Category Archives: insect bites

Mosquitoes are back!

Leave a reply

During our recent warm spell, you may have heard the distinctive, high-pitched buzz of a mosquito passing by, and you realize that this is the beginning of several months of those little pests.

Pests they are, yes, but mosquitoes can also carry serious diseases. Some of the mosquito-borne illnesses are limited to tropical or subtropical areas, but some can also affect us here.

West Nile Virus, for example, is carried by mosquitoes and can infect humans and animals. It usually causes no symptoms at all, but in some instances can cause encephalitis, which can even be fatal.

Recently we’ve heard  about the Zika virus. It is spread by mosquitoes (and can also be sexually transmitted). So far, the virus hasn’t come this far north except by someone who has traveled to an affected area, and those who returned infected from their travels have not spread it to others. To read about the possible spread of Zika to new areas this year, and to learn about its symptoms and results, you can find a series of informative articles by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) here. Zika is especially dangerous in pregnant women because it can cause very serious birth defects.

Good health means good prevention, so it is always advisable to keep insects at bay.

  • Avoid mosquitoes by remembering that they are most active at dawn and dusk, and they love damp, dark areas like woods, mulched gardens, areas around ponds, etc. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when you think you may be exposed to mosquitoes, and use repellent. Never use a repellent on a child younger than two months, and never spray directly into a child’s face (spray it on your hands first, then rub onto the face). An article about insect repellents from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) gives great information about repellents and children.
  • Be proactive in eliminating as many mosquitoes as possible from your home and yard. The Health Department of Northern Kentucky gives these suggestions on their website:
    • Survey property for areas of standing water. Dispose of tin cans, old tires, buckets, unused plastic swimming pools or other containers that collect and hold water. Do not allow water to accumulate in the containers for more than two days.
    • Install or repair screens. Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside with well-fitting screens on both windows and doors.

And, Dr. Riebel in our practice says that her favorite form of mosquito control for our area is the purple martin! These lovely birds love to fly around your yard in the evening, scooping up insects.

Have a safe and healthy warm-weather season, and try to keep mosquitoes and the diseases they carry at bay.

© 2016, MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved

Ticks

Leave a reply

Ticks and spiders are both arachnids, but their method of attacking the skin is very different. While a spider merely bites, a tick burrows under the skin to gorge itself on blood. Sometimes ticks on the body can go unnoticed for a few days, which is why it is important to do a body check of your kids when they have been playing outside in the spring and summer. Ticks like hiding places— under your child’s hair, between the toes, etc. After it is finished feeding, the tick will drop off the body.

How to remove a tick? Very carefully! See this brief description from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about safe removal.

There are a few tick-borne diseases that can be very serious.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is carried by the dog tick or wood  tick, which is usually about a quarter inch long. The disease is caused by a particular type of bacteria, and the symptoms, according to an American Academy of Pediatrics ( AAP) article, include: “Flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, severe headaches, vomiting, nausea, and loss of appetite. A rash develops in most cases of RMSF, typically before the sixth day of the illness. This rash tends to appear first on the wrists and ankles, but within hours it can spread to the torso. It can also spread to the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The rash is red, spotted, and raised. Other symptoms may include joint pain, stomach pain, and diarrhea. In severe cases, the blood pressure can drop and the patient may become confused. As the infection spreads, many organs, including the brain, can be affected.”

If your child has any of these symptoms and you suspect a tick bite, call your pediatrician immediately.

Lyme disease is most common in the Northeast, North Central, and West Coast states. It is spread by deer ticks. The most common symptom is what is sometimes called a “bull’s-eye” rash. This rash is a pink or red circle that can expand over time, even to a diameter of several inches. Another AAP article lists further symptoms:

  • “Headache
  • Chills
  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Swollen glands, usually in the neck or groin
  • Aches and pains in the muscles or joints.”

Lyme disease is very treatable in most cases, but if left untreated can cause long-term health problems.

There is also another tick-borne disease that presents itself a little like Lyme disease. It’s called STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness) and is most prevalent in, as you may guess, more southern states like ours. The organism that causes this disease is, as yet, unknown, but it is carried by the lone star tick. The rash is similar to the one caused by Lyme disease (see above) and other symptoms according to the CDC include “fatigue, fever, headache, muscle and joint pains.” If your child presents with any of these symptoms and you suspect she has been bitten by a tick, contact your pediatrician immediately. For easy-to-read information about STARI, there is a good series of short articles from the CDC here.

Use insect repellent and avoid places where ticks live, when possible. Have a safe and enjoyable rest of the summer and fall!

© MBS Writing Services, 2015, all rights reserved

Spider bites

Leave a reply

Both spiders and ticks are common in our area. We’ll deal with ticks next time.

While most of their bites aren’t dangerous to most people, it’s good to be informed about different types of spiders, their bites, and diseases that might result from some of them.

Spiders use a venom to anesthetize and paralyze their tiny prey. The venom from most species is not dangerous to most humans (see below for exceptions). Watch for signs of infection and report those immediately to your pediatrician. If you are concerned that a bite is getting much larger, note the edges with a Sharpie marker so you can see if it’s continuing to grow.

