The skin is highly sensitive, so it immediately reacts to irritating factors. No matter where a person lives, he still encounters a neighborhood of bugs, insects and mosquitoes. In fact, it is not dangerous if used protective equipment and sprays. But one bite can be harmful and lead to severe swelling and redness, blood poisoning and anaphylactic shock.
The reaction in the form of a change in color is caused not by a puncture of the skin, but by those substances that are injected through the proboscis into upper layer. In bites, two purposes can be distinguished: attack for the sake of protection and extraction of food in the form of blood.
An insect can attack in the wild when people go on vacation to the forest or to the river. But home bugs and fleas can almost always bite, it does not depend on the season or time. In order to choose a method, you need to determine the type of insect based on the bite parameters. They are often confused with burn marks from nettle or hogweed.
The bite leaves a red spot or mark, which must first be treated with an antiseptic and consult a doctor.
Dangerous bites
The greatest harm to humans comes from the venom of bees, hornets and wasps.. In most cases, hymenoptera defend their territory from an intruder, but since they attack by several individuals at once, the amount of poison has a strong effect on the body and causes serious disturbances and swelling. According to statistics, 4 times more people die from bee and wasp stings than from snakes and spiders.
Insect venom contains an active protein and components that are strong allergens and cause rejection. Most insects inject poison with a sting; ants bite with their jaws and can do this several times, unlike Hymenoptera, which leave their proboscis inside the wound and soon die. In most cases, blood-sucking insects also carry severe infections, which must be dealt with in the hospital.
TO dangerous groups belong to:
Skin reaction
The consequences of an attack may vary. Most often these are red spots or dots (appear from a fly or mosquito bite), severe pain or itching, and swelling. This place does not need to be scratched, because the infection spreads faster throughout the body; you also cannot squeeze out what is inside on your own and tear the top layer of skin.
Depending on the type of insect, poison can be different. The allergic effect manifests itself moderately or acutely. Signs light form are considered:
- Slight redness in the area of the bite.
- The appearance of swelling and itching.
- Rash in the affected area.
- Increase in temperature at the point of injury.
The acute form is accompanied by the following symptoms:
If you have an allergic reaction, you should definitely consult a doctor, because treatment at home will not be effective. Sometimes after 10–15 minutes a person may experience anaphylactic shock.
Hymenoptera bites
They will practically not bite a person without provocation on his part. Most often this is self-defense. An attack by one insect will cause redness and possible swelling along with pain. But from a group of insects An allergic reaction may develop and medical intervention will be needed to remove the poison from the body and neutralize the bite site.
Symptoms can vary, ranging from mild tingling and increased temperature at the site of the bite to nausea, asthmatic shortness of breath, redness and the appearance of scarlet spots throughout the body. Loss of coordination and signs of fever can also be attributed to this type of bite.
If a bee stings your arm or hand, you need to pull out the insect's sting and try to gently squeeze out the liquid from the wound. Be sure to wipe the affected area with brilliant green or iodine to kill bacteria. You can take an antihistamine tablet or use anti-inflammatory medications if you are not allergic to bees.
In addition to pharmacy treatment options, You can also use traditional methods.
If there are multiple lesions, you cannot self-medicate; you must consult a doctor.
Mosquito bites
Everyone has encountered this problem; it is relevant in summer and autumn. Insects attack to drink blood, leaving redness, swelling and itching at the site of the bite. In the worst case scenario, they can be carriers of serious infections and fevers. There are thousands of different types mosquitoes
One bite in a person with a weakened immune system can cause an allergic reaction and breathing complications. Pharmacies sell sprays and medications that repel insects by smell. You can purchase products that can relieve the symptoms of a bite without irritating the skin. Traditional methods used for bites:
Bites from domestic insects and spiders
Science knows more than 50 thousand bedbugs. Although the insect does not attack frequently, an attack once a week is sufficient for feeding. But insects live in huge colonies and reproduce, so every day they are capable of harming the human body and leaving bite marks on it.
Bed bugs attack at night, resulting in scabies, severe redness in the form of dots all over the body, and small swellings. In most cases, a bug bite is mistaken for an allergic reaction and they try to get rid of the problem with pills. But first you need to remove the insects that hide under baseboards, wallpaper and in mattresses. To do this, call a disinfection service or independently treat all surfaces with a special solution. Then you should definitely ventilate the room.
For spider bites It is best to call an ambulance. But before this, you need to thoroughly treat the site of the attack and slow down the spread of the poison under the skin. Symptoms depend on the type and concentration of the poison. The karakurt, hermit spider and black widow are considered dangerous. Although in our latitudes there are also other types of insects that can cause harm with poison.
