Bites on thigh. Everything You Need to Know About Mite and Flea Bites
What are mites? Do they bother humans? Can mites be harmful to your health? How to get rid of mites in your household. What are fleas, and what do flea bites look like?
What Are Mites, and Do They Bother Humans?
Mites are arthropods, not insects, and are close cousins with spiders and ticks. Most types of mites feed on other insects or on dead plant and animal material. Dust mites, for example, feed mostly on dead skin cells. However, there are a few types that bite or affect people:
- Chiggers
- Scabies
- Rat mites
- Bird mites
- Northern fowl mites
Despite what you may have heard or read online, home mite infestations are fairly rare and tend to be much less of an issue than people assume, says Mike Merchant, PhD, a former professor of entomology at Texas A&M University in Dallas. “A lot of the mite stuff on the internet makes it sound like [a mite infestation is] the end of the world, but it’s not,” he says.
Can Mites Be Harmful to Your Health?
Mite bites can cause skin lumps and rashes and, occasionally, more serious reactions, Dr. Merchant says. Among outdoor mites, the only type that frequently bites people is the chigger. The word “chigger” applies to a particular species of mite that bites during its larval stage of development, and their bite produces an intensely itchy red welt, Merchant explains. “There are not too many other mite problems outdoors,” he adds.
When it comes to indoor mites that bite or cause health issues, Merchant says most spring from animal nests. “Some mites will infest the nests of birds and rats and mice, and when they become abundant, they’ll leave that site and sometimes wander into the house and bite people,” he explains. In most cases, the bites of these mites cause an itchy skin rash, which may feature small lumps or pimples.
The skin might be very itchy or red for a few days, but then that will taper off, Merchant says of mite bites. Ice and anti-itch creams like hydrocortisone can help control the swelling and itching. But those symptoms should resolve within a week, he says. (Nearly all species of biting house mites cannot live on human beings, and so they don’t “infest people,” he adds.)
There is one outlier: scabies. These mites infest a person’s skin in order to lay eggs and feed, and are usually only passed by direct person-to-person contact. Like other mites, scabies tend to cause an itchy, pimply red rash. But unlike other mites, those rashes will continue to appear unless the person gets medical treatment, usually a prescription-only skin cream or lotion designed to kill scabies.
Dust mites can cause allergies in some people, but these tend to be of the mild, seasonal allergy variety — stuff like a runny nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes. Over-the-counter and prescription allergy meds can help quell dust mite allergies.
How to Get Rid of Mites in Your Household
You don’t need a crazy whole-house treatment or fumigation. You just need to remove the animals and animal nests that are bringing mites into your home, Merchant says. “Everybody always wants a spray to solve these types of mite problems, but the real solution is getting rid of any animals nesting in your home, and animal-proofing your home,” he says. Basically, call in a home pest pro.
The exception here, again, is the scabies mite; in addition to getting medical treatment, you can take steps to eliminate the mites from your household. Scabies mites don’t survive very long when they’re not on human skin. Vacuum your home the day you start treatment and decontaminate your bedding, clothing, and towels by washing these items in hot water and drying on high heat. You can also dry-clean or seal these articles in a plastic bag for at least 72 hours.
When it comes to dust mites, on the other hand, it’s almost impossible to get rid of them all. But frequent home cleaning and dusting, installing HEPA air filters, and buying bedding that can be washed in hot water and that resists dust accumulation can limit allergic reactions.
What Are Fleas, and What Do Flea Bites Look Like?
Fleas are blood-sucking insects that live on mammals — often dogs, cats, or other furry pets. Fleas are brown and wingless. And while they’re small, usually around an eighth of an inch, they’re big enough to see or even feel with your hand, Merchant says.
While they prefer animals to humans, fleas can migrate off pets and onto their owner’s skin. “Usually flea bites are on the lower legs because the fleas get into the carpet and then jump up as we’re walking past,” Merchant explains.
What does a flea bite look like? Like many other types of insect bites, flea bites produce small red bumps that may be itchy and that tend to appear in groups of three or more. Again, ice and hydrocortisone can help relieve symptoms, which tend to be short-lived — a week or less.
