Contents Part 1: Identifying Common Insect Bites 1. Determine the location where you were bitten by an insect. 2. Check for itchy red bumps. 3. Check for swelling. 4. Check for bee and wasp stings. 5. Check for ticks. 6. Check for head lice. 7. Rule out serious spider bites. 8. Look for insects that bite you. Part 2: Treating Insect Bites 1. Clean the bite area with soap and water. 2. If the bite area is itchy, use anti-itch cream. 3. Reduce swelling. 4. Treat papular urticaria. 5. Treat shock. 6. Seek medical treatment. 7. Pay attention to the symptoms of other diseases. There are many kinds of insects in the world, and some will bite your skin when they crawl on you. You are likely to encounter many such insects in your life. Insects bite other organisms when provoked or in danger. When you are bitten by an insect, you may feel pain at first and often develop an allergic reaction due to the venom at the bite site. Learning to recognize insect bites can help you find the most appropriate treatment and stay alert to potentially dangerous situations. Learning how to accurately identify insect bites can help you quickly find the appropriate response.

Part 1: Identifying Common Insect Bites

1. Determine the location where you were bitten by an insect. Different insects live in different places, and you are more likely to be bitten by a certain insect in certain environments. If you were bitten outdoors or near the woods, it was likely a mosquito, tick, or spider that bit you.

If you are near food or garbage, the bite may be from a fly, bee, or wasp.

If you were bitten somewhere indoors or while playing with pets, it's likely that it was fleas that bit you.

In China, wild scorpions are mostly distributed in provinces north of the Yangtze River, with the largest populations in Henan and Hebei provinces. Scorpion stings are extremely painful and most of the time this possibility can be ruled out.

If you are bitten by a fly-like creature in Yunnan, China, and it feels like being bitten by a mosquito, then it may be the spotted fly that bit you.

If you are bitten while sleeping in your bed, it could be bed bugs.

If you are bitten on a beach in the tropics, it may be sand fleas that bite you.

2. Check for itchy red bumps. This is the most common visual symptom of an insect bite and can be caused by a variety of insects, leading to a variety of other symptoms. A single bite mark may be from a mosquito or fly bite. You will see a tiny bite mark in the center of the mosquito bite packet.

Flea bites cause dense, itchy bumps. The location may be where the clothing fits closely to the body, such as the waist.

Bed bug bites form itchy, red bumps that may be accompanied by blisters, arranged in a row of two or three.

3. Check whether there is swelling. Many insect bites cause swelling of the surrounding skin. Fire ant bites can cause swelling of up to about 1 cm, filled with pus. Blisters may develop after a few days.

A scorpion sting can cause swelling, as well as redness, pain, or numbness in the skin. It is very dangerous and causes severe symptoms in most people. If you suspect you have been stung by a scorpion, call emergency services or seek medical attention immediately.

4. Check whether it is a bee or wasp sting. Stings from these insects cause immediate, severe pain or burning as well as swelling. They leave red welts similar to mosquito bites, with a small white spot where the sting pricked the skin. Bee and wasp stings may also cause swelling at the bite site. If a bee stings, their stings will remain on the skin. If you are stung by a bee, remove the stinger. Because the stinger is pulled out of the body, bees will die after stinging people. You should not leave the bee sting in the wound, but use a thin card, such as a credit card, to scrape it off. If you try to remove the bee stinger with tweezers, you may accidentally sting it deeper.

Other stinging insects, including wasps, wasps, clay wasps and wasps, do not leave their stingers behind. If you were stung and no sting was left, it was probably one of these insects that stung you. They can sting multiple times in a row.

5. Check whether it is a tick. Tick ??bites often turn bright red on the skin but are not painful, so the bite may be difficult to detect unless you see the area. The tick may still be on you when you discover you've been bitten.

Most tick bites are harmless, but many can carry dangerous diseases, such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and more. You should be careful when you find a tick bite. If the tick is still on your body, you should remove the tick as soon as possible. Use tweezers to hold the tick near its head and pull it outward without rotating it to prevent the tick's body and head from detaching and causing its mouthparts to remain in the skin. Do not leave its head or any part of its body. Ticks should be removed with tweezers and not other items such as Vaseline, matches, or nail polish remover.

If you cannot remove the head of the tick, it may be because it is deep inside the skin. If this happens, seek medical attention immediately and the doctor will remove the tick head for you.

Pay attention to the area of ??the bite. A "bull's-eye" rash (erythema migrans) is a symptom of Lyme disease. If seen, seek medical attention immediately.

Be sure to check for tick bites after spending time outdoors in the woods or walking through tall grass. Ticks like warm, dark environments, so be sure to check your entire body. They may be as small as periods on a book, so you can use a magnifying glass to look for them.

