Itching, redness, irritation and swelling oftentimes occur after a bug bite.
Most bug bite cases do not lead to any life threatening conditions and can just be treated at home.
But, there are some cases of bug bites that can be dangerous due to allergic reaction.
Severe cases of allergy usually happen if there is an insect sting.
Swelling is the most common symptom of bug bite and may be caused by bees, wasps and mosquitoes.
This article will discuss about swelling due to bug bite and its possible treatments.
Compared to insect bites, insect stings are more dangerous.
Some insects sting humans because they feel threatened.
One of the kinds of insect that sting is the honey bee.
Honey bees sting humans and after that, the bees die.
However, they leave their stingers and venom sac inside the skin of their victim which allows the venom to be pumped in the bloodstream causing pain, redness and swelling.
But, sting cases caused by wasps, hornets and other venomous insects are different.
Wasp and hornet stingers are not left inside the skin, therefore, a person have a high possibly to get stung by the same insect for several times and may lead to severe swelling of the large stung part of the body.
There are some cases that insect sting can trigger allergic reactions and may affect distant parts of the body, thus, the whole body might swell.
Itching and irritation, however, are caused by non-venomous insects.
Itching is due to the substance secreted by the insects' salivary glands while sucking blood.
Most bug or insect bites swell on the affected area only and doesn't spread.
Such bites don't need treatment for they simply disappear after a few days.
Stings oftentimes result to swelling.
If a person with sting allergy got stung, it may lead to severe allergic reaction.
It can be severe if the person was stung in the eyes, mouth or lips for it may lead to anaphylaxis, wherein, the patient will have difficulty in breathing.
Angioedema, is also an allergic condition where the patient suffers difficulty in speaking or swallowing.
This is often caused by swelling of the entire body.
If the stung person already manifest anaphylaxis, it is best to seek medical help immediately.
If the patient is already experiencing difficulty in breathing and slowly losing consciousness, revive him through rescue breathing.
Loosen his clothes and remove all the jewelry.
For simple and non-allergic bug bites, ice compress can be used to minimize the swelling.
Soothing gel or cream can also be applied on the inflamed part.
There is no best remedy but prevention.
Thus, it is best to take preventive measures than experiencing bug bite swelling.
Use insect repellents to avoid bug bites and cover your entire body if you visit a wasp prone zone.
If there is extreme pain due to bug bite swelling, seek medical advice immediately.