More Serious Health
The article goes on to discuss more serious health issues that can be caused by mite and flea infestations, such as the transmission of diseases. However, the summary provided covers the key information about the types of mites, their effects on human health, and how to manage mite and flea problems in the home.
Everything You Need to Know About Mite and Flea Bites
What Bit Me? Spot These 12 Bug Bites
What Are Mites, and Do They Bother Humans?
Mites are arthropods, not insects, and are close cousins with spiders and ticks. (1) Most types of mites feed on other insects or on dead plant and animal material. (Dust mites, for example, feed mostly on dead skin cells.)
But there are a few types that bite or affect people: (2,3)
- Chiggers
- Scabies
- Rat mites
- Bird mites
- Northern fowl mites
Despite what you may have heard or read online, home mite infestations are fairly rare and tend to be much less of an issue than people assume, says Mike Merchant, PhD, a former professor of entomology at Texas A&M University in Dallas. “A lot of the mite stuff on the internet makes it sound like [a mite infestation is] the end of the world, but it’s not,” he says.
Can Mites Be Harmful to Your Health?
Mite bites can cause skin lumps and rashes and, occasionally, more serious reactions, Dr.
Merchant says.
Among outdoor mites, the only type that frequently bites people is the chigger. The word “chigger” applies to a particular species of mite that bites during its larval stage of development, and their bite produces an intensely itchy red welt, Merchant explains. “There are not too many other mite problems outdoors,” he adds.
RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Chigger Bites
When it comes to indoor mites that bite or cause health issues, Merchant says most spring from animal nests. “Some mites will infest the nests of birds and rats and mice, and when they become abundant, they’ll leave that site and sometimes wander into the house and bite people,” he explains. In most cases, the bites of these mites cause an itchy skin rash, which may feature small lumps or pimples.
“The skin might be very itchy or red for a few days, but then that will taper off,” Merchant says of mite bites. Ice and anti-itch creams like hydrocortisone can help control the swelling and itching.
But those symptoms should resolve within a week, he says. (Nearly all species of biting house mites cannot live on human beings, and so they don’t “infest people,” he adds.)
There is one outlier: scabies. These mites infest a person’s skin in order to lay eggs and feed, and are usually only passed by direct person-to-person contact. (4) Like other mites, scabies tend to cause an itchy, pimply red rash. But unlike other mites, those rashes will continue to appear unless the person gets medical treatment, usually a prescription-only skin cream or lotion designed to kill scabies.
Dust mites can cause allergies in some people, but these tend to be of the mild, seasonal allergy variety — stuff like a runny nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes. (5) Over-the-counter and prescription allergy meds can help quell dust mite allergies.
RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Allergies
How to Get Rid of Mites in Your Household
You don’t need a crazy whole-house treatment or fumigation.
You just need to remove the animals and animal nests that are bringing mites into your home, Merchant says. “Everybody always wants a spray to solve these types of mite problems, but the real solution is getting rid of any animals nesting in your home, and animal-proofing your home,” he says. Basically, call in a home pest pro.
The exception here, again, is the scabies mite; in addition to getting medical treatment, you can take steps to eliminate the mites from your household. Scabies mites don’t survive very long when they’re not on human skin. Vacuum your home the day you start treatment and decontaminate your bedding, clothing, and towels by washing these items in hot water and drying on high heat. You can also dry-clean or seal these articles in a plastic bag for at least 72 hours.
When it comes to dust mites, on the other hand, it’s almost impossible to get rid of them all. But frequent home cleaning and dusting, installing HEPA air filters, and buying bedding that can be washed in hot water and that resists dust accumulation can limit allergic reactions.
What Are Fleas, and What Do Flea Bites Look Like?
Fleas are blood-sucking insects that live on mammals — often dogs, cats, or other furry pets. (6) Fleas are brown and wingless. And while they’re small, usually around an eighth of an inch, they’re big enough to see or even feel with your hand, Merchant says.
While they prefer animals to humans, fleas can migrate off pets and onto their owner’s skin. “Usually flea bites are on the lower legs because the fleas get into the carpet and then jump up as we’re walking past,” Merchant explains.
