$Unique_ID{PAR00111}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Insect Bites and Stings}
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Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Insect Bites Stings Hives breathing Difficulty difficult breathe
allergic reaction Swelling Itching Stinger honeybee dark bumps ticks calamine
lotion antihistamine insect repellent repellents mosquito netting bitten stung
scorpion black widow spider bee wasp hornet impetigo venom poisonous secretion
brown recluse spider venoms Rocky Mountain spotted fever Colorado tick fevers
tularemia rickettsialpox mouse mite viral encephalitis mosquitoes typhus red
mites lice rat fleas allergic bees wasps hornets yellow jacket jackets asthma
circulatory collapse ankles legs Bed bugs Honeybees bumblebee bumblebees
antihistamine epinephrine antihistamines steroids injections antidote
antidotes Steroid medication medications}
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Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Insect Bites and Stings


     Emergency Quick Reference

     EMERGENCY SYMPTOMS
     - Hives
     - Difficulty in breathing

     EMERGENCY TREATMENT
     - Take the child to the nearest emergency room if he or she has an
       allergic reaction (such as hives or difficulty in breathing).

     SYMPTOMS
     - Swelling
     - Itching
     - Stinger left in wound (honeybee)
     - Small, dark bumps (ticks)

     HOME CARE
     - Relieve swelling by applying ice.
     - Apply calamine lotion to relieve itching.
     - Give a nonprescription antihistamine to relieve itching and swelling.
     - If a tick is still attached to the skin, touch the protruding portion
       of the insect with the still-hot tip of a burned match; the tick will
       usually fall off the skin.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - Protect children with appropriate clothing and insect repellents.  Use
       mosquito netting if necessary.
     - If your child is allergic to certain insect bites or stings, make sure
       that your doctor tells you what to do if the child is bitten or stung.
     - Find out which insects are common in your neighborhood and how to
       protect your child against them.
     - If your child develops hives or breathing difficulties after being
       bitten or stung by a scorpion, black widow spider, bee, wasp, or
       hornet, take the child to the nearest emergency room.


     The bites and stings of most insects are only minor annoyances to most
children.  The only common complication is impetigo, a highly contagious skin
infection that tends to occur at a point where the skin is already broken--for
instance, where a child has scratched the site of an insect bite.
     Some insect bites, however, can cause serious conditions.  Black widow
spiders and scorpions can inject a venom (poisonous secretion) powerful enough
to kill.  The bite of the brown recluse spider can cause a large, open ulcer
and fever.  Female wood tick bites can cause paralysis and death.
     Among the diseases that may result from insect bites are Rocky Mountain
spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, and tularemia (transmitted by wood ticks);
rickettsialpox (mouse mites); viral encephalitis (mosquitoes); and typhus (red
mites, lice, and rat fleas).
     Some people are allergic to the venom contained in the stings of bees,
wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets, and can suffer a severe reaction if stung.
This reaction can take the form of generalized hives, asthma, or circulatory
collapse (insufficient blood pressure to maintain circulation of the blood),
and can even lead to death.
     Some children become allergic to the bites of mosquitoes, stable flies,
fleas, and lice, but an allergic reaction to the bite of one of these is
usually less severe than that caused by the venom of a stinging insect.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     Flying insects usually bite only exposed areas of the skin.  Crawling
insects bite anywhere, often in groups.  Flea bites are most often found on
the ankles and lower legs.  Bedbugs often leave three to five bites an inch or
two apart and arranged in a fairly straight line.  Honeybees leave the stinger
in the wound; bumblebees and other stinging insects do not.  Ticks remain
attached to the skin for long periods while they suck blood; when engorged
with blood, they resemble small, plump raisins.

HOME CARE

     In most instances, insect bites can be treated by applying ice for a few
minutes and then applying calamine lotion.  A nonprescription antihistamine
taken by mouth should relieve the itching and reduce the swelling.  In the
case of a tick bite, touching the still-hot tip of a burned-out match to the
protruding portion of the insect will usually cause the tick to fall off the
skin without leaving the head in the wound.

PRECAUTIONS

  -  Protect children with proper clothing, mosquito netting, and insect
     repellents.
  -  Learn about the insects in your locale and how to protect your child
     against the dangerous ones.
  -  If your child develops hives or difficulty in breathing, speaking, or
     swallowing after being bitten by a scorpion or black widow spider or
     after being stung by a bee, wasp, or hornet, take the child immediately
     to the nearest emergency room.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     If your child has an allergic reaction to an insect bite or sting, the
doctor will probably prescribe epinephrine, antihistamines, or steroids to
inhibit the reaction.  The doctor may recommend a series of injections to
reduce the child's sensitivity to the insect in question.  The doctor may also
teach you or the child how to treat a bite or sting at home.
     In the case of scorpion and black widow spider bites, the doctor will
give the child an antidote that counteracts the effects of the poisonous
venom.  Steroid medications are also prescribed for these bites and the bite
of the brown recluse spider.

RELATED TOPICS:  Asthma; Encephalitis; Hives; Impetigo; Rocky Mountain spotted
fever