Insect Bite Swelling

The insect bite is a common occurrence which you may receive unexpectedly because of unintentional provocation or without it, while sitting on a lawn or sleeping snugly in your bed. The affected area may swell immediately or after some time.

The poison or venom injected in your body by the insect could be strong enough to be the cause of swelling and pain. You may also develop rashes from deadliest insect bites. Therefore, you should immediately get proper treatment in the form of professional medical advice or a home remedy, which can alleviate your distress.

Treatment

Most of the time, you may become aware of the swelling and itching in the area of the bite. However, after some time you may forget all about it because it was harmless and needed no treatment. However, it is not so in case of bites inflicted by bees, wasps or hornets, yellow jackets or fire ants, which are difficult to cope with.

So are the bites from mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies, scorpions, and spiders such as black widow and the brown recluse. You may like to go through the following information on spider bite treatment and a few useful home remedies.

If you are a citizen of the United States, and especially, if you live in the Southern states, you should take immediate action to counter the adverse effects of a bite from a spider. A bite from a female black widow spider may feel like a pinprick and may give you slight swelling at first. However, it can precipitate rapidly in intense pain, stiffness, chills, fever, nausea, and severe abdominal pain.

On the other hand, a bite from the brown recluse spider may give you a blister which could develop into an ulcer at the site of bite. Such a bite can be dangerous and may lead to death if a child receives it. The following information will help you provide first aid for a spider bite before consulting your doctor:

• Clean the spider bite area using soap and water before applying a cool compress on it. An ice pack may prove to be effective in reducing the inflammation in the affected area.
• Apply a tight bandage above the spider bite if it is on the leg or a hand to slow the spread of the venom.

• For adults, aspirin or acetaminophen may offer relief from the bite pain and symptoms.
• If a child is the recipient of a spider bite, instead of administering aspirin, give acetaminophen.
• Anti-histamine tablets may help control the inflammation at the affected site while you are seeking medical attention.

• For adults suffering from severe pain and children who are under 6 years of age, seek immediate medical attention.

Following are simple home remedies that can provide relief from the mild symptoms of an insect bite:

• An easy fix involves mixing a teaspoon of baking soda and water to make a paste. Apply the paste to the sting and wash it off after 15-20 minutes.

The alkaline nature of the baking soda neutralizes the acid of the insect sting, and water in the paste acts as a cooling aid.

• It is believed that rubbing the inside of the banana skin on the bitten area may reduce the swelling and itching.

• Applying epsom salts dissolved in water with the help of sterilized cotton ball or gauze for several minutes can prove to be helpful.
• Raw honey is known to provide relief from the pain of a bee sting if applied immediately.

• Any possible infection due to the bite can be avoided by using a simple home remedy. Mix a tablespoon of honey with 1-2 drops of lemon oil and apply it to the affected area.
• The meat tenderizer, which you use in your kitchen, contains papain which has the ability to break down the proteins in the insect venom.

Applying the paste of a meat tenderizer and water on the affected site can be help alleviate the allergic reaction to the venom.

• You can use calamine lotion to get relief from the itch of the bite.

If the chemical a person is allergic to enters his or her body, say by eating a peanut or because of an insect bite, his or her immune system tries to fight it off by releasing a flood of chemicals to neutralize it.

This may cause the person to go into shock, and you may notice a sudden drop in his or her blood pressure, constriction of airways, weak pulse, nausea, and vomiting. There are chances that you may discover that a person is allergic to a certain chemical only after it gets into his or her body through an insect bite.

Well, nobody can prepare oneself for such a situation in advance, and the only option left with you is to rush him or her to the emergency room as soon as possible, or call 911 immediately. You may not believe it, but untreated anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) may lead to unconsciousness or even to death.

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