Self Care at Home Normal insect bite Insect repellents (such as DEET), questions about Care Advice for Insect Bites Treatment for Insect Bites What You Should Know About Insect Bites: Most insect bites cause a red bump. Some are larger (like a hive). Some have a small water blister in the center. These are normal reactions to an insect bite. A large hive at the bite does not mean your child has an allergy.
The redness does not mean the bite is infected. Here is some care advice that should help. Itchy Insect Bite Treatment: Steroid Cream. To reduce the itching, use 1 hydrocortisone cream (such as Cortaid). No prescription is needed. Put it on 3 times a day until the itch is gone. If you dont have, use a baking soda paste until you can get some. If neither is available, use ice in a wet washcloth for 20 minutes.
Also, you can put firm, sharp, direct, steady pressure on the bite. Do this for 10 seconds to reduce the itch. A fingernail, pen cap, or other object can be used. Allergy Medicine. If the bite is still itchy, try an allergy medicine (such as Benadryl).
No prescription is needed. Sometimes it helps, especially in allergic children. Painful Insect Bite Treatment: Soak a cotton ball in a baking soda solution. b the bite with it for 15 to 20 minutes. Do this once. This will usually reduce the pain. You can also use an ice cube in a wet washcloth for 20 minutes.
To help with the pain, give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol). Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil). Use as needed. For painful bites, allergy medicines dont help. Antibiotic Ointment for Infected Bite: If the insect bite has a scab on it and the scab looks infected, use an antibiotic ointment. An example is Polysporin. No prescription is needed.
Use 3 times per day. (Note: Usually impetigo is caused by scratching with dirty fingers). Cover the scab with a bandage (such as Band-Aid). This will help prevent scratching and spread. Wash the sore and use the antibiotic ointment 3 times per day. Cover it with a clean bandage each time. Do this until healed. Caution: For spreading infections (redness or red streaks), your child needs to be seen. What to Expect: Most insect bites are itchy for several days. Any pinkness or redness usually lasts 3 days.
The swelling may last 7 days. Insect bites of the upper face can cause severe swelling around the eye. This is harmless. The swelling is usually worse in the morning after lying down all night. It will improve after standing for a few hours. Call Your Doctor If: Severe pain lasts more than 2 hours after pain medicine Infected scab not better after 48 hours of antibiotic ointment Bite looks infected (spreading redness gets bigger after 48 hours) You think your child needs to be seen Your child bes worse Prevention of Insect Bites Prevention Tips: Wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and a hat. Avoid being outside when the bugs are most active. Many insects that cause itchy bites are most active at sunrise or sunset.
Examples are chiggers, no-see-ums, and mosquitoes. Insect repellents that contain DEET are helpful in preventing many insect bites. Read the label carefully. DEET Products: Use on the Skin. DEET is a very effective bug repellent. It also repels ticks and other insects. The AAP approves DEET use over 2 months of age. Use 30 DEET or less.
Use 30 DEET if you need 6 hours of protection. Use 10 DEET if you only need protection for 2 hours. (AAP 2003). Dont put DEET on the hands if your child sucks on their thumb or fingers. (Reason: prevent swallowing DEET.) Warn older children who apply their own DEET to use less.
A total of 3 or 4 drops can protect the whole body. Put it on exposed areas of skin. Do not use near the eyes or mouth. Do not use on skin that is covered by clothing. Dont put DEET on sunburns or rashes. Reason: DEET can be easily absorbed in these areas.
Wash it off with soap and water when your childes indoors. Caution: DEET can damage clothing made of man-made fibers. It can also damage plastics (such as eye glasses) and leather. DEET can be used on cotton clothing. Permethrin Products: Use on Clothing. Products that contain permethrin (such as Duranon) work well to repel insects and ticks. Unlike DEET, these products are put on clothing instead of skin. Put it on shirt cuffs, pant cuffs, shoes and hats.
You can also use it on other outdoor items (mosquito screens, sleeping bags). Do not put permethrin on the skin. Reason: Sweat changes it so it does not work. Picaridin Products: Picaridin is a repellent that is equal to 10 DEET. It can safely be put on skin or clothing. And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the Call Your Doctor symptoms. Causes and Background Information Insect bites usually cause a small red bump. Often, it looks like localized hives (one large one or several small ones). Sometimes, a small water blister occurs in the center of the bump.
This ismon in younger children. Itchy Insect Bites. Bites of mosquitoes, chiggers (harvest mites), fleas, and bedbugs usually cause itchy, red bumps. Painful Insect Bites. Bites of horseflies, deer flies, and gnats usually cause a painful, red bump. Fire ants, harvester ants, blister beetles, and centipedes also cause a painful, red bump. Within a few hours, fire ant bites can change to blisters or pimples. Cause of Insect Bite Reaction The skin bumps are the bodys reaction to the insects saliva. While the bug is sucking blood, some of its secretions get mixed in. Anaphylaxis With Insect Bites: Very Rare A severe life-threatening allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis.
The main symptoms are difficulty breathing and swallowing starting within 2 hours of the sting. Onset usually is within 20 minutes. Anaphylaxis can occur with bee, yellow jacket, wasp, or fire ant stings. Anaphylactic reactions are very rare after other insect bites.
