite provokes the appearance of a papule, a swelling protruding above the skin. At different stages of the papule, it can be bright red or pinkish, and reach 10 cm.

Such a reaction is often confused with the bite of bees, wasps, horseflies, considering mosquitoes to be fairly harmless insects. However, a mild stage of mosquito allergy accompanied by significant itching. The papule, on average, takes about a day to disappear on its own, which does not exclude the need to use antihistamines to alleviate the condition.

Numerous bites of these insects also provoke a headache, an increase in body temperature, are accompanied by general poor health, a feeling of suffocation. This is also a clinical picture of the disease.

The middle and severe stages are accompanied by a rash similar to "urticaria", and outside the localization of the bite, very severe discomfort due to itching, swelling of the extremities, Quincke's edema. Infiltration at the site of the wound can persist for up to a month.

Neglecting allergic reactions to mosquito bites is dangerous. Severe culicidosis can be fatal due to swelling of the upper respiratory tract or anaphylactic shock.

In addition to the development of allergies, a mosquito bite can cause the development of other unpleasant diseases. Much less frequently than ticks, but still with a sufficient recorded frequency, mosquitoes carry the virus of encephalitis, hepatitis, West Nile fever and infect with myxomatosis, leishmaniasis.

Even if the human immune system works actively and protects it from allergies and infections, mosquito bites, especially numerous ones, weaken the body, forcing it to use reserves to protect itself from infectious agents and foreign substances. Therefore, when being outdoors in the warm season, especially near shady, humid places, it is necessary to take preventive measures: wear clothing that covers the body, use insect repellents.

By itself, a tick bite is quite unpleasant, but not particularly dangerous. Ticks cause local toxic reactions on the skin, and they need blood as food so much that they have evolved in a direction convenient for themselves: a tick bite is almost imperceptible, it releases painkillers when introduced into the body, and its entry and movement through the body is also difficult to track.

Ticks are dangerous because, migrating from one temporary host to another, they carry pathogens of serious diseases. Encephalitis, Lyme disease or borreliosis are the two most dangerous infections carried by ticks.

A tick bite can be identified by a characteristic reddish ring around the punctate wound. After detecting a tick or bite site, you should visit a doctor, if possible, you should also bring the tick with you for research.

In some cases, the victim will be recommended medicines that prevent the development of diseases. If a visit to a specialist after a tick is found is impossible, it is necessary to carefully monitor the well-being of the bitten person: the disease may not develop immediately, the incubation period is several days.

To prevent the development of diseases, everyone who plans to visit forests and forest parks during the period of tick activity is recommended to wear closed clothing and hats. Upon returning home, outerwear must be shaken from the outside several times and inspected.

Animals should also be examined for ticks and, especially dogs, vaccination against tick-borne diseases and bite protection measures (topical preparations, injections) are recommended.

Bed bug bites

Bedbugs are classified as "domestic insects", they prefer to exist in fairly warm conditions, while for life they need the blood of a person or warm-blooded animals.

Bed bugs live in linen, in the folds of upholstery, in the cracks between the fittings. Bedbug bites look like a mosquito bite, a slight swelling of pink or reddish color, accompanied in some cases by itching.

Bedbugs may not be noticed for a long time: they hunt mainly at night, bedbug bites are practically painless, and traces of their feeding are often attributed to mosquitoes, even in winter, since mosquitoes can successfully live and breed in warm, humid basements, rising to apartments through ventilation hatches.

Bedbug bites are distinguished from mosquito bites by their characteristic chain. As a rule, bedbug feeding marks line up in threes. There can be several such chains in one place.

The same method of differentiation is used in diagnosing differences between manifestations of contact or food allergies and bedbug bites.

Massive bedbug bites, in addition to discomfort, can cause poor sleep, neuroticism, anemia in children, and also cause allergic reactions in the form of headaches, fever, and poor health.

For the extermination of bedbugs, the best option is to contact the services of combating domestic insects.

The wasp is a poisonous insect, in its venom the concentration of toxins (neurotoxins, acetylcholine, histamine, etc.) is much higher than that of bees, and the wasp sting is marked by severe pain. About 2% of the population react to wasp stings with a severe allergic reaction, up to Quincke's edema and anaphylactic shock.

Wasp stings are especially dangerous for young children, as well as for a group attack of insects. A wasp sting, unlike a bee that leaves its sting in the body of the victim, can be repeated many times. Therefore, first of all, having felt pain and burning and noticing a wasp, it is necessary to leave the location of the insect.

