What Bit Me? The Ultimate Guide

It is probably a fair assumption that at some point most of us have been stung, bitten and suffered first hand from those unbelievably itchy and very irritating bites. Some people just shrug it off and they have very little effect at all, on the other hand some people can experience life threatening reactions and need swift medical interventions.

The following article will enlighten you as to what might have stung/bitten you and some possible ways to treat the problem, making it a bit more manageable and less painful.

Step one:

Yes, we know this isn’t easy but please refrain from scratching the bite.

Once the skin has been broken the bite is far more likely to become infected. The first sign your bite is becoming infected is likely to be that it gets redder, hot and itchier. If this is the case, get it seen by a health professional as soon as possible. If the redness tracks away from the bite and spreads across the skin, this could be a sign of cellulitis, which is serious and you should get medical treatment quickly.

Reactions:

Anyone can react to a sting. We had a client who went into anaphylaxis shock for the first time following a wasp sting at the age of 56.

However, this is rare and the majority of people normally experiences a local reaction, which centres on just the bite or sting. If this is the case the best cause of action is to apply an ice pack or something cold to the affected area. This can help reduce any localised pain and ease the swelling, if there is any present.

Anti-histamines, which could be either pill or cream based, (Anthesan cream is effective as a treatment, and can be purchased from any chemists or superstore), this will also help treat any itching and possible swelling. If you are experiencing pain you may wish to take a paracetamol or ibuprofen tablet for pain management, just make sure you are not allergic to them.

Anaphylaxis:

If the casualty starts to show any signs of a systemic reaction or anaphylactic shock, call the emergency services immediately. If the casualty has an Adrenaline Auto-Injector or EpiPen assist them if required to use it. Stay composed and offer reassurance, if it appears they are struggling with their breathing sit them up, back straight with bent knees, sometimes referred to as the Lazy W Position, the Lazy W position takes away some of the strain on the heart.

If their breathing is not compromised but they complain about feeling dizzy or sick or showing signs of shock, then it is probably better to lie the casualty down and raise the legs, this will aid circulation into the vital organs of the body. Leave them in this position for a while as any sudden movement including standing might just trigger a reduction in blood pressure. Turn their head gently to one side if they appear likely to be sick. Keep them warm and reassure until medical help arrives.

Bee and Wasp Stings

Bees and wasps are not generally aggressive and don’t look to sting people, however it is extremely common for people to accidentally step on them in bare feet, or for them to fly into us and then sting. When bees or wasps sting a person, they inject venom through their stinger into the skin of the victim.

Wasps, hornets and other stinging insects have stingers without barbs that they retract when they sting, so these insects can sting people multiple times. Bees have a barbed stinger that they leave in the victim’s skin along with the venom sack so they cannot sting twice.

Symptoms:

The vast majority of people only experience a localised reaction to bee stings. The area surrounding the sting is normally red and can be painful. It is only about 3% of the population have an allergic reacting to a sting, and about 0.8% of those stung suffer more severe and life-threatening reactions requiring the use of an EpiPen or immediate medical attention will be required, as described above.

What you can do:

If someone is stung by a bee and the sting remains in the skin, quickly flick it out using your thumb nail or a credit card. Try not to squeeze the sting as this can increase the amount of allergen entering the body and therefore increase any possible allergic reaction. The venom sac can take 2-3 minutes to release the venom and so removing the sac promptly can prevent further venom increasing the reaction.

Ticks

Ticks are arachnids that live in woodland and grassy areas. They are blood sucking and bite into the skin to feed on blood. Initially they are extremely small, but swell as they eat, eventually becoming pea sized and therefore easier to spot and remove.

Unfortunately, you are unlikely to know immediately that you have been bitten as Tick bites do not hurt.

How to spot and remove ticks:

Use a tick-removal tool. You can buy these from some pharmacies, vets and pet shops.

Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.

Slowly twist the tick tool for about 3 rotations clockwise and the tick will come out taking care not to squeeze or crush the tick. Dispose of it when you have removed it.

Clean the bite with an antiseptic wipe or soap and water.

You don’t need to do anything else unless you notice a rash or become unwell.

Never burn the tick off or try and use chemicals to kill it.

Keep the tick in a container to show to the health professionals so they can ensure the tick has been removed entirely (this is optional). Cover up with long trousers and socks when walking in woodland and long grass and always check yourself, your clothes and your dog for ticks upon your return.

Lyme Disease in Humans:

Not all ticks carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, however it’s still important to be aware of them and how to safely remove them as soon as possible, (see above).

Lyme disease is a serious illness in humans, characterised by flu like symptoms, lethargy and aches and pains. 50% of people with Lyme disease develop a classic bull’s eye type rash, which can appear on any part of the body. If a doctor can diagnose and treat Lyme Disease quickly, it is possible to make a full recovery. Otherwise it can cause paralysis, arthritis, meningitis and severe long-term problems.

Bullseye rash

Apart from humans, Lyme disease can and does affect domestic dogs and care should be taken to periodically check your dog for ticks, especially after a walk-in bracken, woodland and open moors.

Chiggers

Chiggers are mites that are commonly found on meadows, golf courses, woodlands, parks and in grassland around lakes and rivers.

They are members of the Trombiculidae family and are tiny mite like spiders. They are known as berry bugs, red bugs or harvest mites.

Symptoms:

Intense itching

Flat or raised red bumps on the skin

Bumps can sometimes appear blistered.

