But there are few studies that demonstrate it works.
Then there’s calamine lotion, a mainstay in many Australian homes used to treat the itchiness caused by insect bites. In some cases, medications, such as corticosteroid creams or antihistamines could help alleviate the itchiness. That’s because the body is reacting to the saliva injected when insects bite.įor many people, this is incredibly frustrating and it is all too easy to get trapped in a cycle of itching and scratching. Once the initial pain has started to fade, the itch starts. If you’re still in pain for more than a couple of days, or there are signs of an allergic reaction, seek medical assistance. The body quickly recovers, just as it would for a cut or bruise. If you do nothing, the discomfort of the bite or sting will eventually fade after a few days. There is also specific advice for dealing with stings and removing ticks. They also advise applying a cold compress (such as a cold pack, ice or a damp cloth soaked in cold water) to the site of the sting or bite to help reduce the inflammation and to ease discomfort. This includes using pain relief medication (such as paracetamol or ibuprofen).
Health authorities promote some general advice on treating insect bites and stings. They can help reduce inflammation from insect bites and stings. Ice cubes aren’t just for summer cocktails. Instead, recommendations are based on expert opinion and clinical experience. Most of the research is focused on insect-borne diseases.Įven for recommended treatments, there is little evidence they actually work. For many other people, it is the initial painful reaction and itchy aftermath that require attention.ĭespite how common insect bites can be, there is surprisingly little formal research into how best to treat them. If you suffer potentially severe allergic reactions from bites or stings, immediately seek appropriate medical treatment. These are typically just defending themselves.īut, as well as being painful, the venom they inject when they sting can cause potentially severe allergic reactions. Then there are stinging insects, such as bees, wasps and ants. This is generally because different people react in different ways to the saliva injected as they start to suck our blood. There are lots of other insects (such as bed bugs, fleas and lice) and other arthropods (such as mites and ticks) that bite.īut it is difficult to determine which insect has bitten us based on the bite reaction alone. We still have lots to learn about treating mosquito bites. So, avoiding mosquito bites is especially important given that some can transmit pathogens that make us sick.
#BUG BITES THAT ITCH FOR WEEKS HOW TO#
While researchers have studied what happens when mosquitoes bite, there is still much to learn about how to treat the bites.
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