In addition to the allergic and toxic reactions, wasps are able to carry a variety of pathogens. Wasps are predatory insects that eat flies, caterpillars, other insects, and also feed on meat and fish waste and rotting flesh. In the process of such nutrition, various bacteria accumulate on the body and paws of the wasps, which, having got into the wound from a bite, can cause not only local reactions, but also intestinal infections. Therefore, wounds from a wasp sting should be washed and treated with antibacterial agents, and in no case should you try to “suck out” the poison.

bee sting

Despite the fact that many people use bee venom as a medicine, direct introduction of it into the human body by insects can lead to negative consequences even for those who used the poison for treatment.

A bee sting can cause both a local reaction and cause the development of a systemic insect allergic reaction. When a bee stings, you must first remove the sting left from the wound. It is important not to kill the biting insect, it will die on its own anyway. But the crushed body of a bee emits a specific smell that attracts other bees, which can lead to a mass attack on a person.

In what cases should a bee sting be a reason for urgent medical attention? Here are the most common factors leading to the need for medical intervention:

• if a bee has bitten a child;
• if the bites are multiple;
• if a person has already had a history of episodes of allergy to insect venom;
• if the state of health deteriorates sharply.

A bee sting in the area of ​​​​the tongue, throat, lips is dangerous. In such a situation, even if the bite is single, and the victim is an adult who is not prone to allergic reactions, it is better to consult a doctor or take an antihistamine and monitor the dynamics of well-being.

In nature, there are more than 2500 varieties of fleas. About 500 species live in Russia. Fortunately, a few subspecies can coexist with a person in the same room, unfortunately, fleas multiply rapidly, live in groups and can cause a lot of harm.

Flea bites are quite painful and, unlike, for example, a bug bite, do not go unnoticed.

Flea bites feel like superficial pricks. By themselves, fleas bring quite a lot of discomfort due to pain when biting through the skin, which irritates, interferes with sleep, and causes insomnia. With massive attacks of fleas, especially if a child suffers, anemia may develop. Secondary infection when the infection enters the wounds causes inflammation of the skin and soft tissues of bacterial etiology.

Typhus, or epidemiological typhus, is another dangerous disease that fleas can transmit from a reservoir host (rat) to a person. Filariform nematodes and some varieties of helminths are also carried by fleas from infected vertebrates.

Animal bites

Animal bites are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in humans worldwide. Their consequences are determined by the number of injuries inflicted, the size and presence of diseases in the animal, as well as the age, size of the body, the state of health of the victim and the availability of urgent medical care.

Animal bites are dangerous as traumatic, attacked mainly by predatory animals with the most capable of inflicting wounds on the structure of the mouth and teeth, and human infection. The bacterial composition of the saliva of the attacked animal, pathogenic organisms and pathogens of various diseases can cause significant harm and lead to the death of the victim, even in the case of minor damage to the skin during a bite.

Dog bites are the cause of annual injuries, the number of which is tens of millions on our planet. Frequent victims of dog attacks are young children. Due to the inability to self-defense and the small surface of the body, dog bites are especially dangerous for this age group.

According to statistics, about 4.5 million people in the United States suffer from dog attacks every year. A fifth turn to a doctor for help, about thirty thousand are in need of reconstructive surgery to restore the surface of the body. 18% develop infections of various etiologies due to a bite, and approximately 20 people die each year, despite the efforts of specialists.

A dog bite is a factor that leads to half the cases of all injuries in people whose profession or lifestyle involves frequent traveling.

Of the 55,000 people who die each year from rabies, half were infected by dog ​​bites.

A dog bite, if it led to damage to clothing and allowed contact of the skin surface with the saliva of the animal, despite the apparent absence of a wound, is a clear reason to visit a doctor and, if it is impossible to assess the condition of the animal by a specialist, to vaccinate against rabies and tetanus.

Cat bite

According to statistics, 13% of bites requiring medical attention are inflicted by cats. At the same time, the bite of a cat, despite the seemingly small cat teeth, can be quite deep.

The teeth of cats are sharp and narrow, which leads to closed wounds. This is a dangerously complicated process of disinfection of the wound surface, the penetration of bacteria and infectious agents deep into the tissues and the development of diseases in an enclosed space without air access.

Street cats, especially those behaving in unusual ways, can carry rabies. However, pets that have never gone beyond the balcony can bring a lot of trouble to the owners.

