Treating Bites and Stings
Bug bites and stings often can be treated at home. How they are treated depends on the offending creature. Here are some general tips for treating different types of bites and stings.
Mosquitoes, Fleas and Other Small Insects
- Wash the bite with soap and water.
- Apply calamine lotion or an anti-itch cream, such as an over-the-counter corticosteroid cream.
- Don’t scratch the bites.
- Apply ice to reduce swelling.
- Take an antihistamine for severe itching. You might want to ask the doctor if it’s OK for you or your child.
- Contact a doctor if a bite looks infected.
Bees and Wasps
For stings:
- Remove the stinger as soon as you can by flicking it away with a fingernail. Wasps and some bees don’t always leave stingers in the skin. That’s why they can sting more than once.
- Gently wash the area of the sting with soap and water. You may have to do this a few times a day until the skin is healed.
- Put an icepack on the sting for 15-20 minutes.
- Make a paste with baking soda and water and apply to the sting. This home remedy helps soothe the sting.
- Take a pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain.
- Use corticosteroid cream or calamine lotion to stop the itching.
To learn the signs and symptoms of a dangerous allergic reaction, and when you need to seek immediate medical help, visit
Dangerous Bites and Stings.
Spiders
Most spider bites can be treated at home:
- Wash the bite with soap and water.
- Apply ice to reduce swelling.
If you suspect a bite was caused by a black widow spider or a brown recluse spider, call your doctor or go to a hospital emergency room immediately. There is an antivenom for black widow spider bites. The doctor can decide if this or other treatments are appropriate.
Ticks
If you discover a tick on the skin:
- Grab the tick with tweezers and pull straight up to remove it.
- Never squeeze or crush a tick because that can cause more venom to enter the body.
- Save the tick in a jar of alcohol in case your doctor wants to see it later. The doctor may be able to tell you if it is the kind of tick that can cause Lyme disease.
Next: Dangerous Bites and Stings