Antihistamines and tropical anti-bite and sting relief creams can help manage the itching.

Chiggers most commonly bite areas of thinned skin such as wrinkles and warm folds of skin such as the crotch and groin areas, armpits, and behind the knees. The ankles and calves are also common sites for chigger bites. When the chigger bites, it inserts its feeding structures and mouth parts into the skin. They inject enzymes into the host skin that destroy the tissue around the bite and it is these that frequently provoke reactions. The area around the bite then hardens, and they insert a feeding tube, called a sylostome, further into the bite area. They can feed on the skin through this structure for a few days if they aren’t removed.

 Mosquito bites

Most of us are familiar with the tell-tale buzz of the mosquito and well aware of the look of these pesky vampiric pests. Unfortunately, we do get them in the UK and our increasingly warm summers are leading to a surge in numbers. Mosquitos feed on human blood and furthermore, they can also carry malaria, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis and many more extremely serious diseases.

Mosquitos love stagnant water and breed prolifically when the conditions are right. Only female mosquitos bite humans as females need blood in their diet to reproduce. Male mosquitos have feathery antennae that help them sense the presence of female mosquitos but the males only live for about a week. Females have fewer bushy antennae and can live for a few months. Female mosquitos have long, tubular mouthparts that they use to pierce your skin and feed on your blood. When they bite you, they inject saliva into your body while suctioning your blood.

Symptoms:

Mosquito saliva contains proteins that most people react to causing a red and itchy bump.

How to Avoid Being Bitten:

Mosquitos sniff their victims out and choose them based on their scent. Many mosquito repellents try to change our smell to make us less appetising to the mosquitoes. You can get patches and sprays and people also say eating large amounts of Marmite can make you less appealing to the bugs.

Ideally use a high quality, insect repellent and cover up with loose-fitting, long-sleeved clothes and long trousers. Some mosquitos are around more in the daytime, some at dawn and dusk. Deet based insect repellents are widely seen as the most effective.

What to do if Bitten:

Wash mosquito bites and stings with soap and warm water. Antihistamine tablets and topical creams, anti-itch creams and applying an ice pack to the bites should provide relief from itching. Avoid scratching the bites.

It is rare for anyone to have a severe allergic or anaphylactic reaction to a mosquito bite. Therefore, if you develop aching, headaches, or fever after a bite, contact your doctor. These are more likely to be symptoms of a mosquito-borne disease.

Ants

The most common ant in the UK, the black garden variety, does not sting or bite. However, red ants, wood ants and flying ants sometimes do.

Ant bites and stings are generally harmless, although you’ll probably feel a nip and a pale pink mark may develop on your skin. Sometimes the bitten area may be painful, itchy and swollen.

 Spiders

Bites from spiders in the UK are rare, but some native spiders – such as the false widow spider – are capable of giving a nasty bite.

Symptoms:

Spider bites leave small puncture marks on the skin

They can be painful and cause redness and swelling.

Some spider’s bites can cause you to feel sick, sweating and dizziness.

Bites can also become infected or cause a severe allergic reaction in rare cases. Get medical help immediately if you have any severe or worrying symptoms after a spider bite.

Bed Bugs

Bedbugs are small, oval, brown insects that feed on the blood of animals and humans. Adult bedbugs have flat bodies about the size of an apple seed. After feeding, though, they swell and turn a reddish colour.

Signs of bed bugs:

Usually, you won’t spot bed bugs around the house, so it’s difficult to know whether a bed bug has bitten you, or a spider or mosquito. If there are bed bugs in your home, you may spot:

spots of blood on your bedding – this could be from their bites or from rolling over and squashing them

small brown spots around the home – their poo

 Symptoms:

Bedbug bites typically occur on the face, neck, hands or arms.

They’re typically found in straight lines across the skin. They’re usually in clusters of three to five bites

The bites are not usually painful, and if you’ve not been bitten by bedbugs before, you may not have any symptoms.

If you have been bitten before, you may develop itchy red bumps that can last for several days.

On white skin, the bites will appear red, however on darker skin they may look purple and be harder to spot

Treatment

Bed bugs usually go away by themselves in a week or two, but there are things you can do at home to reduce irritation:

putting a cool, wet cloth on the bites can ease the irritation and itchiness

keeping the area clean using soap and water reduces the risk of infection

resisting the urge to scratch the bites, because this increases the risk of infection

It is always best to see a medical professional. A pharmacist may be able to prescribe a steroid cream, or antihistamines.

Fleas

Fleas are minute, irritating insects, that like to feed on our blood and that of our pets. They are a real nuisance and their bites are itchy and sometimes painful. Getting rid of fleas is hard and requires professional pest control treatment for total eradication. Pet owners are most at risk of flea infestations, however, it is possible to have fleas in your home without pets.

Fleas are tiny jumping bugs, that are extremely fast breeders.

Symptoms:

Flea bites are distinctive small, red bumps with a red “halo” around the bite centre.

Bites usually occur in groups of three or four, or in a straight line.

Fleas like warm moist areas such as the waist, armpits, breasts, groin, or in the folds of the elbows and knees. However, they also nibble the easy to reach areas such as ankles and calves. Fleabites are incredibly itchy, the skin around each bite can be sore or painful and you might develop a rash or hives near the site of a bite. Scratching the bites is very likely to lead to infection.

This is not a comprehensive guide to bites and stings. If you experience any unusual reactions or issues following a bite or sting, please seek medical advice. Wishing you a safe and happy bite and sting free summer!

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