A cat bite can cause the development of tetanus, pasteurellosis, sepsis. The causative agents of certain diseases are found in 90% of domestic cats, but even if pathogenic bacteria that cause inflammation in wounds do not come from a pet, their penetration into injured tissues from the surface of human skin can also lead to the development of diseases.

The most common disease caused by cat bites is pasteurellosis. Its causative agent, the bacterium Pasteurella multocida, not only causes a septic infection, but also interacts with streptococci and staphylococci that are in the body or on the skin.

If a cat bite hit the hand - and this is the most common localization of this type of bites, then pasteurellosis can affect the tissues of muscles, tendons, joints, and spread throughout the body with the blood stream up to the heart.

For all deep cat bites, doctors recommend first washing the wound thoroughly for 5 minutes using soap or a soapy solution. Next, the wound should be treated with a solution of hydrogen peroxide or chlorhexidine and bandaged or applied with a gauze bandage. In no case should the damaged surface be sealed with plaster, medical glue, covered with ointments, this provokes the development of pathogenic bacteria.

The next correct step is to visit the emergency room for wound treatment, vaccination against tetanus and, possibly, against. Cat bites often require antibiotic treatment.

The sooner you turn to specialists, the less likely it is to develop infectious complications. A cat bite is a common cause of loss of sensation in the fingers, immobility, long periods of treatment, and incomplete recovery from septic events.

Other types of bites

In fact, any living creature that has a body part that can break the skin can “bite” a person. Although some of these actions are not actually bites, you should be careful when interacting with animals, birds, insects, fish and marine arthropods - some of the listed species are poisonous, many others can bring various infections into the wound, even without being carriers of pathogens.

Thus, the bite of the moray eel, a conger eel, is dangerous because of its way of feeding: the moray eel is a scavenger, preferring to eat fermented flesh, due to which its inward-pointing teeth are covered with a large amount of bacteria. Although moray eels are not aggressive, they are protective of their habitats and are capable of leaving lacerations with rapidly developing inflammatory processes.

There are about 3,500 species of snakes in the world, about 500 are poisonous. In a year, 5 million people are bitten by snakes, 2.4 million suffer from the consequences of poison, up to 125 thousand die, about 400 thousand experience severe consequences, for example, amputation of a limb, paresis, paralysis.

In Russia, there are 11 species of poisonous snakes, of which 4: 3 varieties of vipers and muzzle are quite widespread.

Any snake bite leaves a characteristic mark of two points and is quite painful.

First aid for a snake bite

A snake bite requires emergency care. First, you need to quickly make sure that the attack does not happen again. If it is established that the snake is poisonous, one should try to remove the poison from the wound (it is better to use a syringe without a needle), treat the wound with an antiseptic, provide the injured person with the opportunity to take a horizontal position, give an antihistamine, drink plenty of water and deliver to the clinic for further treatment.

In no case should tourniquets be applied to the limbs, the poison spreads faster than the tourniquet is applied, and the cessation of blood flow accelerates the process of tissue necrosis at the site of the bite. Such a measure is justified only when bitten by a snake with nerve-paralytic venom, like a cobra, in Russia such species are not found. Also under the ban are wound incisions and the intake of alcoholic liquids.

Treatment for snake bites consists of administering an antidote to the venom and supportive care. Detoxification of the body by drinking plenty of fluids or intravenous fluids; painkillers, sedatives, and heart-stimulating drugs may be used.

First aid for bites from non-venomous snakes is to wash the wound and treat it with an antiseptic. Injuries inflicted by large individuals can be quite painful, so that first aid for bites can include local or systemic painkillers. Do not use ointments and patches that block the access of air to the surface, the best choice if necessary is a light gauze bandage.

Human bite is a fairly broad concept. Trauma to the joints and tissues of the hand against the teeth, inflammatory processes due to biting of burrs and other types of wounds resulting from contact with teeth and saliva are classified as resulting from a human bite.

The structure of the human jaw is such that contact, intentional or accidental, with the teeth can leave significant wounds, penetrating or squeezing. A frequent case of injuries characterized as a “human bite” occurs in childhood, with conflicts between children, vigorous activity or curiosity of babies.

Injuries caused by human teeth, even if they are insignificant, should be treated with an antiseptic and observed by a specialist.

