My many studies and research for past medical articles, papers and instructional guides has given me the essential knowledge that it takes to bring this type of important data to you, my readers. Insects may not drive fear into all hearts but for some they soon learn just how dangerous insects can be. Insect bites come in all shapes and sizes not to mention pain levels. This article is designed to give you a little more education on the insect world and the emergency remedies needed to effectively heal insect bites while reducing your risks of serious complications.
Killer bees are probably the most feared insect out of the winged population such as wasps and hornets because of all the media attention. When in actuality the Africanized ‘killer bee’ has no more venom that any other bee. The thing that makes this insect more dangerous is the fact that they swarm in greater mass and attack all together when they are provoked. This makes the insect deadly.
Honeybees are often confused with bumblebees in the respect that they can only sting once before dying. The only insect with that characteristic is the honeybee because of its barbed stinger that gets stuck in our tough skin easily. All of the other insects named here have smooth stingers and can pump venom into an unsuspecting person numerous times without giving it a second thought and causing any harm to itself.
In any case the person stung by any of the stinging insects above should be monitored to make absolutely certain that they are not severely allergic to the insect. The symptoms that will tell you if the victim is allergic to the insect bite or venom are: hives, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, vomiting, and even fainting or feeling as though they will collapse.
Always be sure to remove any stingers that may be left in the skin. Having an allergy kit in your home and car are very important. You never know when a person may be stung by one of these insects and the last thing you want to do is be caught off guard and unprepared. These contain syringes of epinephrine which is mandatory for survival. There are the Ana-Kit and EpiPen products that contain epinephrine for children and adults. If the allergic reaction is not bad then Benadryl should be immediately taken to reduce the ‘snowball’ effect that theses types of allergic reactions can sometimes have. Get to a medical facility as soon as possible to be further evaluated.
For fast relief it was once thought that a paste made with baking soda and water could help but later a more effective remedy surfaced. A paste made from unseasoned meat tenderizer and water can do the trick. Apply generously to the insect bite or sting.
Spiders are the most feared insect and, in some cases, with very good reason. The most common main spiders to be worried about as to needing emergency remedies to counter effects are:
The black widow. She bites but rarely ever kills the person bit. I say rarely because this insect has been known to kill babies and the elderly but even that is rather rare. Once bitten and injected with venom, a person may feel: abdominal cramping, headache, swelling, anxiety, muscle spasms, and fever. If the victim is pregnant premature labor due to severe contractions is possible.
For this type of insect bite emergency treatment will be needed if these signs are evident which usually takes place inside of an hour. The only thing you can do at this point is apply an ice pack to the bite and transport to the nearest medical facility.
Brown recluse is a nasty little insect that can do a lot of damage, even more so than the black widow. There are characteristics of these insects that can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt what they are. For instance, the widow has a red hour glass on her belly and the recluse has a violin or fiddle shape on its back. A person needs to be careful with both of these arachnid insects not to reach in a dark place and grab things such as under porches, inside sheltered areas etc. These insects are primarily nocturnal and will not initiate a problem but remember they do get scared and will defend themselves.
The recluse’s bite and injection of venom can deteriorate the skin so much so that it can form a large blister and when that pops it will ooze, later forming into an ulcer. Because of the massive tissue destruction medical attention is required but emergency remedies are what can help the injured party until you can get them help. These emergency remedies are important to know if you go camping or hiking and are far away from any hospital or clinic.
First, apply ice packs, if there are no serious complications or symptoms that individual may have lucked out but monitoring them is necessary. If there is access to mupirocin or bacitracin ointment applying it to the wound can help as well.
Chiggers are real pests and can irritate like you wouldn’t believe. They are small, red insects, biting repeatedly and in most cases this insect can leave hundreds of bites on a person in a very short period of time. The primary targeted areas are the feet and ankles. Blisters and swelling occur typically with these insect bites. Emergency remedies are simple and consist of: a tenderizer paste as is mentioned above or even clear nail polish if it is handy can do the trick on these insect bites.
All of the insect bites here can be avoided. By either applying insect repellent or avoid reaching into dark places people can avoid serious situations with these painful and sometimes serious insect bites. Take precautions and use common sense when you are out and about in the environment and respect other living things to minimize attacks.
