The bites of mosquitoes, flies and other insects, as well as ticks, cause pain, inflammation and can even be life-threatening. There are leeches and jellyfish in the water, spiders, scorpions and vipers on land. The dog is not always a friend, and foxes suffer from rabies. What to do if you are bitten, stung or bitten?

Bites, bites, stings and bites are the bane of summer months and vacation trips - most often we are attacked by well-known mosquitoes, flies, bugs, ticks and ants, but during trips abroad you can meet with slightly more exotic attackers. Besides, not only insects and arachnids want to bite us. How to deal with a bite?

Mosquitoes prickly

We know 40 kinds and approx. 3.5 thousand. species of mosquitoes. Mosquito bites are rarely single, because these insects fly in groups.

Diseases spread by mosquitoes include: malaria, yellow fever, dengue, filariasis, West Nile virus, Rift Valley fever.

Only females prick the skin. Komarzyca must drink blood to lay eggs. Introduces a strongly burning discharge into the wound, which prevents blood from clotting, making it easier to suck. Fleas, bedbugs and cockroaches bite in a similar way. First, red blisters appear near the injection site, then itchy spots. Increased temperature may occur in sensitive individuals. Stinging and itching in the places where mosquitoes are stung are relieved by washing these places with cold water or an alcohol compress. If the local reaction lasts longer, hydrocortisone ointment can be used. However, it is best to get mosquito repellent sprays and gels or a contact pad and an ointment that soothes itching, soothes skin irritation and has anti-allergic properties.

Ticks not only in the forest

Ticks are a threat not only for forest hiking enthusiasts - you can also fall prey to them in the meadow or even on the lawn in front of your home. The saliva of ticks is a threat to us - it can contain, among others. tick-borne encephalitis viruses or bacteria that cause Lyme disease (Lyme disease).

CHECK>>What diseases do ticks transmit?

The carriers of viruses and bacteria are a small number of ticks, but we never knowwhich is why it is so important to quickly and remove the tick in a way that reduces the chances of transmission of the disease.

CHECK>>How to remove a tick?

Aggressive bolims, fluff and fluff, or bitterns

Bolimushki, flies and bugs, i.e. tops, can be no less bothersome than mosquitoes:

  • bolimushka- the only biting fly living in our climate, single bites are not dangerous, but bolimus attack in flocks, and bitten places itch and hurt; apply soothing ointment as soon as possible and take an allergy-relieving drug, if the skin becomes inflamed, see a dermatologist, as it may result in infection
  • fluff- these are small insects which, after being bitten, leave a clear, often bleeding trace and a painful swelling lasting up to several days, the fluff saliva can cause a very strong allergic reaction, and even anaphylactic shock; Until you see a doctor, carefully disinfect the bitten areas and smear them with a cooling preparation or put ice on them, do not scratch the bitten places, because this will result in hard-to-heal, festering wounds and then ugly, blue-red marks.
  • bovine bittern- often mistakenly referred to as "bug"; his pricks are very painful and dangerous, because bovine bitterns can transmit tularemia, anthrax as well as trypanosomes and nematodes

How to protect yourself from insects?

In summer, open special thin nets in the windows, which will act as a barrier to flying insects.

Insert the so-called insecticidal electrofumigators - devices that repel mosquitoes and flies.

On the balcony, terrace or in the garden, you can light glowing spirals that repel mosquitoes and black flies.

Before going for a walk, rub or dab on any exposed skin with mosquito, fluff and tick repellent, such as a dry spray for mosquitoes and ticks.

You can also wipe the skin with special wipes against mosquitoes and ticks or stick repellent patches on the skin.

Check which insects are stinging

Bee, wasp, hornet stings

The sting of a bee contains numerous miniature hooks that prevent it from being removed after being stuck into the human skin (a bee stings costs its life).

Due to the swelling, stings in the tongue, throat or larynx are particularly dangerous for people, because the swelling of the mucosa can lead to suffocation.

In the venom tank, inside the sting, there is about 1 mg of venom, dangerous mainly to other insects, less to humans. Wasp and hornet venom is more toxic. Usuallythe symptoms of these insect stings are limited to pain and swelling around the site of the sting, which may persist for several days. however, in the case of allergy sufferers, anaphylactic shock can occur, which is a direct threat to life.

CHECK>>ANAFILACTIC SHOCK: how to give first aid

After being stung by a bee, wasp or hornet, the venom must not be sucked out. The bee's sting protruding above the skin must not be pressed (there is a venom tank there and by pressing it, we apply an additional dose of toxins). Use a razor blade or a very sharp knife to cut the poisonous reservoirs protruding above the skin, and then pull out the sting.

If we are not allergic to the venom, it is enough to put a cold compress of vinegar solution (in the case of wasp) or baking soda (in the case of bees and hornets), it also helps to put on an onion cut in half. Sick areas can be covered with hydrocortisone ointment or covered with ice.

If a wasp or a bee stung inside your mouth, start sucking on ice or drinking cold drinks immediately and see a doctor quickly. We go to it immediately also when the stings are repeated or the injured person is allergic.

