Tag Archives: bug bites

Ticks

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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

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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

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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

Bug bites

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It’s summertime. Mosquitoes and other bugs are in hot pursuit of you and your family. What’s the best way to keep from being bitten? When should you be concerned about a bite?

If your kids spend any time at all outside— which they should, for the exercise and fresh air— they will be bitten from time to time. “Bugs,” of course, is not an accurate scientific term. Even so, we’re using it here as an all-inclusive word to refer to insects (mosquitoes, bees, wasps, chiggers, biting flies, etc.) and arachnids (spiders, ticks, etc.).

Most bites on most people are relatively harmless, causing irritation, itching, and redness. Different bug bites can result in different types of skin reactions, and not all people react the same. Rarely, even serious allergic reactions or illness can result.

The best medicine, as always, is prevention. Avoid times and places where mosquitoes and other biting bugs congregate.

Mosquitoes are most active around dawn and dusk. They love standing water in puddles and ponds. You are more likely to attract mosquitoes if you’re wearing dark clothing, including socks. They are attracted to your perspiration and sometimes to a scent to you may be wearing. Biting flies may be most common in wooded areas and around animals or garbage.

Repellents can be very helpful, especially against mosquitoes. However, you need to be cautious when choosing a repellent, especially for children. DEET is particularly effective against mosquitoes and some other bugs, but should be used with caution (see below). This is also true of permethrin, which is effective against ticks. Insect repellents should not be used at all on children younger than two months old.

There is terrific information in this article from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Here is their list of do’s and don’ts when you use insect repellents:

“Dos:

  • Read the label and follow all directions and precautions.
  • Only apply insect repellents on the outside of your child’s clothing and on exposed skin. Note: Permethrin-containing products should not be applied to skin.
  • Spray repellents in open areas to avoid breathing them in.
  • Use just enough repellent to cover your child’s clothing and exposed skin. Using more doesn’t make the repellent more effective. Avoid reapplying unless needed.
  • Help apply insect repellent on young children. Supervise older children when using these products.
  • Wash your children’s skin with soap and water to remove any repellent when they return indoors, and wash their clothing before they wear it again.

   “Dont’s:

  • Never apply insect repellent to children younger than 2 months.
  • Never spray insect repellent directly onto your child’s face. Instead, spray a little on your hands first and then rub it on your child’s face. Avoid the eyes and mouth.
  • Do not spray insect repellent on cuts, wounds, or irritated skin.
  • Do not use products that combine DEET with sunscreen. The DEET may make the sun protection factor (SPF) less effective. These products can overexpose your child to DEET because the sunscreen needs to be reapplied often.”

To treat a bug bite, you may apply ice for a few minutes every hour or two. Calamine lotion may be applied to stop the itching. Some people also find that baking soda mixed with water decreases their itching.

When should you seek medical attention for a bug bite? If anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction, which may include difficulty breathing – see definition from the Mayo Clinic here) occurs, get to an emergency room immediately.  Sudden hives are also a cause for concern and could be a sign of anaphylaxis. Otherwise, if the bite begins to look infected, or the reddened area around it is increasing in size larger than a quarter, keep an eye on it and check with your pediatrician’s office. You can use a Sharpie to mark the edges of the red area in order to note its progression.

Next time, more about stinging insects.

© MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved, 2015