Treatment of bites

Treatment of bites depends on the type of bite, the type of aggressor, his state of health, as well as the physiological characteristics of the victim. Treatment of bites can include both treatment with an antiseptic or antihistamine, and require surgical intervention, therapy against the development of infections, intoxications, and resuscitation.

Itching from insect bites is a common consequence of a local reaction to foreign proteins in saliva. If a mosquito bite itches, immediately after the bite, you can press on the place with your fingernail, several times in different directions, this will disperse the saliva and reduce itching.

The drugs of first choice in case the bite itches, swelling, redness are observed, are local antihistamines, for example, Fenistil-gel. With a large number of bites or a pronounced reaction, medications are prescribed for oral administration: Fenistil, Zirtek, Suprastin, etc.

Allergy to bites in a child

Allergic reactions to bites in a child are quite common. An imperfect immune system often reacts even to mosquito bites with quite significant manifestations.

It is necessary to establish who caused the bites in the child, to ensure the possibility of drinking plenty of water, to give an antihistamine. In case of a pronounced reaction, it is necessary to visit the clinic, subsequently a consultation with a pediatrician and an allergist will be required.

If there are episodes of allergy to bites in a child, it is imperative to take preventive measures: avoid places of accumulation of allergenic insects, carry medicines for first aid in case of bites.

Most children outgrow the sting allergy, however, about 2% of adults suffer from allergic reactions throughout their lives.

The consequences of a bite may not appear at all, but may have a significant negative effect on the body of adults and children. In nature, there are more than one hundred thousand species of insects, as well as other living beings, which are often referred to as them (orders of arachnids, arthropods, etc.), which are capable of causing severe toxic, allergic reactions or carrying pathogens of dangerous diseases.

The consequences of bites from domestic and wild animals also vary from discomfort to death, depending on the degree of trauma, the effect on the body, and the possible entry of an infectious agent into the wound.

The bites of snakes of various species present on the territory of Russia can cause both local trauma and inflammation in the tissues, as well as severe toxic shock, leading to the death of a person.

The consequences of a bite are possible both immediately after the wound is applied, and in a remote period of time. Some diseases do not appear immediately, the incubation period can be up to several weeks.

To avoid the consequences of a bite, it is necessary to carefully monitor all possible damage to the skin surfaces, clean wounds if they occur, and seek medical attention. Preventive measures are the best way to avoid both bites and their possible complications.

Insects are common on all continents of our planet, except for Antarctica.

They are numerous, adapted to external climatic conditions, including quite severe ones.

Not all of them are dangerous, but there are species that have a potent, toxic poison and can cause great harm to health.

Understanding the types of insects

Insects, like many other animals, mostly sting a person in self-defense. There are also species that feed on blood and bite a person in order to satisfy their hunger. They are dangerous from the point of view that they contain special substances in their saliva. Once in the human blood, they can cause an allergic reaction. In addition, they can carry dangerous viruses and bacteria that enter the body through the resulting wound and provoke the development of diseases.

Poisonous

Those individuals who use this mechanism to protect themselves or their colony are endowed with poison. Able to release toxins into the body of the victim wasp, bee, hornet. Water bugs and some types of ants are known for their toxicity (mainly from the hot regions of the planet).

The action of the poison is accompanied by:

• edema;
• severe pain;
• redness;
• sometimes allergies;
• long lasting itching.

With a high individual intolerance, toxins that have entered the body may be enough to start anaphylactic shock.

bloodsucking

Horseflies, flies, mosquitoes bite their victims in order to get enough blood. These members of the class were dubbed bloodsuckers.

With poor body care, you can become infected with pediculosis - the spread of lice throughout the body. They live mainly on the hairy areas of the body. Found even on the eyebrows.

Caution - danger

The two biggest dangers that are fraught with are the possible infection in the wound and an allergy to toxic substances.

Each organism reacts to exposure differently. In turn, the more poisonous the individual, the more serious the response will be. A person may feel in some cases local pain or symptoms of general weakness and deterioration.

Many representatives can cause a serious deterioration in well-being. Their venom works for a long time and requires immediate action to alleviate the allergic reaction.

Lice

They are transmitted from person to person quite easily. As soon as one member of the team does not follow the elementary rules of hygiene, he becomes an ideal target for lice. They can go to others through clothes, bedding, with tactile contact.

In the presence of lice, you can notice spots on the head. Their origin is explained by the fact that the saliva of bloodsuckers provokes hemoglobin decay. Children and some adults may scratch the skin vigorously, causing ulcers to form at the bite sites.

