Surviving Bug Bites
By Dr. Tsippora Shainhouse MD

When you are out hiking, picnicking, or simply taking a stroll, you can be the victim of a nasty insect bite. BAFT has asked Dr. Tsippora Shainhouse, a noted dermatologist in Southern California her tips and suggestions on how to deal with the most common insect attacks. -Editors

MOSQUITO BITES
These flying, 2-winged insects are attracted to bright colors, heat, humidity and human odors, especially the scents of young children. That is why they are the most common insect bites found in kids. The initial bite causes mild, stinging irritation and a small pink bump. If this is not your first bite, then you will develop a pink, itchy, hive-like bump that can last hours to days. Sometimes you can see a small bite mark in the center. Treatment: Apply cool compresses, calamine lotion, and oralanti-histamines and topical cortisone cream for more irritated, itchy spots.Prevention: Keep covered up in buggy areas, avoid scented products, and wear insect repellant.

BEE STINGS
Bees do not generally sting you, if you keep out of their way. However, if they do sting, and you have a severe allergic reaction, then you need to know what to watch for and how to respond. Most bites will cause a hive-like pink, itchy or stinging bump. If the stinger is still visible in the skin, try scraping it gently with a credit card to remove it. Try not to squeeze the stinger or bump to prevent more venom from entering the bite. Treatment: Apply cool soaks, calamine lotion, oral anti-histamines and sometimes, dilute (4:1) solutions of water: meat tenderizer. At the first signs of difficulty breathing, swallowing, vomiting/ diarrhea, weakness, sweating, confusion or full-body swelling, call 911 immediately.

If you know that you are allergic to bee venom, make sure that you have a non-expired EpiPen on hand at all times.  If you do inject an EpiPen after a bite, be sure to call 911 right away, because it can cause side effects like racing heart, and the anaphylactic reaction can be present once the medication wears off. Allergy (immunotherapy) shots are available to minimize severe allergic reactions in select patients.

TICK BITES
These are large, roundish, hard bugs with short legs and sharp mouthpieces that bite and attach themselves into your skin. The bites are usually benign, but they can transmit various infections, including Lyme disease. The bite reaction can include: redness, small pink bumps, hard red-purple bumps, blisters, open sores or large, swollen lumps. Because the bite does not always hurt, you might not know that you were bitten, until you find the firmly attached brown-black, blood-sucking bug on you, or you develop a “bulls-eye” rash and/or feel unwell up to weeks later.  It is important to check your skin for ticks after walking in areas of potential exposure.

If you find a tick attached to your skin, use a tweezer to grasp the tick close to your skin and pull up in a perpendicular fashion. If any of the mouth-parts get stuck in the skin, you must see a doctor to remove them  in order to prevent transmission of infection or local skin reaction. Bring the tick to your doctor for identification. Oral antibiotics might be necessary to treat Lyme disease exposure. Prevention:  Wearing light-colored, long sleeve clothing and long pants tucked into socks, when playing or hiking in grassy or wooded areas. Use Insect repellants, like DEET, which can dissuade ticks from biting exposed skin.
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Dr. Shainhouse is a board-certified dermatologist in Beverly Hills and clinical instructor at the University of Southern California. 


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