Index
Who has never had an intense itch after being bitten by a mosquito or mosquito? Yes, insect bites can be quite uncomfortable for many people. However, there are cases where they are even more serious and can cause really serious damage to our health. In today’s text we will talk about everything you need to know about insect bite allergy. Do you want to better understand what this condition is, how it manifests itself in our bodies and what are the real dangers that it can bring? Find out now!
Why do we have an Insect Bite Allergy?
To better understand what this type of allergy is, it is extremely important that we understand why we are allergic to insect bites. In general, when these stings are from a mosquito, for example, his sting contains several substances that activate our immune system and cause him to react to them immediately. That is why the allergy causes itchiness and redness of the skin, in addition to pain and minor bleeding in some cases.
The good news is that, in most cases, allergies to insect bites do not present great dangers and are not usually long lasting. The exception is in insects such as wasps and bees, as their sting usually contains other types of substances that are a little more dangerous and that tend to cause more severe allergic reactions in some people.
Despite this, avoiding being bitten by insects such as wasps and bees is not difficult. Since these insects only attack to protect your hives, just don’t touch them and don’t move too close. In addition, it is recommended to avoid walking in areas where there are many hives, as this can also pose a danger to wasps and bees.
Characteristics of Insect Bite Allergy
The most common reactions to insect bites are redness of the skin and itching . However, there are other symptoms that can arise and that are quite common, such as:
- Swelling of the sting region
- Small bleeds
- Pain in the sting area
In more severe cases, especially when a person is allergic to wasp or bee stings, some other symptoms may also appear, such as:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Lack of air
- Feeling of tightness in the throat
- Dizziness
- Diarrhea
These symptoms usually last between 24 and 48 hours, and may or may not spread to other regions of the body. Although these situations are more rare, it is important to be aware, as this type of allergic reaction can end up causing complications.
Complications of Insect Bite Allergy?
As we said, the complications caused by allergy to insect bites are more rare, but when they do occur, they can present severe conditions. The worst of them is anaphylaxis, which causes several organs to suffer from the allergic reaction at the same time. The great danger is that this reaction can affect the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, which can even cause death, especially in people who already have problems of this type.
Anaphylaxis usually varies according to the power of the insect’s poison (if it is poisonous, of course) and according to the sensitivity of the person who was bitten. For this reason, it is always important to know what your allergies are and how sensitive you are in that regard.
How to Treat Insect Bite Allergy?
Many people often have miraculous home remedies for when a person is bitten, such as solutions with fruit juices, baking soda or mixtures of water with sugar. And while these solutions aren’t particularly bad for bites, they also don’t usually affect you positively. Still, there are some things you can do when you are bitten by an insect.
The first is to remove the sting from the insect. Do this with tweezers and gently so that it does not break and so that you do not feel any more pain. Another attitude that can be quite effective in relieving the first symptoms is to wash the stinging area under running water. This helps to relieve the pain and itching that the bite can cause.
You can also apply ointments and make compresses to relieve pain, but it is not recommended, under any circumstances, to self-medicate to reduce the symptoms of allergy.
When to see a doctor?
As we also said before, insect bites do not usually cause very serious complications and their symptoms usually pass in a few days. However, if the symptoms seem to get worse and, especially, if a person starts to present more severe conditions, such as vomiting and dizziness, it can be a sign of anaphylaxis.
In cases like this, it is important to see a doctor so that the person can be treated in the best possible way and so that there are no worse complications. The human body is usually quite resistant to insect bites, however, there are people who are most sensitive and it is exactly there that the greatest danger is.
Allergy to insect bites is quite common in our lives. It is not uncommon for us to hear of a case where a person ended up in the hospital because of this condition. The big question is that we know exactly what this type of allergy is and take every precaution to prevent it from manifesting. Although there are very effective ways to treat, the most important thing is to always know what actions to take so that allergy does not become a problem in our lives. It is very common for people to have allergies of different types during their lifetime and this is not what will make their health worse. However, understanding better about this subject is definitely a great way to always stay healthy and alert to possible dangers.
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
