Your guide to treatment for insect bites

If you spend a lot of time outdoors, you might be familiar with bug bites. Many different bugs in the United States may bite you, but these usually aren’t too harmful. They might cause a mild reaction of swelling, itching, and pain.

In most cases, you can try home remedies or over-the-counter (OTC) medications to manage bug bites. However, if the bite becomes infected, you may need prescription antibiotics.

In some cases, bug bites may cause a severe allergic reaction. If this happens, seek immediate emergency medical treatment.

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What are insect bites?

The term “bug bites” can refer to both bites and stings from insects, as it can be difficult to distinguish between them. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), most insect bites and stings are harmless as long as you aren’t allergic to them.

Some of the most common bugs that may bite or sting you in the United States include:

• mosquitos
• fleas
• bedbugs
• mites
• bees and wasps
• spiders
• ticks
• fire ants
• chiggers

In most cases, these bites aren’t significantly harmful. You might feel a sharp pain when the bug bites or stings you, followed by itching, a raised rash, or hives at the bite location when your body releases histamine as a reaction. Symptoms usually begin very soon after being bitten.

In the case of tick bites, the tick may remain attached to your skin. You will likely notice the small brown bug at the bite location.

Treating insect bites

Most cases of bug bites are uncomplicated and will get better on their own with time. You can usually treat them at home with self-care measures and OTC medications if necessary.

Make sure you keep the area clean with soap and water. You can also apply cool compresses to help reduce swelling, hives, and itching, and keep the area raised if you notice swelling.

Alongside these strategies, the medications you may try include:

• Oral antihistamines: These are available OTC and can relieve itching and hives associated with bug bites. These include loratadine (Claritin), fexofenadine (Allegra), and diphenhydramine (Benadryl).
• OTC pain relievers: If the bites or stings are painful, you can try some OTC pain medication to help reduce your symptoms. These include ibuprofen (Advil) and acetaminophen (Tylenol).
• Anti-itch cream: For very itchy bites, you might consider an anti-itch cream like hydrocortisone (Cortizone 10).

In some cases, particularly if you scratch the bite and break the skin, you may develop a bacterial infection. In these cases, you should speak with a doctor, who may prescribe antibiotics like clarithromycin (Biaxin) to treat the infection.

If you’re having a severe allergic reaction, this is a medical emergency. If you have an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen), use it immediately. Otherwise, dial 911. Medical professionals will administer epinephrine as soon as possible.

If a venomous insect has bitten you, consult a doctor and a poison control center, even if you have no symptoms yet. After this, you may receive an antivenom formulation.

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How to know if it’s serious

Most bug bites will lead to mild symptoms and are usually not cause for concern. But this isn’t always the case. There are some things to look out for that can let you know whether to seek urgent treatment.

Venomous bites

In some cases, bug bites may be venomous. You may be especially concerned that a spider bite could be dangerous. However, of all spider species in the United States, only about 12 are cause for concern.

If you’ve been bitten by a venomous spider, alongside itching and a rash, you might notice:

• pain radiating from the bite
• muscle pain or cramping
• sweating, fever, or chills
• difficulty breathing
• nausea and vomiting
• anxiety
• headaches

If you think you’ve been bitten by a venomous insect, call 911. You can also speak with Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. These centers run 24 hours per day.

Lyme disease

While most tick bites are harmless, some ticks carry diseases like Lyme disease. This is why it’s important to remove ticks from your body as soon as you can.

The key symptom of Lyme disease is a circular, bulls-eye rash around the bite. This might not happen immediately — it can take up to 30 days to appear, although the average time is around 7 days. Other symptoms include:

• fever
• chills
• headaches
• fatigue
• muscle aches

Without treatment, Lyme disease can be very serious. If you think you have Lyme disease, speak with a healthcare professional immediately. Treatment involves a course of antibiotics.

Anaphylaxis

If you have an allergy to an insect bite or sting, you might experience a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. This is a medical emergency, and you should call 911 right away if you notice the following symptoms:

• difficulty breathing
• feeling like your throat is closing
• wheezing
• abdominal pain
• dizziness
• fainting

If you know you have an allergy, make sure you keep your epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen) with you at all times in case you need to use it.

Preventing insect bites

According to the AAD, there are some strategies you can use to prevent getting bitten by insects. These include:

• Using insect repellent: You can buy insect repellent sprays and apply them to exposed skin and clothing when you’re going to be outdoors or in an area with lots of bugs.
• Dressing appropriately: If you’ll be hiking, walking in long grass, or in a wooded area, consider covering as much exposed skin as you can comfortably. Aim to wear closed-toe shoes, and consider tucking your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks.
• Using bed nets: If you’re camping or sleeping outside, bed nets can help protect against mosquitoes.

Summary

Most bug bites cause only mild symptoms, such as itching and a mild rash. In these cases, home remedies and OTC medications are sufficient treatments.

Some bug bites may be more serious, such as bites from ticks that cause Lyme disease or bites from bugs that cause an allergic reaction. Some spider bites may also be venomous. These will require immediate medical attention.

If you develop a serious allergic reaction, seek immediate medical treatment. You’ll likely need epinephrine. If you have an epinephrine auto-injector, use it straight away.

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