What does a flea bite look like? Like many other types of insect bites, flea bites produce small red bumps that may be itchy and that tend to appear in groups of three or more. Again, ice and hydrocortisone can help relieve symptoms, which tend to be short-lived — a week or less.
More Serious Health Complications Can Arise if You Have Mites or Fleas
Like all biting or stinging insects, mites and fleas can occasionally cause serious allergic reactions, including problems breathing or a swollen limb or throat.
Those symptoms warrant a trip to the emergency room.
Also, anything that causes itchy skin or open sores can allow in bacteria, which could lead to a secondary infection. (7) If you notice swelling, pain, or a mite or flea bite that seems to be getting worse after a day or two, or if you have a fever or other flu-like symptoms, talk to a doctor. Those could all be signs of a bacterial infection.
Finally, both fleas and mites can transmit some potentially serious diseases to humans — namely types of typhus and spotted fever — though these transmissions are very rare. Symptoms include headaches, fever, rashes, and delirium. (8)
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Tips for How to Avoid Getting Mosquito Bites in the First Place
To minimize your bite risk, try to stay indoors at dawn and dusk — times when humidity often peaks. “The higher the humidity, the better for mosquitoes, so dawn and dusk are times when they tend to be active,” Day says.
He explains that mosquitoes are fragile insects, and their bodies dry out quickly if they’re exposed to arid conditions or extended stretches of bright sunlight (which is another reason they prefer hunting at dawn and dusk, as opposed to midday). They’re also weak fliers, he says, so any kind of breeze or fan-generated wind tends to keep them at bay. If you can find a place that’s exposed to wind, or you have a strong fan handy, both can prevent mosquitoes from biting you.
Long pants and shirtsleeves — especially tightly woven synthetic fabrics such as the types used in so-called athleisure garments — tend to keep mosquitoes off your skin. Repellents also work well, Day says. The CDC suggests looking for products that contain DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and oil of lemon eucalyptus, or p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD). (6) Apply these products to your ankles, wrists, forehead, elbows, and all the other knobby, bony places where the blood is up near the surface of the skin. Mosquitoes love to feast at these sites.
Also good to keep in mind: Mosquitoes are attracted to both the carbon dioxide humans exhale and the natural odors our bodies produce — stuff like sweat and foot odor. If you’ve been exercising, you’re likely to be both sweaty and producing higher amounts of carbon dioxide. Better to cool off and shower up indoors before heading outside. (7)
Follow all these precautions, and you can largely dodge mosquito bites all summer long.
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Bumblebee Bite & Allergy Treatment
Bumblebee Bite & Allergy Treatment
Information on bumblebee stings, tips to reduce the chance of being bitten, and information about possible reactions to the sting and treatment of the sting. You can download a poster about bumblebee stings and allergies here.
Bumblebee, honey bee and wasp stings
Bumblebees occur naturally in many countries. In addition, bumblebees and bees are used as pollinators on agricultural and horticultural crops.
There are various subspecies with different appearances, including different colors and patterns. In general, bumblebees are larger than honey bees and have more hairs than wasps.
Only worker bumblebees and queens have a sting, as is the case with honey bees and wasps. Drones can’t sting. The sting is a defensive weapon. When a bee stings, poison is injected into the wound through the sting. In humans, this causes short-term sharp pain, which then passes. Sometimes (in about 1% of cases) an allergic reaction to the injected poison develops.
The reaction to a bumblebee sting can vary.
The bumblebee or wasp has no serrations on its stinger. This means that a working bumblebee or queen can pull out the stinger and apply it again. On the sting of the honey bee there are notches. When the honey bee tries to extract the sting, it bursts out of the abdomen along with the venom gland.
How to prevent bumblebee stings?
Bumblebees rarely sting.
The chance of being stung by a bumblebee can be reduced by not provoking them or making them aggressive. First of all, it is important to remain calm while working with bumblebees. Don’t wave your arms around bumblebees, hit the hive, don’t touch or hold bumblebees, etc.
Be aware that bumblebees can react aggressively to odors such as alcohol, sweat, perfumes, scented soaps, aftershave, etc. In addition, rings, bracelets and watches can cause aggressive behavior (due to the smell of oxidation between the skin and jewelry). Bumblebees are attracted to the color blue, including blue and especially light blue clothing. Protective clothing can reduce the risk of being bitten. Bumblebees can sting through clothing.