Important
  • The African bee lives in Africa and South America. and in the USA. She is very aggressive and attacks in groups. The venom of a hundred bees can be fatal. After removing the stings, applying an ice pack and administering anti-abdominal drugs, the person stung must be immediately transported to the hospital.
  • The fire ant can be found on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. After a minute, there are searing blisters that transform into pustules. If you are not allergic, a cold compress or hydrocortisone ointment will suffice.
  • Field and rock scorpions are found in the Mediterranean basin. The sting causes severe pain and burning, after which sensation in the area of ​​the wound disappears. There is sweating, weakening and slowing of the pulse, followed by the agitation and acceleration of the pulse, leading to cardio-respiratory failure. You must immediately put on a tourniquet above the morning and take the victim to the hospital.
  • The Italian tarantpa lives in the Mediterranean countries. The venom of this spider produces only slight general reactions. There is a slight swelling and pain at the injection site, which will be relieved by a cold compress.
  • Black Widow is a spider who likes warm climate, also in southern Europe. The venom damages the nervous system, causes muscle and blood vessel spasms, and increases blood pressure. Nausea, vomiting, headache and fever appear. You need to see a doctor quickly.

Ant bites

There are 80 species of ants in Poland. Only females have a sting or a venom apparatus with formic acid. The acid is highly irritating, but only locally - even after repeated bites, there are no general reactions of the body. An ant bite usually only causes a painful burning sensation and itching, sometimes with blister (s) or hives. Only in the case of allergy sufferers, an ant attack can be really dangerous. Cold compresses and alkalising solutions (e.g. with ammonia) on the skin will help you, and in severe bites you can also use glucocorticosteroids.

Spider Venom

We know about 30,000 species of spiders. You don't have to travel to exotic countries to get into trouble because they are all venomous. In Poland, they bite most often:

  • a thread that lives in water, its bites are very painful
  • armored spike - it is yellow-brown and has spikes on its front legs, its bite is painful, causes vomiting and headaches, and may swell in the morning after the bite
  • cave net - is considered the most poisonous among spiders found in Poland, the body can be up to 1.5 cm in size, and with legs up to 5 cm; his bite is painful and the bite site swells up a lot
  • Ukrainian tarantula - you will meet it in meadows, pastures, wastelands, it is quite large, gray-brown with stripes and stripes, it builds pipes hollowed in the ground and lodges in them; its bite can be dangerous for children, the elderly and people with allergies
  • coastal marsh - it is the largest Polish spider, with legs it can reach up to 7 centimeters, its bite causes nausea, vomiting, swelling.

At the site of the bite, a local inflammatory reaction of the skin develops: redness, swelling, itching and a painful burning sensation. Usually, it is enough to disinfect the wound, apply a cold compress or apply a gel that soothes insect bites, and it will heal on its own. People who are weak or allergic to spider venom may experience weakness, headaches, joint and abdominal pain, bruising - in such a situation, contact a doctor as soon as possible.

Problem

If you are going to places where ticks occur (forests, thickets), then:

  • put on clothes that tightly cover your body, and a hat or a handkerchief on your head;
  • when the tick digs into the skin, do not use anything greasy on it (by choking, the tick will vomit and apply germs);
  • grasp the tick with tweezers as close to the skin as possible and pull it out firmly (do not wring it out!);
  • to remove the tick you can use a suction pump, "lasso" or forceps (you canbuy them at a pharmacy);
  • disinfect the injection site several times, e.g. with salicylic alcohol, and if there is redness and swelling - make a compress with Altacet;
  • when the tick is saturated with blood, it falls off by itself (up to 7 days), but don't wait. If you cannot remove it, see a doctor.

Leeches

They can suck 10-15 ml of blood at a time (it depends on the species). The bites are not painful, although bloody. You should never tear off a leech by force. If you do not want to wait for it to detach itself (which can take up to 3 hours), you can, for example, touch it with a finger dipped in vinegar, pour alcohol or sprinkle s alt on it. Mosquito repellants applied to the skin will also have an effect. However, it should be remembered that the "force solution" may cause a gag reflex in the leeches, which may very likely end up in infection with one of the many bacterial, viral or parasitic diseases that the leeches are carriers.

Viper bite

There is one poisonous viper in Poland - the Zigzag Viper. It attacks only when provoked. Its venom damages the nervous system, causes tissue necrosis, and disrupts blood clotting and the work of the heart.

It was once recommended that after being bitten by a viper, a pressure band should be worn above the bite site - currently, according to the latest guidelines, this should not be done.

Immediately after being bitten by a viper (two marks right next to each other after puncturing the venomous teeth), severe pain and swelling appear. If the venom enters the blood, fever, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes cardiovascular disorders, consciousness and convulsions appear.

The most important thing is to stay calm after a snake bite and move as little as possible to slow down the absorption of the venom. If possible, wash the bite site with soap and water (do not use alcohol, because it will make it difficult for the venom to flow out of the wound) and cover it with ice. A person bitten by a viper should be under the care of a doctor as soon as possible, who will decide on further treatment.

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