The female black widow spider can be extremely poisonous to humans, sometimes even fatal. She has an hourglass shape and is dark colored with yellow or red on her abdomen. Symptoms can be severe muscle cramping and pain. Call EMS if you think someone has been bitten by a black widow spider.

The brown recluse spider is fairly common in Kentucky, and can also be fatal at times. People often don’t know they’ve been bitten until the bite starts to swell and get painful. Reactions greatly vary. Call EMS if you are concerned about a brown recluse bite.

According to this article by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), here are things to watch for after a spider bite, and a signal to call your pediatrician or EMS:
• “Tiny fang marks
• Pain
• Pain begins as a dull ache at the bite site
• Pain spreads to the surrounding muscles
• Pain moves to the abdomen, back, chest, and legs
• Blister at the bite site
• Mild swelling and a blue-gray mark at the bite surrounded by lightening of skin color
• Progressive soft tissue damage; the skin becomes dark blue and then black (necrotic).”

Wash the affected area with soap and water, and treat a bite with an ice pack (make sure you put a layer of cloth between the ice pack and the skin) Another resource for your questions about spider bites is the Poison Control Center.

As with anything, whenever you have a concern, call our office.

© MBS Writing Services, 2015, all rights reserved

Stinging insects

Leave a reply

Nothing quite puts a damper on outdoor fun like a sting from a bee, yellow jacket, hornet, or wasp.

Art by Corinne

Art by Corinne

While most stings, though annoying and painful, aren’t dangerous, sometimes they can be severe in certain cases.

First things first – how to avoid getting stung:

  • Check the spots where your child plays for nests of stinging insects. Nests can be in trees or bushes, on structures like houses and barns, under picnic tables or by the porch. If you see an unusual number of the same type of stinging insects in one area, it’s possible there is a nest nearby. Once you’ve located a nest, you should consider calling an exterminator. If it is a honey bee hive, locate a beekeeper who will almost certainly be interested in collecting a new hive, and who knows how to do that safely. On rare occasions you might see a honey bee swarm. This occurs when a hive has gotten too large and is in the process of dividing. Be very careful to avoid the swarm and call a beekeeper immediately.
  • Wear shoes outdoors. Even sandals or flip-flops are not good protection from stinging insects hiding in the grass.
  • Wear light-colored clothing, and don’t wear anything with a floral pattern. Bees can be attracted to that as if it were a real flower!
  • Watch what you eat outside. Insects are attracted to sweet foods and beverages and other food items like peanut butter.
  • Don’t allow your child to touch even a dead stinging insect; the stinger still contains venom.
  • As difficult as it may be, don’t swat at an insect because that may make it attack.
  • Read about these and other preventative measures in this article by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The article contains this additional warning: “If you have disturbed a nest and the insects swarm around you, curl up as tightly as you can to reduce exposed skin. Keep your face down and cover your head with your arms.”

So, what to do after a sting?

If the child or adult is highly allergic to stings, watch closely for signs of anaphylaxis. Another article by the AAP describes an anaphylactic reaction like this:

  • “A severe life-threatening allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis.
  • The main symptoms are difficulty breathing and swallowing starting within 2 hours of the sting.
  • Anaphylactic reactions to bee stings occur in 4 out of 1,000 children.
  • The onset of widespread hives or facial swelling alone following a bee sting is usually an isolated symptom, not the forerunner of anaphylaxis. Your child’s doctor will decide.”

In the case of anaphylaxis, administer epinephrine in the form of an EpiPen or AUVI-Q, if available, and call 911.

More common reactions to stings are redness and swelling, pain and itching.

If the stinger is in the skin (only honeybees leave their stingers behind), scrape it out with your fingernail, or if it’s completely under the skin just leave it alone and it will be shed naturally.

Here are the AAP’s recommendations for care after a sting:

  • “Meat Tenderizer:
    • Apply a meat tenderizer-water solution on a cotton ball for 20 minutes (EXCEPTION: near the eye). This may neutralize the venom and decrease pain and swelling.
    • If not available, apply aluminum-based deodorant or a baking soda solution for 20 minutes.
  • Local Cold: For persistent pain, massage with an ice cube for 10 minutes.
  • Pain Medicine: Give acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) or ibuprofen immediately for relief of pain and burning.
  • Antihistamine: If the sting becomes itchy, give a dose of Benadryl. (See Dosage chart)
  • Hydrocortisone Cream: For itching or swelling, apply 1% hydrocortisone cream to the sting area 3 times per day (No prescription needed).
  • Expected Course: Severe pain or burning at the site lasts 1 to 2 hours. Normal swelling from venom can increase for 24 hours following the sting. The redness can last 3 days and the swelling 7 days.
  • Call Your Doctor If:
    • Develops difficulty breathing or swallowing (mainly during the 2 hours after the sting) (call 911)
    • Redness lasts over 3 days
    • Swelling becomes huge or spreads beyond the wrist or ankle
    • Sting begins to look infected
    • Your child becomes worse
    • And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the “Call Your Doctor” symptoms.”

© MBS Writing Services, 2015, all rights reserved