If you delay with treatment, an infection penetrates into the wound combed to the blood, which harms the entire body.

It is important to know who bitten. Photos of lice bites:

Mosquitoes and flies

In central Russia, damage from or flies rarely poses a serious danger. Rather, it's just discomfort.

However, these bloodsuckers can carry bacteria and viruses with them, which, when they enter the bloodstream, lead to the development of serious diseases. A particularly difficult situation with the spread of infections is observed in Africa and countries with a hot climate. Few people have not heard the expression "malarial mosquito".

Mosquitoes can carry:

• tularemia;
• dengue fever;
• yellow fever;
• lymphatic filariasis.

In our country, mosquitoes cause allergies in some people.

Mosquitoes and flies bite differently. Photos of bites of domestic insects:

mosquito trail

mosquito attack

Miaz due to a fly

Fly bite in children:

bees, wasps

When attacked by bees, wasps, hornets, gadflies, there is a strong burning sensation in the affected area, itching, redness and swelling. As a rule, a stronger reaction is manifested only in those who have an individual intolerance to the poison of these insects.

The attack of a bee is dangerous because their venom contains peptides, amino acids, norepinephrine and peptin. The poisons of these two varieties differ in some components. If a person develops an allergy, they are more likely to develop severe symptoms that can be life-threatening.

Bee and wasp stings:

Bee

What does a wasp sting look like in a child:

Looking at the location of the damage

In healthy people, damage after flies almost does not appear. Mosquitoes leave behind small blisters that are very itchy. More noticeable blisters leave behind a gadfly. Wasps, bees, hornets also bite noticeably. Swelling, redness, the wound burns for a long time on the body. Let's look at pictures of gadfly bites on human skin:

Lice rarely leave traces, skin lesions. But if a red spot appears and not one, this may indicate lice.

Let's look at the photo traces of insect bites and what the wound looks like on human skin:

horsefly

Bee

Three-point bite from bedbugs:

Wounds can be confused with damage from other creatures, for example, red spots are similar to traces after spiders. Often it is after them that such spots remain. Red spider bite:

To distinguish damage from on the human body, you need to know how it looks. A few examples:

Some creatures bite like a burn. If you want to know who bites like that, you can remember the feeling of being attacked by bees and other poisonous creatures.

Lesions with blisters and a watery center:

A large red spot with a white center or dot is also a trace of wounds on the body:

If you want to know who causes severe swelling, it is important to remember that the attack of many creatures can lead to such a development. Severe swelling is often a sign of an allergy.

We define an allergy

Allergy to the bite of any insect in the form of swelling, itching, redness is manifested in many. For some, it passes quickly and almost imperceptibly, while others tolerate the ingestion of poison more difficult.

It is believed that men react more easily to poison than women and children. For most people, close contact with a stinging insect results in mild local symptoms that resolve within one day to a week.

Swelling and redness:

Approximately 1-2% of people have a high predisposition to develop a serious allergic reaction. Moreover, the amount of toxic substances that enter the blood does not play a big role.

If a person has an allergic response, then an attack by one individual will lead to symptoms.

It is important to know the symptoms and treatment of allergies, in the photo you can see some of the signs. Extensive spots appear on the body, but the worst thing is the development of edema. They can appear on the face, neck, auricles, affected areas of the skin. The most difficult thing is to cope with swelling of the larynx or tongue (immediate medical attention is required).

Allergy from bites of various insects:

From mosquitoes, midges

From a mosquito

From the bee

A severe allergic reaction causes anaphylactic shock. This is very rare, but really deadly. Shock is accompanied by rapid breathing, increased heart rate. If you do not provide qualified assistance to a person, then he can lose consciousness (up to several hours). With anaphylactic shock, the work of the most important systems of the body is disrupted: cardiovascular, nervous. Possible respiratory arrest, paralysis.

If a person at least once in his life was allergic to stings (for example, widespread wasps, bees), then the attending physician must issue him an allergy passport. In the warm season, this document must be carried with you. The passport indicates the personal and contact information of the owner, as well as methods of first aid. It really can save a life.

