Self-Care Pocket Guide • Injuries and Accidents
Insect/Bug Bites and Stings

Overview

Most insect/bug bites or stings are just painful nuisances, but they can be life-threatening if you're allergic to them. And some poisonous spider bites, while rarely fatal, can cause serious symptoms. If you've ever had a severe reaction to an insect bite/sting in the past, ask your healthcare provider about getting a prescription for an anaphylaxis kit (Epi-pen). Carrying one of these small kits at all times can be lifesaving for those with severe allergies to bites/stings.

Signs and Symptoms

• Lump(s) or spot(s) on the skin that appear within minutes or up to 6 to 12 hours after the bite/sting.
• Swelling around the bite/sting.
• Itching and pain (sometimes severe) at the site of the bite/sting.

Self-Care Measures

• Clean the wound. Apply an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel for up to 20 minutes at a time.
• If the stinger is visible, wash your hands and gently try to scrape the stinger out with your fingernail. Tweezers could leave some of the stinger behind or squeeze more toxins into your wound.
• For tick bites, apply petroleum jelly over the bite until the tick starts to smother and withdraws from the skin.
• Take an oral OTC antihistamine to help limit your body's reaction to the sting or bite.
• For stings, rub a paste of meat tenderizer and water onto the site.
• Take an OTC analgesic for pain and inflammation. After the first 24 hours, you may also apply warm compresses.
• For itching, use an OTC oral or topical antihistamine and/or apply calamine lotion.

Red Flags

CALL THE UHS 24-HOUR NURSE ADVICE LINE 475-NURS (475-6877) IF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING OCCURS:

• Nausea, vomiting, headache, or fever of 100.5 degrees F (38 degrees C) or higher.
• Significantly increasing pain.
• Severe swelling at the site, especially if it's causing increased pain or numbness.
• Hives on your body other than where you were bitten or stung.
• An increasing area of dark discoloration or ulceration around the bite/sting.
• Symptoms that don't go away or improve with self-care within 48 hours.
• A "target" or "bull's eye" rash at the site of a tick bite that occurs 3 - 32 days after the bite. This usually appears as a circular rash around a fairly clear center that gets bigger over several days. This is a potential sign of Lyme Disease.

CALL 911 OR GO DIRECTLY TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM IF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING OCCURS:

• Dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, rash, or seizures.
• Swelling of your face or lips or generalized body swelling.
• You've ever had a severe (anaphylactic) reaction to the same type of bite/sting.