Have you been stung? Bumblebee sting reaction
Bumblebee sting usually results in a non-allergic local reaction of swelling, itching and redness at the site of the sting, lasting only a couple of hours. This can happen immediately after being bitten, but usually starts after a few hours.
Swelling and itching may persist for hours or even days. In some cases, a local reaction may spread throughout the body; in this case, it may take longer for the symptoms to disappear. This is still considered a local, non-allergic reaction.
Measures for non-allergic, local reactions
Usually no medical treatment is required. Measures can be taken to minimize the local reaction, particularly if the bite affects a sensitive area, such as near the eyes. Anti-inflammatory drugs should be taken as soon as possible after the bite. A cold compress can be applied to the bite site. In addition, there are a number of antipruritic ointments (for example, containing diethyl-m-toluamide).
In rare cases where the bite is in the mouth or throat, the victim should be taken to hospital immediately because this can lead to airway asphyxia. At the hospital, the patient will be given corticosteroids and kept under observation.
Allergic reaction
In about 1% of the population, multiple bumblebee stings (or in some cases as few as two or three stings) can lead to an allergic reaction, also called a generalized allergic reaction, a systemic allergic reaction, or an anaphylactic reaction.
Since antibodies formed during previous exposure to the antigen are involved in the allergic reaction, it is not possible to develop an allergic reaction after the first bite. An allergic reaction usually occurs very soon after the bite (from a few seconds to half an hour after the bite).
Allergic reactions are divided into four levels in order of increasing severity:
Grade 1 – Itching, redness and swelling (urticaria, rash) all over the body
Grade 2 – Grade 1 symptoms and bowel problems (vomiting, diarrhea
Grade 3 – Grade 1 and/or 2 symptoms and difficulty breathing and/or choking
Grade 4 – Grade 1 and/or 2 and/or 3 symptoms and palpitations, syncope, anaphylactic shock (accompanied by dizziness, excessive sweating and chills)
Allergic Reaction Measures
If you have a fever or level 1 reaction, seek medical attention. It may be necessary to follow the development of the situation.
It is advisable to observe the victim in the hospital for some time, as the reaction may progress over time.
If vomiting occurs, and certainly if Grade 3 or 4 symptoms appear, the victim should be taken to hospital immediately.
If an allergic reaction occurs, it is useful to use an antihistamine. The antihistamine reduces tumors caused by the histamine in the venom. Sometimes corticosteroids may be prescribed. In the case of reactions of 3 or 4 degrees, adrenaline must first be administered. Adrenaline stimulates the heart, constricts blood vessels and opens the airways. Adrenaline auto-injectors are sold by prescription only, for example, if the patient has already had an allergic reaction to a bumblebee sting. Depending on local regulations, an epinephrine auto-injector may also be available from companies that work with bumblebees.
Toxic reactions
Toxic reactions only occur if the victim has been stung dozens of times in a short period. General allergic reactions may occur in the nervous or circulatory system, such as cardiac arrhythmias or breathing difficulties.
In this case, the victim should be taken to the hospital for treatment and observation.
Hyperventilation
In addition to a severe grade 4 allergic reaction, hyperventilation resulting from shock can also lead to unconsciousness. In such cases, it is also necessary to immediately call for emergency medical care.
Increased risk
People who use certain medications (beta-blockers) and pregnant women are at increased risk for allergic reactions after a bumblebee sting.
Bumblebee Allergy
If you’ve had an allergic reaction in the past, it won’t necessarily happen the next time you bite. The chances are especially slim if you’ve had a Grade 1 or 2 reaction. The reaction to bumblebee stings can vary from case to case. Currently, a test using purified bumblebee venom can be done to determine if you will have an allergic reaction the next time you are stung. You can also use purified poison to reduce sensitivity.
Bee venom immunotherapy does not necessarily protect patients from bumblebee sting allergy.
This treatment is intended to reduce susceptibility to bumblebee venom. If you don’t want to be treated for desensitization, you can get a prescription for an adrenaline auto-injector from your doctor. It can be carried around and used to inject epinephrine into the thigh in case of a bite.
