Dr. Carrie Caruthers specializes in allergy, asthma and immunology at The Vancouver Clinic’s Salmon Creek, Columbia Tech Center and 87th Avenue locations.
Summer brings backyard barbecues, hiking and outdoor evenings. But as you spend more time outside, you might encounter stinging or biting insects. Their venom can cause allergic reactions that create itchy red bumps. While bugs can be a bother, in some cases their bites or stings may require medical attention. Here are some tips for managing interactions with six- and eight-legged creatures this season.
Prevention is the Best Medicine
Most stinging insects will only do so if they are “bugged.” So as a general rule, don’t bother them. If you notice stinging insects flying around, remain calm and move away. Also, when eating outside, keep food and drinks covered until you eat.
To avoid being bit or stung, consider what you wear. Be sure to put on:
• Dark clothing and avoid bright clothes that attract insects.
• Closed-toe shoes. Avoid going barefoot.
• A long-sleeved shirt and long pants.
• Bug spray, once a day, containing 10 to 30 percent DEET, to protect against bites.
Children may get bitten or stung more than adults as they learn about nature. But adults have a higher risk of having a severe allergic reaction to stinging insects.
Stinging Insects
A warm summer day may draw a visit from bees, hornets, wasps or yellow jackets. These four stinging insects are quite different. But their venom can cause a similar allergic reaction.
• Honeybees live in beekeeper boxes or build nests in old trees.
• Hornets are aggressive and build large nests in trees.
• Wasps make honeycomb nests under eaves of buildings.
• Yellow jackets build nests in the ground. You may encounter them when doing yard work or gardening.
Bees may only sting once. They leave their stinger, then die. Other stinging insects can sting repeatedly. If a bee stings you, remove the stinger quickly. Use your fingernail to scratch it out without squeezing it. For all stings, clean the sting site with soap and water. Apply a cold compress to the area to reduce swelling. Finally, apply a topical steroid cream (like over-the-counter hydrocortisone) to the area. You may also take oral antihistamine to reduce the inflammation.
Most people develop redness, swelling and itching at the site of the sting. This typically takes a few days to go away; it does not mean you are allergic to the venom. An allergic reaction includes difficulty breathing, swelling, a full-body rash, dizziness or belly discomfort. If you develop these symptoms after getting stung, call 911. For those with bee sting allergies, your doctor may recommend that you use a prescription epinephrine injector to avoid a severe reaction.
Biting Insects
Tick-borne illnesses such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease are not common in the Pacific Northwest. But even if the ticks you come in contact with aren’t carrying disease, their bites can cause a reaction and pain.
If you are hiking in an area that may have ticks:
• Tuck your pants into your socks.
• Wear light colors to make spotting ticks easy.
Look at your clothing and skin afterwards. If you find a tick, remove it slowly and gently with tweezers. Other biting insects such as ants, chiggers, flies, midges and mosquitoes can be annoying and may carry diseases. Bites from black flies, horse flies and stable flies can be especially uncomfortable.
Spiders
Spider bites are usually harmless, but you’ll feel itchy at the bite-site. Two fang marks indicate a black widow spider bite. This bite can cause muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting, seizure and a spike in blood pressure. Seek medical attention immediately if you believe a black widow has bitten you.
As a general rule with any bug bite, wash the area with soap and water. Apply a topical steroid cream to the area and/or take an oral antihistamine to reduce the inflammation. And last, but not least — avoid scratching. This may be the hardest part.
