Note: If your child has problems breathing, swallowing or gets hives within 30 minutes of the bite, get help immediately. Also note: Just because you or your child are bitten by a flying evil insect does not mean you will have difficulty breathing, swallowing or will get hives. Not all insect bites cause allergic reactions.
Itchy Bites
These are probably from mosquitoes, usually on
an area not covered by clothing. The bite involves the insect taking a drop of
blood from its victim. The bites are red, itchy and swollen and get worse when
you scratch. Some of these bites form hard bumps that take forever to go away.
Others swell a lot, but just because they do doesn't mean that the child is
allergic to mosquito bites.
The bites that occur near the eye can swell
massively for a couple of days. You can use calamine lotion or baking soda on
the bite. Bites near the eye may feel a bunch better if you use some ice on
them. If you want to, or the itch is really nasty, then use 1% hydrocortisone
(like cortisone 10) on the bite about four times a day.
Really itchy
bites not controlled by anything you try might be better with
benadryl. Use acetaminophen or
ibuprofen for the pain. And try (all we ask is that you try) to keep the
kids from picking at the bite. We only need to see the bites if they look
infected-red, ugly and tender. Bites near the eye need to be seen if there is a
fever along with it, if the child is complaining of problems seeing, if you get
gooky stuff out of the eye or if it is just so swollen that you would feel much
better with me taking a look at it. Bites near the eye swell a bunch-
much more than you would expect. Just look for the symptoms I mention
above before you worry too much.
Painful Bites
These are from whatever evil flying insect
decided to get you. This type of bite involves the injection of poison into the
victim. Not all stings cause hideous allergic reactions but I know many of you
worry about it as soon as the bite occurs. Allergic reactions are pretty
rare. Any respiratory problem, difficulty swallowing
or eruption of hives after the bite should be your cue to go to the nearest
ER. Short of that, we need to control the pain. Rub the area with a
cotton ball soaked in meat tenderizer for 20 minutes or so. The enzymes in the
meat tenderizer break down the poison. You can use baking soda or ice should
your supply of meat tenderizer be low. And acetaminophen or ibuprofen is in order for pain relief.