First Aid series Part 3 - Something bit me... - Information for teens

One or other time (or many more times) we have been bitten or stung by an insect.  That pesky mosquito zooming around your head at night or maybe a flea that jumped from your pet onto you.

Most of the times bites or stings from insects are more irritating than serious, but there are times when it can actually cause problems or pain.

It is good to know when you can just put some 'itching cream' or ice on the bite and when you need to visit the doctor.

Getting stung by a bee or wasp can be quite painful, but for most people they will just feel the pain for a while and have a swollen 'dot' on their bodies that will soon go away, but some people are very allergic to a bee or wasp sting and they can go into anaphylactic shock.  In the previous post we did learn more about this.

 A person can get a localized allergic reaction (swelling, heat, or itching of the skin around the sting area) or a systemic allergic reaction, meaning that the venom causes a reaction throughout the body. 

In the case of the 'systemic reaction' the person will show a severe reaction like swelling of the face, not being able to breathe etc.  This reaction can be life threatening and the person needs to get medical attention right away if they do not carry around their own 'epi-pens'.

Getting a flea bite is irritating, but not serious.  You will just end up with some spots over your body that is very itchy, but being bitten by a tick can be a whole other story.

Some ticks carry a disease called 'lyme disease' and this can make you very sick.  If you get home from your camping or hiking trip, make sure you inspect your body to see if there are any ticks on you.  If you find one, remove it right away and then be on the look out for any 'flu like' symptoms.

It will start off where you feel a bit sick, but if this goes untreated you can get very sick.  If you have found a tick on you or have been out walking or playing in the bushes, make sure you mention it to your doctor that you can be tested and be given the correct antibiotics.

Lyme disease is not the only disease that ticks can carry.  Depending on the type of ticks, they can infect you with different diseases, so rather be save than sorry.  Do not ignore any symptoms after a tick bite.

Most of the time a mosquito is just a bite, some itching and it is gone - just another irritation, but there are mosquitoes that carries diseases that they can spread to humans.  

Depending on the area you are in there can be mosquitoes that carry malaria, which can be deadly if not treated.  Another disease carried by mosquitoes is the 'West Nile virus.'

Malaria is probably one of the most well known diseases caused by mosquitoes. Although both the West Nile Virus and Malaria are transmitted through the insects bite, there are several differences including: – Malaria is a parasite whereas the West Nile is a virus. 

There are more diseases that can be carried by mosquitoes and you can learn more about it here.

If you have traveled to places where these diseases are found, you will want to protect yourself before the time if possible and drink pills that you can get from your doctor.  Once there you must sleep with a mosquito net at night and also make sure you rub some ointment on you that will keep the mosquitoes away.

If you return from your trip and you do start feeling sick or show any signs of any of these diseases, go to the doctor immediately that they can do a blood test, find out what disease you are infected with and get the proper treatment as soon as possible.  Read more here about the different symptoms and treatments (if there are any).

Most spider bites will heal by themselves, but again depending on the area you life in you can encounter spider bites that can make you very sick.  If you suspect you have been bitten by a spider and the swelling does not go away or it worsens, it is better to go and see the doctor.

Lucky for us most insect and bugs and spider bites are harmless to us, just imagine if all insect bites were to make us sick?  We would not stand a change against them, but most of the time you will get away with some burning or itching.  If any other symptoms show up, rather visit your doctor.