Spot these 11 Bug Bites Getting a bug bite can be a creepy experience, especially if you don’t know what tiny creature left you with that red, throbbing welt on your skin. Don’t panic. Most bug bites and stings from common insects are harmless and heal quickly. But some bug bites and stings, like those from fire ants, wasps, hornets, and bees, may cause intense pain or even a serious allergic reaction. Others, like poisonous spider bites, require immediate emergency medical care.
Symptoms of bug bites provide clues to the cause and severity. For example, most bug bites cause red bumps with pain, itching, or burning. Some bug bites also feature blisters or welts. Here are some common bug bite clues:
· Bedbugs leave a small bite mark on the skin that is red and itchy or causes a serious allergic reaction.
· Bee stings cause a red skin bump with white around it.
· Flea bites leave an itchy welt on the skin, often on the ankles and legs.
· Mosquitoes leave a raised, itchy pink skin bump or in rare cases a severe allergic reaction.
· Spider bites cause minor symptoms like red skin, swelling, and pain at the site or very serious symptoms that need emergency care.
· Ticks can carry Lyme disease and their bite leaves a rash that looks like an expanding bull’s-eye.
Most bug bites are transmitted directly from the insect and occur outdoors. Two exceptions are bedbugs (tiny mites that live in and near beds) and lice, which spread through contact with an infected person, a comb, or clothing.
Certain bug bites can also spread illnesses, such as the Zika virus and West Nile virus (both transmitted by mosquitoes), Lyme disease (from a black-legged tick), Rocky Mountain spotted fever (from a dog or wood tick), or Chagas disease (from kissing bugs).
In fact, a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cautioned Americans that diseases from mosquito, tick, and flea bites have soared in recent years.
How can you prevent bug bites? Here are some tips:
· Avoid insects.
· Don’t eat foods or wear fragrances that attract bugs.
· Know your own personal risk for having an allergic reaction to a bug bite.
· Use pesticide.
· Wear protective clothing.
No matter what type of bug bite you have, it is good to know what bit you. Learning to identify a bug bite by how it looks and feels will help you know whether to treat the bug bite at home or seek immediate medical care.
Source: By Andrea Bledsoe, PhD, Medically Reviewed by Ross Radusky, MD. To read the entire story and see the sources click here. Link to: https://www.everydayhealth.com/skin-and-beauty-photos/how-to-identify-common-bug-bites.aspx