After a bite, you need to immediately wash your body with water and soap so that infection from the wound does not harm the body even more. Do not rub the bite area. After this, to slow down the spread of the poison, you need to fix the limb with a splint. Above the bite site, you can pinch the skin or squeeze it with jute, but not too much, so as not to cause blueness.
Apply cold lotions to the bitten area clean water. You also need to drink liquid to remove the poison from the kidneys; paracetamol or aspirin is suitable to normalize the condition.
Prevention and protection
You can protect your skin using special sprays and creams. In addition, it is necessary to take into account daily activity and locations of insects. Clothing during walks should be light but thick to cover the skin. Tights or leggings fit well to the body and help protect against mosquitoes and ticks.
People with high level cholesterol, it is better to avoid walking in places where there may be mosquitoes; they can smell a pleasant smell a mile away and react quickly.
At home, you can protect yourself from insects using mosquito net on windows and doors. And also using a fumigator. If you run out of liquid, you need to buy eucalyptus extract and spray it.
Using repellents makes it possible to reduce the risk of bites several times and protects the body well from insects. The product can be applied both to the skin itself and to clothing materials. The effect lasts for several washes, and the smell is practically unnoticeable to humans. Mint, eucalyptus, lavender, cloves and verbena also repel mosquitoes; these oils can be used in aroma lamps.
As the most diverse class of animals, insects are widely represented in nature. Accordingly, the nature of their life activity and behavior differs.
In relation to a person it can be:
- Defensive (manifested by wasps, bees, ants and other hymenoptera);
- Aggressive (which, unfortunately, is typical for most insects).
The consequences of Hymenoptera bites are much more serious than in most other cases, since, in defending themselves, they secrete a strong protein poison, which is also a powerful allergen.
The reaction to bites and stings should be considered the action of these substances in our body. Insects have different structures of the stinging/biting apparatus and lead very different lifestyles, so the description of reactions to their bites varies quite a lot.
Symptoms that occur with bites
The most common symptoms of any insect bite are:
- Redness of the skin around the affected area;
- A tumor that occurs at the site of the bite;
- Irritating itching that accompanies other symptoms almost until they disappear;
- When stung by bees and other hymenoptera, swelling develops.
The duration, external signs and pain associated with the bite are individual characteristics body reactions to foreign substances. This is called a local reaction.
Another thing is multiple bites, causing a reaction toxic. It is characterized by an increase in symptoms, often leading to noticeable deterioration general condition body.
A life-threatening condition, or even death, is the consequence of either severe poisoning or an allergic reaction to substances injected into the blood by insects.
Manifestation of an allergic reaction
Most often, such a reaction to a bite manifests itself with the same symptoms as with a local reaction, but more pronounced. Such consequences take longer to pass than usual, but do not pose a particular threat to health.
The worst thing is if a person’s intolerance to bites is extremely high. In such cases, delay is truly like death. Within half an hour, the negative consequences of the bite rapidly develop, and anaphylactic shock occurs. The following symptoms are characteristic of an acute allergic reaction:
- Having breathing problems;
- Redness turns into a bright rash;
- Swelling is excessive;
- Blood pressure decreases;
- The victim falls into an uncontrollable state of constant anxiety;
- Dizziness and fainting are possible.
In such situations, immediate medical intervention is required.
Although people who are aware of their problem often cope with even relatively severe cases on their own, using the recommendations of doctors and their own experience.
Why are insect bites dangerous?
The above ailments, which are the body’s reaction to a bite, arise as a result of the human immune system fighting anticoagulants and protein poisons that have penetrated into the blood. Single bites and stings are rarely capable of incapacitating a person.
Let's consider the categories of people most susceptible to exacerbation of symptoms:
- Allergy sufferers. In some cases, a few minutes from the moment of the bite are enough for anaphylactic shock to occur. If a person is aware of his predisposition to acute reactions to insect bites, he should always carry with him the medication prescribed by the doctor (most often this is epinephrine hydrochloride for subcutaneous injection and antihistamines).
- Children. Due to the fact that the developing organism is not strong enough to fully independent struggle with the consequences of insect bites, the child’s reaction to them is more pronounced. In general, it has the same character as in adults. Of course, it is not justified to use medications unnecessarily.
- Pregnant women. Carrying a child implies constant protection of the expectant mother from stress. This means restricting the use of the vast majority of medications. This is the complication of situations involving pregnant women who have suffered from insect bites.
