How to treat insect bites and stings.

We often get asked about bites and stings. This article tells you more about bites and stings and how to prevent and treat them.

Most stings cause pain and slight swelling but have little other effect. Occasionally, some people are allergic to stings and can develop reactions that can be life-threatening. Call an ambulance straight away if you think you have an allergic reaction soon after being stung. Signs of a severe allergic reaction include blotchy rash, wheezing, swelling of your mouth or face, general redness of your skin, a fast heart rate, feeling dizzy or faint and a sense of impending doom.

Insect bites rarely cause serious allergic reactions but can cause small, red, itchy lumps to appear on the skin. Occasionally you can develop a skin infection after an insect bite. Symptoms of infection include redness, tenderness and swelling around the bite. Call into one of our pharmacies for advice if you are unsure or seek medical help.

Most insects in the UK do not transmit other diseases. The main exception is a type of tick carry Lyme disease. Call into one of our pharmacies for advice or seek medical help if you are concerned.

Treatment for insect bites and stings.

If you are stung by a bee and the stinger is still in place, scrape it out as quickly as possible. Do not try to grab the sting to pluck it out, as this may squeeze more venom into the skin.

If you have a tick bite, the tick usually clings to the skin. Remove the tick as soon as possible after the bite, using fine tweezers or fingernails to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible. Pull it gently and slowly straight out and try not to squeeze the body of the tick. Clean your skin after you have removed the tick.

If you have swelling or itching around the bite or sting, take an antihistamine as soon as possible. Call into one of our pharmacies and our staff will be able to advise you which one is best for you. You can also use a cold compress to reduce swelling.

If your skin is itching and is not broken our pharmacists may recommend a steroid cream such as hydrocortisone cream. This should be applied thinly to the affected area once or twice a day for up to a week. If you cannot use hydrocortisone cream our pharmacists may recommend Eurax cream to stop the itching.

Preventing insect bites and stings

People often ask our pharmacists how to prevent insect bites and stings. Whilst it is hard to avoid bites and stings completely there are some things that you can do to reduce your risk.

Wear gloves when gardening in the summer or picking fruit. Wasps are often attracted to sweet things so wash your hands after handling sweet or sticky foods – this is particularly important to help children to avoid stings. Keep any uneaten foods covered, particularly when you are outside.

To prevent insect bites you can wear long sleeves or trousers. Use an insect repellent on any exposed areas of skin.