Reason: Other insects dont have venom. Complications of Insect Bites Impetigo. A local bacterial infection. Gives sores, soft scabs and pus. Caused by scratching or picking at the bites. Moremon in itchy bites. Cellulitis .
The bacterial infection spreads into the skin. Gives redness spreading out from the bite. The red area is painful to the touch. Lymphangitis. This is a bacterial infection that spreads up the lymph channels. Gives a red line that goes up the arm or leg. More serious because the infection can get into the bloodstream.
(This is called sepsis.)Insect Bites You are giving your child a bath and notice several bumps that werent there earlier that day. They are scattered throughout the legs, but nothing is present on the upper body. She seems to have been scratching them. What could they be The mostmon cause of such spots is insect bites.
Here is Dr. Sears guide to taking care of insect bites. Almost everyone has experienced insect bites, so it is no mystery what they look like. The main issue with insect bites is to treat the itching and to prevent infection. THREE MAIN TYPES OF INSECT BITES Spider bites these are the largest type of bite, often creating a large, raised, circular area with a visible pinpoint bite mark in the middle. They can grow in size and redness for several days, and tend to be quite painful. They can number from just one to 5 or 10, often in a straight line or confined to one body area. Spiders often travel across a body part at night, snacking along the way. The initial bite is often painful, but not always.
Flea bites these usually occur in greater numbers than spider bites, and mostly occur on the legs (and the diaper area for crawling and sitting infants). They often are not painful at the time of the bite, and usually be increasingly itchy. Different people will react to flea bites to varying degrees. Some people are very sensitive to flea bites. mon places to get flea bites include houses with pets, beaches (sand fleas) and parks.
Mosquito bites these usually occur in exposed areas such as hands and forearms, ankles, and neck. They are usually quite obvious, and you often will know that you and your child were outside in a mosquito environment. TREATING INSECT BITES Itching this can be treated with benadryl by mouth, or a variety of over-the-counter itch-stopping products applied directly to the bite. Be careful, these can sting if the bite has been scratched open. Pink Calamine lotion or Aveeno anti-itch cream with calamine can be very effective for itching, but be aware that if placed on a bite that has been scratched open, it may increase the chance of scarring. Benadryl cream is also available, but should only be used sparingly if you are also giving Benadryl by mouth to avoid overdose.
Cut the fingernails this will decrease the risk of infection being introduced into the bites, and will lessen the chance of scarring. Stinging or burning apply a cold washcloth to any particularly large, burning, stinging or itching bites. Prevent infection flea bites and mosquito bites usually dont require any special measures to prevent infection of the surrounding skin. Insect bites will normally have some amount of redness and swelling, as well as a bit of clear drainage.
Spider bites, however, tend to create a much larger area of redness and swelling. While this is normal, it does increase the risk of infection developing in the bite. Before a bite bes infected 8211 here are some measures you can take to prevent a large spider bite from bing infected. Follow these steps two or three times a day:Wash the bite with warm soapy water Apply some diluted hydrogen peroxide (mix water with peroxide) Wash off the peroxide after two minutes Apply an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment Ice applied to a large spider bite can decrease the pain and burning Following these steps will usually prevent an infection from setting in. Infected bites 8211 if the red area around the bite continues to enlarge, bes more swollen and painful, and starts to drain pus, then it has be infected. Here are some steps you should follow three times a day if this occurs:Wash with warm soapy water Apply a hot washcloth to the area for 10 minutes Apply diluted hydrogen peroxide, then wash off after two minutes Apply diluted Betadine solution (mix of this over-the-counter brownish red antiseptic with water) and let it dry for two minutes Thoroughly wash off all Betadine Apply over-the-counter antibiotic ointment.
If your doctor will call in a prescription strength ointment called Bactroban, then this may work better. It may take one or two days for this treatment to start to improve the infection, but it should not keep getting worse during this treatment. More serious infection if the redness and drainage continue to worsen, or your child develops fevers or red streaks extending out from the bite, then you should see your doctor right away. If it is after hours, you should page your doctor. Your child will probably need antibiotics to treat the infection. WHEN TO SEE OR CALL THE DOCTOR Besides as stated above under infection, there are three other situations that may require the doctors attention. Bites on the ear the cartilage in the ear is more susceptible to bing infected from an insect bite. Follow the precautions as above to prevent infection, but also be sure to use warm soaks from the start (instead of only if an infection sets in). If it does be infected, see your doctor.
You may need antibiotics sooner than normal bites. Brown Recluse spider bites this particular spider bite can form a large purple irregularly shaped blister surrounded by a red ring. Over the next few days, the blister opens and an ulcerated area forms. This looks like an infected crater forming at the bite.
If you suspect this bite, see your doctor. This ulcerated area can continue to enlarge if not treated promptly by a physician. This brown spider has a dark-orange violin-shaped mark on its head and tends to live in dark, dry places such as vacation homes or abandoned houses. If you can, bring the spider to your doctor or ER. Black widow this spider has a red hourglass on the body. Bites from this spider have a 5 fatality rate.
The bite seems normal, but within less than an hour generalized symptoms occur, including muscle cramps, painful muscle spasms, loss of sensation or tingling, headache, dizziness, vomiting, or trouble swallowing. Go to an ER or call 911 if you are bitten by a known black widow spider or you experience theses symptoms. Bring the spider with you.