How to Treat Flea Bites

Fleas are bloodsucking, external parasites, which belong to the order Siphonaptera. They usually infest on the skin of birds and mammals. Depending upon the host organism, they are classified into different species. Some of the well-known types are human flea, dog flea, cat flea, and rat flea, of which the first three species can infest humans.

Human flea bites are common during summer months. The common areas for flea bites are the exposed legs, feet, and areas where there is tight clothing such as the waist portion. Effective remedies concerning flea bite treatment are discussed in the upcoming paragraphs.

Although they are not life-threatening, bites by fleas should be treated as early as possible. Otherwise, scratching at the bite area may lead to bleeding, open sores, and skin infections. To avoid such complications, don't scratch the area as far as possible.

Another major risk of flea bites is that these parasites can transmit tapeworm larvae and bubonic plague from one individual to another. Following are some effective tips that should be practiced to treat human flea bites.

Antiseptic Cleaning: In order to avoid secondary infection and quicken healing of human flea bites, the affected area should be cleaned frequently with an antiseptic soap and cold water. Avoid using warm or hot water as it may worsen the itching symptom in the affected skin area.

Ice Packs: Application of ice packs at the inflamed region for 3 - 4 times a day will help in reducing swelling and inflammation. Wrap some ice cubes in a clean cloth and keep it over the bite site. Within a few days, the skin texture of the affected area will return to normal condition.

Tea Tree Oil: Another effective remedy to speed up the healing process of human flea bites is using pure tea tree oil. You can soak cotton swab in diluted tea tree oil and apply in the inflamed area for several times a day. Most likely, the flea bite will heal within a few days.

Topical Ointments: In order to alleviate itching symptoms, you can apply over the counter skin ointments (for example, calamine lotion and hydrocortisone cream) in the inflamed area. This will also help in minimizing the chances of secondary skin infections.

Antihistamine Medication: For hypersensitive people, oral antihistamine is effective for the treatment of flea bites. This medication antagonizes the histamine (an amine secreted by the immune system at the time of allergy), thereby reducing the urge to scratch the inflamed area.

In addition to the regular flea bites, sand flea bites also can cause severe skin irritation. As the name suggests, such bites usually occur in the legs after visiting sandy beaches. The symptoms appear as a series of red skin rashes. Sand flea bite remedy is similar to that of the usual flea bites.

Applying a mixture of baking soda and water on the affected skin area works wonders for sand flea bite treatment. Also, you can use aloe vera gel to combat the irritation symptoms.

The noticeable symptoms of flea bites on humans are small reddish skin bumps, severe itching, and hives. The sensation of intense itching is due to allergic reactions of the body to the flea saliva. Severity of the signs and symptoms of flea bites vary based on the sensitivity of the person.

Hence, children are more susceptible to serious flea bite symptoms than adults. Well! This was in brief about the several ways to treat flea bites. However, treating the bites is not enough, or in other words, it is a temporary solution.

You are still at a risk to getting repeated bites, until and unless complete eradication of these nasty parasites is not done. For controlling fleas, it is essential to keep the household pets clean and healthy, as they often serve as carriers for flea parasites. You can make use of appropriate insecticides to kill the fleas.

If necessary, contact professional pest control services to exterminate these parasites. Doing so will certainly help in preventing flea bites.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.