What to do after an attack

Each person should know what to do after a bite of various insects. If a stinger attacked, then you need to follow the following rules:

1. If there is a sting in the wound, try to get it out, as toxins are released from it for about 5 minutes. Then it is advised to suck the poison out of the wound. And you shouldn't be afraid of it. Even if there are microdamages in the mouth, almost all poisons are neutralized by saliva. The method is widely known among the people when sugar is applied to the wound: it draws poison from the affected area.
2. Prevent the poison from spreading into body tissues. To do this, it is advised to apply something cold to the place of damage: ice is best, but metal, stone can be used - everything that has a temperature lower than that of the human body.
3. Allergy sufferers should take medication as soon as possible.
4. In case of anaphylactic shock, take the victim to the hospital. In case of respiratory or cardiac arrest, perform an artificial heart massage.

When attacking any insect, the damaged area must be treated with an antiseptic, which can be hydrogen peroxide, calendula tincture. This measure will help prevent infection and reduce inflammation.

Cold compresses, diluted baking soda, hydrocortisone ointment, and other treatments are used to relieve itching and pain.

Proper treatment is the key to health and peace of mind

The most important thing is to calm down and not panic. Let's see what tools can be used. It is important to remember that many of them have contraindications and should be used after consultation with the doctor. Let's see what to do with swelling and redness, as well as other symptoms. It is important to know how to treat problems in a child and an adult.

Each person should understand which doctor treats the bites of different insects. It is possible to address to the therapist or the allergist. If necessary, they will refer you to an infectious disease specialist. The bite medicine is selected individually depending on the symptoms and condition of the person.

Treatment for swelling and redness:

External means

The area of ​​damage should be soothed with something cold. Ice, a cold water bottle, a knife, and other metal objects will do. This method helps to calm the tissues, reduce blood flow and the spread of toxins throughout the body.

If you have modern pharmaceutical remedies for insect bites at hand, great. Gardex, Mosquitol and others help to reduce itching, redness, pain. Deep rubbing of Fenistil gel helps to relieve an allergic reaction. The wound itself and 4-5 cm from it are lubricated with gel and rubbed over the skin with vigorous movements.

Tablets

With obvious signs of allergies, you need to take an antihistamine. Suprastin or Loratadine is one of the most common and affordable pills.

It is very important to remember one rule: you should not resort to pills just like that, for prevention. If there was no predisposition to allergies before or no symptoms of a severe bite are observed, you do not need to drink medicines.

Parents want to know how to treat an allergy in a child, swelling. It is necessary to act in the same way as with an adult, but it is important to carefully monitor the dosages. You need to constantly monitor the child. The normal reaction is when he is naughty. If activity clearly falls, drowsiness is noticeable, then you need to seek medical help. In some cases, doctors prescribe antibiotics or injections.

Folk methods

For mosquito bites, people are advised to simply wash the skin area with cool water and soap. If the itching does not go away, then it is advised to wipe the bitten place with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.

Here are some simple recipes:

1. A piece of sugar draws poison out of the wound well: this is true for the bites of bees, wasps, hornets.
2. Swelling can be relieved with plantain or dandelion leaf.
3. A slice of apple or tomato applied to the wound will help.
4. Garlic and its juice have a good effect.

Effective protection measures

Many insects are attracted to the smell of human sweat and blood. Mosquitoes can feel sweat from miles away. Therefore, many repellents act in such a way that they mask a person from blood-sucking insects using the smell of herbs and oils.

As for the bees, it is better not to attract their attention with dark, inconspicuous tones. Do not provoke bees and wasps. If brushed aside, they may regard this as a danger and an attack, so they will try to sting.

It is impossible to completely prevent the occurrence of allergies. If a person has an allergic response to certain irritants, then you need to keep this in mind and always take medication with you.

If you use an antihistamine in time, you can do without any complications. And, of course, you must always take care of the strength of your immune system.

Each person has repeatedly encountered insect bites and the consequences of this event. Not always after bites there are negative consequences, but sometimes they cause serious complications or even death.

Every home first aid kit should have products to combat itching, swelling and redness resulting from contact with a harmful insect.

Many people do not attach importance to contact with various insects, believing that they do not cause any harm. In fact, there are certain species that can cause serious consequences.

A number of dangerous insects include:

• malarial mosquitoes - carriers of malaria;
• mosquitoes - peddlers of leishmaniasis;
• mosquitoes - carry various diseases and yellow fever, in particular;
• lice - the causes of typhus, rickettsiosis;
• rat fleas are carriers of the plague bacillus, bubonic plague is carried by ordinary fleas;
• bed bugs - the development of viral hepatitis B, plague, tularemia and fever;
• cockroaches - often cause worms, tuberculosis and dysentery;
• the tsetse fly, which can transmit sleeping sickness;
• ordinary flies spread typhus and dysentery;
• ticks - because of his bite, an incurable Lyme disease may appear;
• the Black Widow spider is a spider that can provoke the death of a person;
• spider "Brown hermit" - its harm lies in the destruction of tissues.

