What is it about ?
Insect bites and stings can be bothersome, but sometimes also have dangerous consequences because of their saliva or poison.
A bite insect in the skin is superficial. Insects that bite are, for example, mosquitoes, fleas, horseflies, ticks, bedbugs, hippoboscids or lice. Insects bite to feed on blood. The skin reaction is caused by the insect’s saliva.
On the other hand, a sting insect penetrates deeper into the skin and is therefore usually painful. Insects usually bite for self-defense: bees, wasps, bumblebees and ants. The symptoms are a consequence of the poison entering the skin through the stinger. Some insects can both bite and sting (fleas, lice, mosquitoes and horseflies).
Usually, an insect bite or sting does not have serious consequences. It usually causes localized discomfort (itching or pain) for a few hours or days. If you are very sensitive, the symptoms may last a little longer.
But, every now and then, a bite or sting can be dangerous. Indeed, insects can be carriers of a disease and transmit it to humans by biting or stinging them. This is how mosquitoes spread malaria, the rabbit fever (tularemia) and arboviruses, although this is extremely rare in Belgium. Hippoboscidae can transmit cat scratch disease, while ticks can become infected with Borrelia bacteria and thereby transmit cat scratch disease. Lyme disease.
A bee, wasp or bumblebee sting does not transmit disease, but can cause a serious and sometimes fatal allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).
Where, when and how can we meet these insects?
The presence of insects varies depending on the time of year and where you are. Body lice and pubic lice are not very common anymore. Hippoboscids are most prevalent in September and October, in wooded areas where deer and other deer live. Head lice manifest themselves in epidemics in schools and nurseries. Bed bugs can still be found in old, poorly maintained buildings. Birds, dogs, cats and rodents are animals that carry the flea that bites humans. Ticks are found in grass or in birds, chickens, dogs and cats.
How to recognize them?
Pimples (vesicles and pustules) differ depending on the insect involved. Most often, a small red spot appears and may swell to form a blister. Skin reaction is the effect of insect venom and the body’s immune response. This explains why not everyone reacts in the same way.
The reasons for consulting a general practitioner after an insect bite are as follows:
- fever ;
- feeling of oppression;
- purulent lesions and crusts. The wounds may be inflamed or infected with bacteria;
- inability to remove a tick by yourself or presence of a tick for more than 24 hours;
- formation and extension of a red target-shaped plaque with a white center at the site of the tick bite. The tick may have been a carrier of the Borrelia bacteria, which can cause Lyme disease. In this case, other symptoms may also appear, such as headache and pain in the limbs;
- you have been stung several times or have been stung in the nose, mouth, throat, tongue or neck by a bee, wasp or bumblebee;
If you are allergic to wasps, bees or bumblebees, you can develop a serious allergic reaction from a single sting (anaphylaxis). This reaction is manifested by extensive redness and swelling at the sting, but also by general symptoms, such as general discomfort, a feeling of swelling in the throat, or a feeling that you are about to pass out. . Acute rashes and itching are also possible. If so, go to the emergency room as soon as possible.
How is the diagnosis made?
The doctor will use the appearance of the lesion and your story to determine whether it is an infected bite or sting or not. If allergy to wasp or bee stings is suspected, an allergy skin test (prick test) or a blood test may be performed.
What can you do ?
You can protect yourself by wearing appropriate clothing when walking in nature and in areas infested with insects. Choose closed-toe shoes, long sleeves and long pants made of waterproof fabric.
You can also use insecticides that contain DEET (diethyltoluamide). These products are effective against most insects, but they have no effect on hippoboscids, wasps, bees or bumblebees. Repeat the product after a few hours or sooner if you are sweating a lot. Be careful, as DEET is poisonous and should not be breathed in. Never use DEET on a baby less than 2 months old. For children under 2 years old, the only products you can use should not exceed a concentration of 30% DEET (which is sufficient in our regions). In tropical regions, a concentration of 50% is recommended, but only from 2 years old.
In the event of a tick bite, remove it as quickly as possible using a tick remover. Do not try to anesthetize the tick with alcohol or ether, this increases the risk of disease transmission. Mark the spot where you removed the tick and monitor it for a few weeks. Consult the doctor if a red spot or ring appears; this usually occurs after about 1 week.
If you’ve been bitten or stung, try not to scratch yourself. Scratching makes the itching worse and can lead to infection.
In the case of a bee sting, immobilize the affected body part so that the poison does not spread further. Remove the stinger as quickly as possible. The best way to do this is to scrape the surface of the skin with a thin, flat object (for example a credit card or a coin). The sting of a wasp or bumblebee spontaneously pulls away from the skin when the insect detaches itself. To relieve the pain, you can then put a cold compress or apply a cooling gel to the site of the bite.
If you have been stung in your mouth or throat, drink something cold to counteract the pain and swelling. In case of severe swelling, it is strongly recommended to consult a doctor or an emergency department.
If you are allergic to bee, wasp, or bumblebee stings, avoid exposing yourself to them and always have an adrenaline syringe handy.
What can your doctor do?
If you are sensitive to insect bites or stings, your doctor may prescribe a corticosteroid cream to relieve the pain and itching and to prevent swelling. Antihistamines are effective against allergic reactions, but work best if you take them as a preventative treatment. Despite everything, they are still useful in reducing the symptoms already present.
If you develop a severe reaction, your doctor will prescribe corticosteroid treatment for a few days.
An antibiotic cream can be used in the event of an infected bite (for example following a bite of a horsefly).
If there is a clear diagnosis of allergy to bee, wasp or bumblebee stings and a general reaction to a previous sting, the doctor may prescribe desensitization treatment. Either way, your doctor will prescribe an adrenaline syringe that you should always have on hand in the event of an injection.
In addition to treating the symptoms of an insect bite or sting, the doctor will also pay special attention to certain diseases that can be transmitted by insects. And this, mainly after a tick bite.
Want to know more?
- Good use of repellents – CBIP – Belgian Center for Pharmacotherapeutic Information (offers in particular a few names of specialties with a sufficient high concentration)
- Corticosteroids for the skin (medium potency preparations) – CBIP – Belgian Center for Pharmacotherapeutic Information
- Corticosteroids for the skin (potent preparations) – CBIP – Belgian Center for Pharmacotherapeutic Information
- Antihistamines – CBIP – Belgian Center for Pharmacotherapeutic Information
- Adrenaline – CBIP – Belgian Center for Pharmacotherapeutic Information
- Allergological assessment (patch tests or prick tests), here, Where to find on this page of Cliniques St Luc UCL
- The skin allergy test explained to children and in pictures – plaster
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