Tick paralysis is a rare disease in which the female tick releases a neurotoxin that causes temporary paralysis. Symptoms usually disappear immediately after the tick is removed and are common in pets and children under 10 years old.

6. Check whether it is head lice bites. Head lice usually appear on the neck, scalp and behind the ears. The bite marks look like a rash on the head, and you may find head lice and their eggs in your hair. If you have head lice, you may need to wash your hair with an over-the-counter lice shampoo and wash any clothing and bedding that have come into contact with the lice. Pregnant women should not use lice-removing shampoo. You should talk to your doctor about the best way to get rid of lice.

For women who cannot use chemical products, a coconut oil sleeping mask can often be used.

7. Rule out serious spider bites. Spider bites are slightly different than insect bites and should be treated differently. Look out for one or two bites with two small holes from a black widow spider, and bites that are blue or purple and start to darken in color and are painful, with the former being a black widow spider's bite and the latter being a brown spider's bite. If you notice signs of this, seek medical attention. Other, less serious spider bites may resemble insect bites. A black widow spider's bite may or may not be painful. Look for teeth marks, tenderness, and swelling at the bite site that could indicate a problem. Symptoms to watch out for include muscle spasms, nausea, vomiting, and even seizures.

The bite site may become infected and swell with pus.

8. Look for insects that bite you. Most insect bites cause pain that you will notice immediately. If you feel you have been bitten, try to find the insect that bit you. Take a photo or, if the insect is dead, collect the body. This will help you and your doctor determine what type of insect bit you and determine what steps to take next. If the insect is still alive, do not attempt to capture it. Otherwise, you are likely to be bitten again.

If the insect dies, wrap it in clear glue, being careful not to damage its body. This way, you can show it to your doctor.

Part 2: Treating Insect Bites

1. Clean the bite area with soap and water. This keeps the bite site clean and prevents further infection. It is best not to use other ointments or medications before cleaning the area.

2. If the bite area is itchy, use anti-itch cream. Look for an over-the-counter antihistamine like Benadryl or Chlortrimitone. Do not scratch the wound as this may cause infection. Topical creams, gels, and lotions may help control itching, especially those containing pramocaine or benadryl.

3. Reduce swelling. Place a towel soaked in cold water or wrapped with ice cubes on the swollen area to apply a cold compress. If possible, elevate the bite site to reduce blood flow.

4. Treat papular urticaria. Raised, itchy red bumps may be an allergy caused by insect bites, often following flea, mosquito, and bed bug bites. Urticaria can be treated with antihistamines and topical steroids. Do not scratch these bumps as this may leave scars or cause infection.

5. Treat shock. Some insect bites can cause allergic reactions, which can be very dangerous. The first symptoms of a severe reaction are usually hives, rash, swelling of the throat or tongue, and difficulty breathing. This is a medical emergency, so call 120 or go to the emergency room as soon as possible.

If you have an epinephrine syringe, use it because anaphylactic shock can be life-threatening.

6. Seek medical treatment. In most cases, symptoms such as itching and swelling disappear quickly. If symptoms persist or worsen, you should see your doctor to make sure you don't have a more serious reaction. If you think you have been stung by a scorpion or know you have been stung by a scorpion, seek medical attention immediately.

7. Pay attention to the symptoms of other diseases. Insect bites themselves may not be dangerous, but many insects can spread disease. Ticks can carry Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever virus, and mosquitoes can carry West Nile virus and encephalitis virus, transmitting these serious diseases to humans. Watch for other symptoms such as fever, body aches and nausea. These symptoms usually indicate a more serious illness.

Tip: Most insect bites temporarily irritate the skin, but the reaction usually subsides. Unless you are allergic to a specific type of insect bite, only the most venomous spiders and insects will cause a noticeable reaction.

When you search online for how to identify insect bites, you probably won’t find anything about spider stings. Spiders are arachnids, not insects. When you suspect a spider sting, you should definitely search for the spider.

Don’t provoke insects, as this may cause them to bite in self-defense.

When outdoors, use insect repellent and wear protective clothing such as pants and long-sleeved T-shirts.

Sweets and trash cans attract bees, flies and other insects, so you should avoid getting too close to these items.

WARNING If you are sure you are being bitten by bed bugs, your best bet is to call an exterminator to eliminate them.

If you are allergic to insect bites, you should wear a medical information sign and carry an emergency epinephrine (epinephrine syringe). Make sure your friends and family know how to use an epinephrine injector if you go into shock.

If you have difficulty breathing, a swollen or itchy throat, or difficulty swallowing, call emergency services or go to a hospital emergency department immediately. These symptoms indicate a possible allergic reaction.