Information for Physicians
Detailed information on measures to manage allergic reactions is available from Koppert upon request.
Ask your allergist or GP for more information.
Literature
A printed poster with illustrations can be ordered from Koppert. This poster is also available for download (URL).
Tip: Put on the poster the contact information for a doctor or emergency call.
This information is provided for educational purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat health problems as it is not a substitute for medical care. If you suspect a health problem, see your doctor.
Laser help for insect bites Volgodonsk – User review
I want to tell you about what happened to me and how the RIKTA device helped me.
Recently, something bit me on the leg. What insect has bitten me? Don’t know. It looks like a mosquito or some kind of midge. The bite site immediately turned red, in a short time the redness quickly spread over the skin of the thigh, itching, swelling and slight pain joined.
I called my doctor, who suggested that it was an allergic reaction to an insect bite, recommended wiping the bite with alcohol or vodka, smearing it with an anti-inflammatory or hormonal cream / gel, and drinking an antihistamine. The doctor reminded me that I have a RIKTA laser device and I need to use it. I did so. Literally after the second session, the redness decreased, the itching and pain disappeared. Did 5 sessions. Everything is gone. I think everything together helped me, both medicines and the laser.
Bite. Before treatment.
After 5 sessions of treatment with the RIKTA device
The laser device has been in our family for several years, during which time it helped us solve many problems: we treated colds, runny nose, sore throats, pain in the joints and spine, it helped us all recover from covid.
Thank you very much for this – both for such an excellent device and for effective methods.
I think that such a device should be in every Russian family.
Svetlana S., Volgodonsk, Rostov region
August 05, 2022
Comment by PhD, physiotherapist Osipova E. G.
The review contains a case of an allergic reaction to an insect bite. The patient received a good effect from the complex treatment – laser and drug therapy. This is obvious and understandable.
But first, about bites. Insect bites, especially in summer, are not uncommon. It can be bites of mosquitoes, bumblebees, wasps, horseflies, midges. Their bites cause great harm to human health. They are especially troublesome for allergy sufferers: bites can lead to an anaphylactic reaction, urticaria, Quincke’s edema, less often to the addition of a secondary infection. As a result of the bite, swelling, redness, inflammation of the skin in the affected area, the occurrence of itching of varying intensity, and occasionally pain are noted.
In case of a bite, it is necessary to consult a doctor for advice on treatment. Usually, experts advise lubricating the bite site with alcohol or vodka, and conducting drug therapy. For this purpose, anti-inflammatory, decongestant, antihistamines, hormones, etc. are prescribed. And rarely, unfortunately, any doctor will recommend the use of laser therapy in complex treatment. Rarely – because for a number of reasons there is a lack of awareness of specialists in this matter.
Low-intensity laser therapy has been successfully used for more than 50 years in the treatment, prevention and rehabilitation of patients with a wide range of diseases. During this time, a large number of doctoral and master’s theses (more than 350) have been defended on the topic of laser therapy, a huge number of articles, monographs, guidelines have been written, scientific and practical conferences, seminars, etc. have been held; training courses are held; The journal “Laser Medicine” (published 4 times a year) publishes scientific articles by Russian scientists on the effectiveness of this method of treatment for various pathologies.
Training courses are being held. That is, work to inform the medical community is ongoing.
It has been proven that laser therapy can eliminate the inflammatory process, itching, swelling, pain, hyperemia of affected tissues by improving blood circulation, enhancing metabolic processes at the level of the cell and the whole organism. In addition, laser exposure promotes the regeneration of damaged tissues.
RIKTA devices manufactured by the production company CJSC MILTA – PKP GIT (Moscow) are approved for use at home. The devices are multifactorial, along with low-intensity pulsed laser infrared radiation, they have additional factors of influence: broadband pulsed infrared radiation, constant magnetic field, blue / red light, low-frequency pulsed currents by the method of transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation (TENS or TENS). RIKTA-ESMIL portable devices deserve special popularity in home use. To carry out treatment with the device at home, you need to know your diagnosis and strictly follow the methodological recommendations, having previously consulted a specialist.