They come to help in cases of bites of children and pregnant women general recommendations:
- It is necessary to wash the damaged area with soap and water to avoid infection;
- Ice applied to the bite site will help relieve swelling and relieve itching;
- If necessary, you should take an antihistamine; if the situation does not improve, consult a doctor.
Multiple bites, especially from poisonous insects, can cause life-threatening conditions and even be fatal.
Therefore, in such cases, you should immediately contact medical care. Treatment procedures must be agreed with a doctor; it is recommended to independently use only preventive measures and follow precautionary rules (more on them below).
Indirect danger
In addition to direct harm, insect bites and stings are fraught with infection of the victim by pathogens.
An itchy blister at the site of the bite should not be scratched under any circumstances, because scratching increases the chance of infection in the wound.
The following will help relieve irritation:
- Antipruritics (for example, Fenistil or Moskitol-gel).
- 50% ammonia solution.
- Tincture of calendula or mint
- A weak soda solution.
Basic help in conditions of inaccessibility of other means - one’s own saliva.
It has antiseptic properties, so you shouldn’t disdain it in the absence of other options.
Classification of insects by type of damage caused
Bites and stings of different insects are individual in nature due to the characteristics of their structure. It makes sense to consider separately each group that causes harm unique to it.
Hymenoptera (wasps, bees, bumblebees, hornets, ants)
The insects presented in this section represent perhaps the greatest danger (in terms of consequences from bites) for our latitudes.
Many Hymenoptera do not bite their prey, but sting. Moreover different ways:
- Bee stings are characterized by tearing off the sting along with the poisonous gland and leaving them at the site of the bite. In this way, the poison is injected into the blood for at least a couple of minutes, so you should carefully remove the sting immediately after the bite.
- Wasps, bumblebees and hornets do not have such sophisticated mechanisms and are capable of stinging several times. Therefore, the best salvation from their bites is to escape. Remember: the poison released by the wasp signals danger to its relatives, so it would be prudent to move away from the conflict zone.
- Ants have jaws and, accordingly, bite. However, the strength of the ant's venom, coupled with the likelihood of multiple bites, makes these workers not much safer.
Defensive insects cause a lot of trouble to the object of their painful bites. As a counteraction negative consequences The following treatment is recommended:
- Immediately get rid of the bee sting, trying not to press on the container with the poison with your fingers, trying to pick it off;
- Get rid of rings and bracelets if the bite site is on the extremities to prevent complications associated with swelling;
- Wash the wound with running water and soap or treat with a disinfectant;
- Use cooling and soothing lotions;
- If necessary, take an antiallergic drug;
- If there are multiple bites, seek medical attention.
You should also visit a doctor if the affected areas are the eye area, oral cavity and larynx, if you suspect a worsening allergic reaction.
Mosquito bites in our natural environment cause significant harm only to allergy sufferers and small children. For the most part, the unpleasant consequences from them are annoying itching in the affected area, which is quite easily eliminated using the methods described above.
Even multiple bites of this vile do not pose a serious danger to humans. However, we should not forget about the diseases that their relatives from hot countries carry. There, a mosquito bite can be fatal. Keep this in mind when traveling in those destinations.
Their task is to gnaw off a miniature piece of skin and then lay eggs in the wound.
Such care for the offspring causes painful bites and possible infection with a variety of ailments.
Symptoms of bed bug bites:
- Rows of bites that are detected only in the morning (bedbugs, which are nocturnal, have the ability to pierce the skin almost imperceptibly);
- Quite severe swelling of the skin near the affected areas;
- Persistent redness;
- Severe itching.
Bedbugs attack exposed areas of the body. Diseases carried bed bugs, science has not identified. Thus, the harm caused by these is skin irritation and stress caused by numerous bites of voracious insects.
Fleas are seasonal insects, from which no one is safe from appearing in an apartment, especially if there is a pet in the home that requires walking. It is with pets that fleas most often get into the apartment.
Usually all adults in the population attack at once. Bites are characterized as follows:
- Zigzag shape of wounds;
- Heavy bites are accompanied by the appearance of rash and swelling;
- Very severe itching;
- Sometimes the lumps are dark red at the bite sites.
The main danger posed by fleas is the threat of infection. Therefore, the bite sites are thoroughly washed, and baths with a small amount of starch dissolved in them are used to prevent itching.
Lice infestation, or pediculosis, also has many unpleasant consequences. There are three types of pediculosis:
- Head.
- Clothes.
- Lobkova.
