Bug bites can be difficult to identify, especially since so many common household creatures can bite you. Picture: Pexels
Receiving a bug bite can be unsettling, particularly if you're not sure what little creature caused the red, throbbing welt on your skin. Bug bites can be difficult to identify, especially since so many common household creatures can bite you.
Even though the majority of insects you come across are benign, there are a few particular bites that may necessitate a trip to the doctor, thus it's critical to be able to recognise these potentially harmful bites. Remain calm.
The majority of typical insect stings and bites are painless and rapidly recover.
However, some insect bites and stings, such as those from wasps, hornets, fire ants, and bees, can result in excruciating agony or even a life-threatening allergic reaction.
Others, including bites from dangerous spiders, call for emergency medical attention right away.
It's important to be aware of the unique signs and symptoms left by each insect, from wasp and hornet stings to tick bites. Stock up on calamine lotion and read this guide to determine which insect bites are most common and what symptoms to expect from each.
The cause and intensity of insect bites can be inferred from the symptoms. For instance, the majority of insect bites result in painful, itchy, or burning red lumps. Blemishes or welts can also develop from bug bites.
Here are a few typical indicators of an insect bite:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that bed bugs can occasionally produce a severe allergic reaction in addition to leaving a tiny, red, itchy bite mark on the skin.
Bites from bedbugs have a characteristic, grouped appearance. According to the CDC, although you usually won't feel a bedbug bite, you'll definitely notice the clusters of red markings that frequently create a line across your skin.
Although these bites are irritating, each person experiences discomfort to varying degrees.
Between 24 hours and three days later, some people experience a moderate to severe allergic reaction to the bug's saliva. This may cause a raised, red skin bump or welt that lasts for several days and is extremely uncomfortable and inflammatory.
According to the Dermatological Society of South Africa, you should get treatment from a board-certified dermatologist if you have hives, receive a lot of bites, or detect a bite that appears infected.
Although they can appear anywhere on the body, bedbug bites usually appear on exposed parts of the body including the hands, arms, neck and face. Despite their prevalence, bed bugs do not transmit disease, as stated by the CDC.
A severe allergic reaction to bedbug saliva might cause significant itching 24 hours to three days later for certain people.
The Dermatological Society of South Africa advises visiting a dermatologist if you have numerous bites or a bite that appears to be infected, as well as hiring a pest-control professional to get rid of bed bugs from your house.
A crimson, white-surrounded skin lump is the result of a bee sting. A intense sensation that lasts for many minutes before becoming dull and aching is the result of a bee sting.
A few days later, the area could still hurt to the touch. The place where the stung occurred may itch and feel hot to the touch, and a red skin lump with white surrounding it may develop.
In the event that this is your second bee sting, your body can mount an immunological reaction to the venom, causing swelling in the sting site or throughout your body, including your lungs and throat.
Anaphylaxis, a form of allergic reaction, is a medical emergency that requires prompt medical attention. Hives, swelling, breathing difficulties, dizziness, cramping, nausea, diarrhoea, and even cardiac arrest are signs of a severe allergy to a bee sting.
Flea bites cause itchy skin welts, usually on the legs and ankles.
Mosquitoes can cause a severe allergic reaction or a swollen, itchy, pink skin bump. A round, itchy, reddish-pink skin bump is the visible sign of a mosquito bite.
Although an insect bite is mostly benign, it can occasionally result in a serious illness like malaria, the West Nile virus, Zika virus (which is especially dangerous for expectant mothers), or eastern equine encephalitis (EEE).
Most Zika patients get a transient, flu-like sickness. But the rate of microcephaly birth abnormalities in babies born to expectant Zika-infected mothers is startling.
To learn more about travel advisories and warnings, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Zika Travel Information page.
In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 1 126 cases of West Nile virus in 42 states in the US.
Two to fourteen days following the bite, symptoms can manifest as headaches, body aches, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, and skin rashes.
More severe West Nile infections can cause symptoms including stiff neck, intense headache, confusion, high fever, and convulsions. They can even lead to meningitis or encephalitis.
Malaria is an uncommon disease in the US, with only 2 000 cases reported annually, according to CDC data (and most of those cases are in individuals who have recently travelled to regions of the world where malaria transmission is more common).
Malaria is contracted through the bite of a parasite-infected mosquito. Similar to the flu, symptoms might appear 10 days to four weeks after the bite and include fever, headache, aches in the muscles, nausea and vomiting.
The CDC states that while malaria is a serious illness, it is important to realise that it is treated and prevented. EEE cases are uncommon yet fatal. Thirty percent of EEE infections result in death, and many of the survivors experience neurological issues.
Chiggers and other mites create bites that resemble little red dots. They are typically very itchy and if several bites are near to one another, they may even appear to be a solid skin rash.
A particular kind of mite called a chigger melts the skin around an object so it can be consumed. According to WebMD, if you have a chigger bite, you may notice that the skin around the bite becomes harder.
Scabies is an infectious disease that mites spread by burrowing into the skin and laying eggs. The CDC reports that scabies often appears in settings like child care centres, nursing homes, and between sexual partners where there is frequent, direct skin-to-skin contact.
Spider bites can result in highly serious symptoms that require emergency attention, or in minor symptoms like red skin, swelling and discomfort at the location.
The bite of a tick can result in a rash that resembles an enlarging bull's-eye and can transmit Lyme disease.
Ticks can carry a variety of diseases, such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, even though the majority of them do not spread disease. Despite popular belief, ticks do not purposefully fall or jump on to their hosts.
The CDC claims that they just crawl or hitch a ride on plant matter.
A tiny red circle may represent a tick bite that has not resulted in an illness. A small amount of edoema or irritation could exist, according to John Hopkins Rheumatology.
After being bitten by a tick that carries Lyme disease, you may develop a bullseye-shaped rash with concentric rings of lighter-colored, redder skin.
In as many as 30% of cases, this pattern may not appear at all and may appear up to a month after the bite. The CDC reports that this rash typically doesn't hurt.
The majority of black ants seen in homes are benign and do not bite, but according to WebMD, sugar, fire, and carpenter ants can cause excruciating stings.
In the event of a fire ant bite, you might see the development of tiny white pustules as well as little red blisters at the biting site. The blisters should not be opened or drained because doing so could cause an infection.
Formic acid is really injected into carpenter ant bites, causing excruciating pain. The bites from these ants should go away in three to seven days, but if you scratch them, you can leave scars.
Tiny parasitic insects called head lice reside on human scalps and feed on blood. Their bites can itch so much but they are typically nearly invisible.
According to the CDC, head lice do not spread bacteria or illness, however some people may experience severe rashes after being bitten by several lice. On the other hand, the CDC states that body lice can spread illness.
Lice cannot leap or survive for more than 48 hours off of a human host; they can only be transmitted by physical touch between people.
The most crucial preventative measures, according to the South African Pest Control Association, include wearing light-coloured clothing and using insect repellent. All of these kinds of fly bites typically manifest as irritating, little red pimples.
How may bug bites be avoided?
The CDC offers the following advice: Wear clothes that protect your skin, apply insect repellent, and research any injections or medications you might need before departing.
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