They ache, sting, itch, leave a puffiness and unsightly blisters - everyone knows that insect bites are not pleasant. Knowing what has eaten us, we are often able to alleviate the annoying symptoms with the help of home remedies or remedies from the pharmacy. The trick is to recognize the bite. And it might not be that simple.

What is the risk of being bitten by insects?

Most insects bite because they are thirsty for blood - this is the case of mosquitoes and flies hated by everyone. Others - such as bees and wasps that do not feed on blood - when we irritate them.Usually their bites are "only" bothersome. But sometimes they can also be dangerous and even life-threatening.This is the case with allergy sufferers, for whom the bite may result in a dangerous and often fatal anaphylactic shock.

It is also unpleasant to end up with tick bites: too close encounter with this arachnid can result in Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis or anaplasmosis.

Insect and arachnid bite marks look similar, so if we haven't seen the culprit, it can be hard to judge what's gnawed at us. And such knowledge is necessary to be able to effectively relieve pain and burning - after all, a mosquito bite requires the use of other methods than a fluff bite or a bee sting.

Trace of a mosquito bite

A characteristic bubble, swelling and erythema develops at the site of the mosquito bite, which lasts for several days. The skin around the bite initially only itches, but after one or two days of scratching, it also burns and hurts. If the swelling lasts longer than three or four days, a doctor must be consulted: this may indicate an allergy to mosquito venom or a developing infection.

Why do some mosquitoes bite more than others?

Trace of a mosquito bite:

Trace after a nap bite

The hair bite scratches the skin, therefore the characteristic trace of its bite is a painful morning with a clear, bleeding mark, around which a painful swelling quickly forms. The skin around the wound can be noticeably warmer.The trace of a fluff bite not only hurts, but alsoit is very itchy- however, do not scratch this area as it may lead to infection.

It is worth knowing that during a meal, the nap injects saliva under the skin, which contains irritating substances, and which along with the blood spreads through the body - that's why biting it by a few or a dozen naps may end in serious ailments.

Trace of a fluff bite:

Trace of a bee sting

Bees rarely attack - unless provoked (the exception is the African honey bee, not without reason called the "killer bee"). Not only does the moment of sticking the sting hurt, but also the place where it stuck. After the sting, there is a slight mark around which swelling, redness, and a blister quickly form.

Characteristically, there is a sting in the bee bite wound.They need to be removed quickly, but be careful as there is a bag of venom at the end. The sting can be gently scraped off the skin with a fingernail or a knife (it's better not to grab the tip that protrudes from the wound, because then it is easy to squeeze the venom out).

Trace of a bee sting:

Trace of a wasp sting

Wasps are aggressive by nature and can attack unprovoked. The wasp does not lose its sting after a sting and can attack repeatedly.Her sting hurts a lot,is often accompanied by severe swelling and redness of the skin. A painful lump may be seen at the site of the sting.

Trace of a wasp sting:

Trace of an ant bite

Ants attack when in danger. Traces of their bites are most often red hives, accompanied by pain and itching.When biting, the ants cut the skin and then pour venom on the wound,which contains high concentration formic acid - this is what corresponds to for local irritation, and in people prone to allergies also for allergic reactions. There are also other allergenic substances in the ant's venom, including alkaloid proteins, terpenoids, hyaluronidase, and histamine.

Which ants can bite us?

Traces after being bitten by ants:

Trace of a tick bite

Ticks bite into the skin and stay in it for some time. When they are saturated with blood, they fall off. However, they can be overlooked if the bite site is beyond our sight, e.g. on the back.The mark after a tick bite is not the same for everyone.In some people it can be an inflammatory or allergic lesion - the skin is then red, but it does not itch or hurt, and the reactiondoes not exceed 5 cm.

In some people, after a tick bite, migratory erythema may appear, caused by the bacterium Borrelia - such erythema is one of the symptoms of a dangerous tick-borne disease - Lyme disease. The migratory erythema is large - its diameter exceeds 5 cm. It resembles a shield - in its center there is a red mark from a tick bite, around which a pale circle appears, and behind it - a red rim that covers more and more skin every day.

Erythema after a tick bite. How to recognize and treat severe migratory erythema?

See the gallery of 5 photos

Trace of a flea bite

Flea bites are not characteristic: they are shaped like small red or pink spots with a slightly darker point in the center. They could be overlooked were it not for the fact that they are very itchy - the itching usually disappears after some time, usually after a few days.Usually there are at least a few of them, more often a dozen.They are often arranged in regular rows.

Trace of a flea bite:

Trace of a spider bite

In Poland, it happens extremely rarely for a simple reason: in our country, in natural conditions, practically (with few exceptions)there are no spiders that would be able to bite hard enough to pierce human skin.So if you see a spider on the ceiling in the evening and you wake up in the morning with a fresh bite mark, it is almost certainly not the spider's responsibility.

A species that lives in Poland and could bite, leaving a painful mark on the skin, is a cave nether - its bite causes a strong inflammatory reaction and pain similar to that associated with a wasp bite. Armed colic can also bite: its bite causes symptoms of poisoning, chills, pain, weakness, and inflammation appears at the site of the bite, accompanied by burning pain.

Venomous spiders in Poland

Trace of a spider bite:

Trace of a bedbug bite

Bed bugs feed on blood and feed primarily at night - their bites are therefore the easiest to spot and feel when you get up in the morning. Traces of a bedbug bite most often appear on the back, abdomen, arms and chest -rarely appear singly, most often appear in several or even a dozen.The site after the bite is usually itchy, slightly raised , reddened, swelling often appears, although an allergic reaction also happens and the trace of a bedbug bite is extensive, surrounded by erythema.

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Traces of bedbug bites:

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