They may take several months to heal. Children or the elderly can die after such a bite.

Depending on the bites of different insects, the consequences can vary significantly and have different degrees of severity.

The most unpleasant symptoms of such bites are:

• intolerable itching;
• extensive irritation;
• redness and compaction of individual areas;
• pain sensations;
• temperature increase;
• the appearance of puffiness;
• swelling of the site of injury.

Areas of bites should not be scratched heavily, as there is a risk of infection. The most dangerous consequences include an allergic reaction. If you do not provide proper medical care, the patient may die 15-30 minutes after the bite. The cause of this phenomenon will be anaphylactic shock.

Not only external manifestations can disturb, but also such reactions of the body:

• loss of consciousness;
• respiratory distress or stoppage;
• increased heart rate;
• a sharp decrease in blood pressure;
• dizziness.

If allergic reactions are moderate and manifest as swelling, itching and redness, then no special measures need to be taken. It is enough to detect the bite in time and treat the wound.

Why does the bite site swell and itch?

When piercing the skin, many insects release histamine into the human blood, which is an allergic substance.

If the mosquito was found and killed at the moment of piercing the skin, but before saturation, then the itching will be much less. This is due to the ingestion of their toxic substances along with saliva.

Someone does not have a strong reaction and sensitivity to itching, and someone suffers from such discomfort, combing the bitten places to irritation and redness.

Many types of blood-sucking insects do not cause serious negative consequences, since they do not have a poisonous gland.

How to relieve the symptoms of a bite?

If a slight swelling and slight redness are noticeable, then you can get by with applying a piece of ice. In other situations, it is unlikely to avoid the use of special ointments and creams.

Before you choose a particular medicine, you need to figure out what differences exist and which form is preferable in a particular case.

Almost all antihistamine or anti-inflammatory ointments are made on the basis of the same active ingredient. A distinctive feature may be the rate of absorption of the drug into the skin. If you choose between ointment, cream and gel, then it is recommended to give preference to the third option, it is absorbed in just a couple of minutes.

If there is an average degree of skin damage, swelling and severe itching, then it is worth using antihistamines sold in pharmacies. This ointment is applied directly to the wound. Preparations that include menthol should be smeared on the area around it. Such remedies are not medicinal, they only relieve disturbing symptoms.

Do alcohol solutions help?

You can relieve itching after an insect bite with an alcohol solution, which is also a good antiseptic. The tool is effective if used immediately.

It is not the wound itself that needs to be treated, but the skin around it. So you can neutralize the poison and remove the sensation of itching.

You can use ordinary pharmacy alcohol or strong alcohol. It is desirable that such solutions are applied in a cold state.

Products containing zinc

Very often, small children suffer from insect bites, and the reactions can be more serious than in an adult. In such situations, the choice of drugs can be difficult.

If the symptoms are pronounced, then zinc-based ointment can be used. It can be applied to the bite several times a day. It is necessary to ensure that the ointment does not get into the child's eyes or mouth.

When are antihistamines indicated?

Insect bites are especially dangerous for people who are at high risk of developing allergic reactions. For them, a mosquito bite can be a serious problem. If such a picture is observed, then it is better to immediately use antihistamines, which act very quickly.

Such drugs are sold in different dosage forms, these can be creams, drops, tablets, injections or droppers. The choice of a particular remedy will depend solely on the situation and age of the person:

• Children are recommended to give drops that are highly effective, for example, Fenistil or Zyrtec. After taking this drug, itching, swelling and redness quickly disappear. Compared to other drugs, they do not cause drowsiness.
• For adolescents and adults, it is better to use tablets or ointments. Suprastin and Tavegil have good efficiency, but after taking it, drowsiness or weakness is possible. As similar drugs, you can choose Claritin or Loratadin.
• In people at high risk of anaphylactic shock, intravenous antihistamines are recommended. Under this condition, the drug quickly penetrates into the blood.

How to eliminate swelling, itching and redness using traditional medicine?

In the field of alternative medicine, there are many ways to treat the effects of an insect bite. You can relieve unpleasant and painful symptoms with the help of cold and hot water.

