Your Health and Wellness Partner For Extensive Care
You might have noticed red and itchy skin spots after returning from jogging, camping trips, or a hiking trail. But you can’t find any evidence of the insect!
While these bugs or insect bites might make you feel itchy or discomfort for a short period, they don’t always require medical care.
But some insect bites can be dangerous, especially if they don’t heal within 2 days or trigger an allergic reaction.
At Family Urgent Care, with locations in Indiana and Illinois, our experienced medical staff specializes not only in diagnosing different bug bites but also in treating bacterial infections or allergic reactions. You can walk in or even book an online appointment to visit our urgent care clinic.
Common Symptoms Of Insect Bites
The symptoms can vary depending on the type of bug or insect bite. Some of the mild symptoms of bug bites that you should know include:
- Redness, rash, or itching on the site of the bite
- Swelling or pain
- Numbness or tingling sensation in the affected area
- Heat around the affected area
- Fever
- Nausea or vomiting
- Muscle spasms and body aches
- Swelling in the lips or throat
Suppose you experience any of these symptoms or have flu-like symptoms followed by an insect or arachnoid bite. In that case, you should seek medical attention to rule out allergic reactions, infections, or disease.
Types Of Insects That Can Cause A Disease or Infection
While all insect bites do not cause allergic reactions, disease, or infection, some of them transmit a disease or cause viral or bacterial infection. Here is a list of bugs or insects that are commonly found in different regions of the US.
- Mosquitoes: cause Malaria, Dengue, West Nile virus, Zika virus and much more
- Fleas or flies: some cause insect-borne diseases
- Ticks: cause tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Babesiosis.
- Spiders: Some poisonous spiders (black widow spiders) transmit venom that causes severe allergic reactions in the body.
- Bed bugs: not known to spread disease but they can cause secondary infection if excessive scratching is done.
- Beetles: Scarabiases or Beetle disease
- Wasps: can cause fatal allergic reactions in some people
- Deer flies: can cause tularemia (rabbit fever)
What Can You Do About Bug Bites And Stings At Home?
If you have a mild reaction to an insect or bug bite, you can take these steps at home:
- Firstly, remove any stingers.
- Gently wash the affected area and clean it with antiseptic
- Apply an ice pack to reduce pain and swelling.
- If the wound is on the arm or leg, keep it elevated.
- You can also take anti-itching or antiallergic medicines or painkillers to reduce pain and itching.
When Your Bug Bites Require Urgent Care?
If you have a mild reaction to an insect or bug bite, you can take these steps at home:
- Firstly, remove any stingers.
- Gently wash the affected area and clean it with antiseptic
- Apply an ice pack to reduce pain and swelling.
- If the wound is on the arm or leg, keep it elevated.
- You can also take anti-itching or antiallergic medicines or painkillers to reduce pain and itching.