- Gray spots at the site of bites;
- Severe itching, which is a source of constant scratching of the affected areas;
- Presence of nits in the affected area.
Thus, if you find any of these insects in your home, you should begin pest control measures. Wounds from their bites are disinfected and protected from scratching.
Ticks
Insects that local health department announcements “scare” every year. And, I must say, not in vain. These are carriers of many diseases, among which encephalitis and Lyme disease are especially dangerous.
Having waited for the right moment, the tick jumps over the victim and begins to look for appropriate place for suction. Especially often, people find attached ticks in the groin and armpit areas, on the head among the hair.
The following symptoms correspond to their bites:
- The moment of the bite itself is invisible due to painlessness;
- Dark seal;
- Short-term swelling;
The main danger to humans is possible infection. When a tick bites, it first secretes quickly hardening saliva, which firmly secures its proboscis in the puncture. Subsequently, it secretes a liquid containing anticoagulants and substances that dissolve the victim’s tissues.
The virus, if present in the tick’s body, immediately enters the blood with the first secretion of saliva, so infection occurs instantly.
There is still no cure for tick-borne encephalitis, so vaccination is the best measure to prevent the disease.
If you find a tick on yourself, it is advisable to go to a medical facility without removing it, where a specialist will remove it. At the same time, insect diagnostics will immediately provide data on the presence of viruses. If this is not possible, you can pull the tick out with tweezers or a loop of thread, picking it up near the surface of the skin and swinging it from side to side. Then go with the insect for diagnostics.
You cannot coat the tick with anything! Such attempts cause the insect to vomit, which is fraught with additional problems with the bite.
Spiders and other arthropods
The bites of representatives of this group are defensive in nature.
In Russia, the following spiders pose a danger to humans:
- Karakurt, whose bite can be deadly even for a healthy adult.
- A brown recluse spider, at the site of whose bite a liquid blister appears, leaving behind a long-lasting ulcer. In rare cases, an encounter with him leads to death.
- Tarantula. A weakly venomous spider, the discomfort from its bite, however, can last a week.
Poisonous spiders, salpugs, scorpions and scolopendras are common only in the southern regions of the country. The symptoms of poisoning by their poison are largely similar. This is redness, swelling of varying severity and aching pain at the site of the bite, in severe cases - nausea, pain in the head and abdomen, and cramps. They pose a particular danger to children.
The exception is karakurt. Its imperceptible prick, expressed by slight swelling and slight redness, leads to persistent and very painful muscle cramps. Symptoms can take anywhere from a few minutes to 6 hours to develop. Characterized by sweating and swelling, pallor and clouding of consciousness, turning into delirium.
When bitten by these creatures, you must urgently take an antidote serum (when in potentially dangerous places, it is advisable to always have it on hand) and immediately seek help, because a possible allergic reaction to their poisons is sometimes protracted and very severe.
Preventive measures
It is much easier to prevent a bite than to deal with its consequences.
Knowledge of preventative measures and the necessary actions in case of bites will make life much safer and calmer.
Consultation with an expert:
Warmer weather increases the number of insects that can bite or sting. Most often, people do not know what kind of insect bit them and how dangerous it is. The consequences of such bites can be different - from ordinary redness to a threat to life.
We have compiled for you a selection of the top 8 most common bites that you can feel while walking in the city or abroad on an exotic vacation.
Mosquito bite
A mosquito bite looks like a reddened subcutaneous blister that is very itchy. As a rule, no special measures need to be taken, except to apply a soothing ointment to the bite site.
It is better not to scratch mosquito bites
But if after a bite you suddenly feel fever, joint pain or swollen lymph nodes, you should consult a doctor - there may be an infection in the blood. After all, mosquitoes are recognized as the most dangerous modern mosquito in the world.
Flea bite
These bites cause severe itching. Typically, flea bites appear in groups of 3-4 dots and resemble small red blisters.
Stay away from animals that may carry fleas
First of all them needs to be washed water and soap. Then you need to lubricate the bites with zinc cream or other a remedy that removes itching The main thing is not to scratch the bites to avoid infection.
Bedbug bite
Bedbug bites look different. Some may not notice them at all, while others experience a severe allergic reaction, accompanied by itching and pain.
Bedbugs most often live in damp buildings and old furniture
In addition to skin lesions, typical symptoms of bedbug bites include pain, itching, dermatitis, and for allergy sufferers, swelling and even blisters.
The main enemy of bedbugs is hygiene. Therefore, first of all, wash with soap, paying attention Special attention bite sites. In extreme cases, you may need an anti-inflammatory or antihistamine.