• Taking a hot bath will help relax your body. To eliminate itching, you need to add strong tea leaves, apple cider vinegar and a couple of glasses of oatmeal.
• Sea water has medicinal properties. At home, you can add sea salt to the bath.
• Itching will go away if a towel moistened with hot water is applied to the bite site. This procedure is repeated until the condition is relieved.
• A heated metal spoon will help relieve itching in a few minutes. It is applied and pressed to the affected area for about 5 minutes.
• If you apply ice to the bite, you can prevent the spread of insect venom. This fact is explained by vasoconstriction.
• An effective method is to apply a gauze lotion with soda. This is an excellent antiseptic that not only relieves swelling of the skin, but also soothes it.
• With the help of aloe juice, you can eliminate the burning sensation when bitten by bedbugs and other insects. The juice of the plant should be used immediately.
• Tea tree oil has similar properties. It is used directly to lubricate the wound. If it is not possible to use oil, then tea bags moistened with water can be applied.
• The effects of an insect bite are quickly eliminated after applying a compress with a weak solution of vinegar. This bandage should be worn for a couple of hours.

These are the easiest ways to eliminate itching, swelling and redness after bites. Everyone can use them, since there is no need to use complex drugs. Despite the prevalence and simplicity of such methods, they cannot be tested if a person has a weak immune system and there is a predisposition to allergic reactions. Under such conditions, it is better to seek professional medical help.

Even the most harmless bite can cause anaphylactic shock. To eliminate such a risk, you need to know how to provide first aid to yourself and another victim.

What to do if bitten by a poisonous insect?

Regardless of the type of insect that bit, first aid will be standard. The sooner it is provided, the less the risk of negative consequences.

Prohibited actions after a bite:

• you can not drink alcohol;
• no smoking;
• active movements are also not recommended;
• Do not immediately apply heat to the wound.

These actions contribute to increased blood flow in the affected area, due to which toxic substances are quickly absorbed into the blood. In the worst case, you will have to face pronounced symptoms and allergic manifestations.

First aid actions should be carried out in this order:

• The bite site should be washed with cold water with the addition of laundry soap.
• The affected area is treated with antiseptics. It can be menovazin, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol or furatsilin.
• The bite site should be pressed down or put on a tight bandage. For such purposes, you can use an elastic bandage.
• An antihistamine should be taken, such as Diazolin, Suprastin, Edem, Erius, Loratadine, or Claritin.

By following these simple rules, you can eliminate the risk of the spread of toxic substances. Other treatments are used only after evaluation of existing complications or consequences.

All first aid procedures must be carried out immediately. In another case, only topical medications will help relieve unpleasant symptoms.

If the victim, even after first aid, feels worse, then you should immediately consult a doctor. Perhaps there was a bite of a poisonous insect or a serious allergic reaction is developing.

What kind of help after a bite is provided in the hospital?

Complications can manifest as redness and swelling of the skin. In frequent cases, a person experiences a burning sensation and itching.

The most serious complications include the following phenomena:

• itching and redness of the skin area distant from the lesion;
• hives and other skin rashes;
• dizziness;
• labored breathing;
• confused mind;
• swelling of the nasopharynx and mouth;
• feverish state;
• loss of consciousness;
• slight increase in body temperature;
• feeling of pain and tightness in the chest.

If you have one of these symptoms, then you should immediately seek medical help. If precious time is lost, allergic reactions can worsen, resulting in anaphylactic shock.

Even a harmless insect bite can develop from a tumor into a purulent formation, in which the subcutaneous fatty tissue becomes inflamed. To prevent this condition, you need to treat the wound with a disinfectant solution.

How to protect yourself from insect bites?

Unfortunately, no one is immune from the bites of mosquitoes, flies or midges. This especially happens in the summer.

There are some steps you can take to reduce this risk:

• When walking with a small child, the stroller should be covered with a special mosquito net or fabric that allows air to pass through but does not let insects through.
• While in nature, it is recommended to apply creams or sprays to the body to repel crawling or flying insects.
• It is recommended to put mosquito nets on the windows in the apartment.
• If insects have flown into the room, they can be eliminated with a vacuum cleaner or using special insecticidal agents.

These safety measures are shown to everyone, including children. If, nevertheless, a bite occurs, then you need to immediately provide first aid to the victim. In the case of a predisposition to allergic reactions, you should immediately seek medical help.