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How do I know if I have insect bites?
Insect bites cause a hive-like swelling which can be very itchy in many people. The bump can be small or quite large. Most bumps are pink or red. Some ant bites, such as from fire ants, can cause a pustule to form.
What does an insect bite look like?
Common insect bites result from mosquito or fleas. Most people have experienced one or more mosquito bites in their lifetime. Flea bites are similar itchy bumps that usually occur on the legs in a linear arrangement, and a history of owning a pet with fleas or sitting on the grass may be noted.
Treatment is to de-flea the pet or the household or yard and treat the bumps for a few days with topical cortisone cream until the itch disappears.
Less frequently seen bites are from ticks, scabies and bedbug infestations.
Tick bites occur while hiking in wooded areas but can also occur in your own backyard. Tick bites are generally painless and you may not even notice the bite or see the tick as they are very small. The reaction to the bite can appear as redness, itching or burning and, rarely, localized intense pain. The results of the illnesses transmitted by ticks often begin days to weeks after the tick is gone. That's why doctors may not suspect a tick-related illness. You may have flu-like symptoms, fever, rash, confusion, weakness, painful joints, shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting. Ticks carry such diseases as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease and blood tests may be necessary to check for the presence of these conditions.
Scabies is a disease spread from human contact, frequently on playgrounds or in an institutional setting. It is usually a very itchy condition with scaling and bumps on the hands, feet, trunk, arms, legs and genitals. Treatment requires prescription medications for the patient and all household contacts. Clothing and bedding must be washed to prevent spread of the scabies mite. Recurrence is common because of lack of care in eradicating the mite or occasionally resistance to the medications.
Bedbug infestations usually occur after a stay in a hotel with bedbugs, where they hitch a ride home in your suitcase! They usually bite at night, leaving itchy bumps on the trunk. They may prefer to bite only one person in the bed. Bedbugs are about 1/4 inch in size and can be found by looking under the mattress or sheets during the middle of the night. If they are present you will need to call an exterminator. Treatment of the skin lesions with prescription cortisone cream will usually resolve them.
If you have an itchy condition which does not clear with topical cortisone cream, you should seek advice from your dermatologist who is trained to sort out the causes of such problems. Occasionally a skin biopsy may be necessary to make the diagnosis.
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