Spider bite
With the exception of a few species (such as the black widow and karakurt), most spider bites are harmless and completely non-venomous. Characteristic sign such a bite - two points framed by a circle.
The main thing is to panic when you see a spider on your body. Almost all of them are non-poisonous
If you are bitten by a spider, first wash the bite area with soap and water. Then apply ice and take pain medication if necessary. If the bite is very swollen, take an antihistamine.
If you experience more severe symptoms or have reason to suspect that the spider was poisonous, contact your doctor as soon as possible.
Tick bite
But ticks are perhaps the most dangerous insect, and the bite mark must be closely monitored
If a tick has clung to you, you need to remove it as soon as possible, without resorting to folk remedies such as oil, gasoline and cauterization.
Use tweezers to grasp the tick close to the skin and gently pull upward. Then wash the bite thoroughly with soap and water.
The tick vector usually takes up to 48 hours to infect you with the virus, so you should always check for ticks after returning from the forest.
Everyone knows for sure what a mosquito looks like. The photo is presented below.
You can notice the presence of mosquitoes in the apartment in the evening. Therefore, you can worry about protective equipment in advance. It’s no secret that an ultrasonic repeller is the best way to get rid of blood-sucking mosquitoes. An effective product appeared on our territory about 15 years ago, and still occupies a leading position among all products against mosquitoes in the apartment. The small box just needs to be plugged into a power outlet and you can sleep peacefully. The squeaking of mosquitoes will be heard, they will fly around the body of a sleeping person, but will not be able to bite. Ultrasound affects nervous system insect, it loses orientation in space and cannot find a food source. Forced to leave the apartment through open window either cracks or simply dies without being satisfied.
The situation is much more complicated with other blood-sucking insects. Resourcefulness, endurance, patience, and an effective remedy are required.
House fleas
Small dark-colored insects prefer the blood of pets - cats, dogs. Often they are the ones who bring fleas into the house. Photos and dogs are presented below.
However, there are situations when fleas settle in an apartment and drink human blood in the absence of pets. Then a person may not realize their existence for a long time, and wake up in the morning with bites on his body.
They are treated with alcohol tinctures, aloe juice, ice, soda solution, and special medicines for the bites of blood-sucking insects.
The tracks are messy. Fight fleas spring cleaning with addition detergent, vinegar, ammonia, lavender oil into water. As well as sprays, aerosols, concentrated solutions. In parallel with cleaning the apartment, pets and their sleeping place.
Linen lice
A louse in the house can appear completely unexpectedly. If previously it was believed that they lived in conditions of absolute unsanitary conditions, now the opinion has changed. For lice, the mess in the room does not play a special role, the main thing is the availability of food. Photo bed lice presented below.
Insects bite in places where blood vessels are located closer to the skin. Traces can be found on the arms, legs, back, neck, shoulders, and occasionally on the stomach. A linen louse does not crawl onto your head; there is no point in looking for them there. This is how it differs from the head louse. Although the rest of the behavior, lifestyle, and reproduction are identical.
It is unreasonable to expect that the louse will disappear on its own. Starving her in your absence will not work. A louse can live without blood for about a month. Then it goes into a new stage - suspended animation, waiting for favorable living conditions. Thus, the fight against linen louse should be carried out immediately after its detection. If the infection of an apartment is at a small stage, it can be dealt with quickly. Tidy up the bed. Remove bedding, wash at temperatures above 65 degrees Celsius, or even better, boil.
The worst thing blood-sucking insect of all of the above. Getting rid of these insects is quite difficult, especially if time is lost and the bugs have managed to multiply. You can see what a bed bug looks like in the photo. Interestingly, a hungry and a well-fed bug differs in both body size and shape. The insect has an elastic translucent chitinous cover. When blood enters the bug's stomach, it enlarges and changes color. A well-fed bedbug has round shape body, convex, scarlet color. A hungry insect is gray or brown in color, flat, several times smaller. A photo of a hungry and well-fed bug is presented below.
Below is a photo of a child bitten by bedbugs.
Currently, there are a lot of products available to combat bed bugs. The choice depends on the degree of infestation of the apartment by insects, personal preferences, and financial capabilities. You can buy inexpensive chalk “Mashenka” for bedbugs, an expensive modern microencapsulated product used by professionals in the fight against insects. For example, Gett, Delta Zone. Bedbugs are destroyed with an aerosol, a concentrated solution, and general cleaning. It is very important to find a nest of bedbugs and find out the reason for their appearance.