Why do bites swell

Read full article on fire ant bites. Read full article on flea bites. Read full article on bedbug bites. Read full article on fly bites. Read full article on lice. Read full article on chigger bites. Read full article on tick bites.

Read full article on scabies. Read full article on spider bites. Read full article on brown recluse spider bites. Read full article on black widow spider bites. Read full article on hobo spider bites. Read full article on wolf spider bites. Read full article on horsefly bites. Read full article on bee stings. Read full article on yellow jacket stings. Read full article on wasp stings. Read full article on scorpion stings.

Many bugs bite, but only a few do so intentionally. Most bites are relatively harmless, leaving just an itchy patch of skin behind. But some bites can carry disease. Deer ticks, for example, typically carry Lyme disease. If you've spotted large, black ants in or near your house along with small piles of what looks like sawdust, there's a chance you may have wood ants.

As their name might suggest, wood ants — also called carpenter ants — can cause structural damage to wooden parts of your home. Bed bugs are tiny pests that love to hide in furniture and other common areas. In recent years, bed bugs have gone from living in obscurity to taking center stage in the United States. But you don't just find them in your home — you can also encounter them while traveling.

Learn how to check for bed bugs while traveling and what to do if you find them. Termites are one household pest that every homeowner dreads. Termites in homes are responsible for billions of dollars in property damage each year and, if you don't catch them early, they can infest your entire house, likely requiring extensive and costly repairs. By using our website, you agree to our use of cookies to analyze website traffic and improve your experience on our website.

Learn more about the types of cookies we use by reviewing our updated Privacy Policy. Why Do Insect Bites Swell? Do fire ants bite or sting? How to treat a fire ant sting? As well as the formation of a weal around the bite, you may also experience:. Horseflies cut the skin when they bite, rather than piercing it, so horsefly bites can take a long time to heal and can cause an infection.

Bites from bedbugs aren't usually painful, and if you've not been bitten by bedbugs before, you may not have any symptoms. However, there have also been reports of Blandford fly bites occurring in other areas of England.

You're most at risk of being bitten by a Blandford fly in May and June. Bites often occur on the legs and are very painful. They can produce a severe localised reaction a reaction confined to the area of the bite with symptoms such as:. Tick bites aren't usually painful and sometimes only cause a red lump to develop where you were bitten.

However, in some cases they may cause:. Ticks can carry a bacterial infection called Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease. Lyme disease can be serious if it isn't treated. Mites cause very itchy lumps to develop on the skin and can also cause blisters. If the mites are from pets, you may be bitten on your abdomen tummy and thighs if your pet has been sitting on your lap.

Otherwise, mites will bite any uncovered skin. Spider bites from spiders native to the UK are rare. You're more likely to be bitten by a spider while you're abroad, if you keep non-native spiders as pets, or if you have a job that involves handling goods from overseas.

Spider bites leave small puncture marks on the skin, which can be painful and cause redness and swelling. In severe cases, a spider bite may cause nausea, vomiting, sweating and dizziness. Very rarely, a spider bite may cause a severe allergic reaction. A wasp or hornet sting causes a sharp pain in the area that's been stung, which usually lasts just a few seconds.

A bee sting feels similar to a wasp sting, but the sting and a venomous sac will be left in the wound. You should remove this immediately by scraping it out using something with a hard edge, such as a bank card.

Most people won't have severe symptoms after being bitten or stung by an insect, but some people can react badly to them because they've developed antibodies to the venom. You're more likely to have an allergic reaction if you're stung by an insect. The reaction can be classed as:. Although insect bites and stings are a common cause of anaphylaxis, it's rare to experience anaphylaxis after an insect sting, and it's rarely fatal.

If you have a large localised reaction LLR after being bitten or stung by an insect, a large area around the bite or sting will swell up. The area may measure up to 30cm 12in across, or your entire arm or leg could swell up.

The swelling will usually last longer than 48 hours, but should start to go down after a few days. This can be painful, but the swelling won't be dangerous unless it affects your airways. If you're bitten or stung many times by one or more insects, your symptoms will be more severe because a larger amount of venom will have been injected.

You're more likely to have a systemic reaction SR if you've been bitten or stung before and become sensitised, particularly if it was recently. People who've been sensitised to bee stings are more likely to have an SR than people who are stung by wasps. It's rare for an SR to be fatal, particularly in children, although someone with an existing heart or breathing problem is at an increased risk.

Read about treating insect bites and stings. Most insect bites and stings cause small reactions that are confined to the area of the bite localised reactions. They can usually be treated at home. As soon as you've been stung by a bee, remove the sting and venom sac if it's been left in your skin. Do this by scraping it out, either with your fingernails or something with a hard edge, such as a bank card.

When removing the sting, be careful not to spread the venom further under your skin and don't puncture the venom sac. Don't pinch the sting out with your fingers or a pair of tweezers because you may spread the venom. If a child has been stung, an adult should remove the sting.

Wasps and hornets don't usually leave the sting behind, so they could sting you again. If you've been stung and the wasp or hornet is still in the area, walk away calmly to avoid being stung again.

Most insect bites and stings cause itching and swelling that usually clears up within several hours. If local swelling is severe, your GP may prescribe a short course of oral corticosteroids , such as prednisolone, to take for 3 to 5 days.

If you have an allergic reaction after being bitten or stung, even if it's just a skin rash hives , your GP may prescribe an adrenaline pen an auto-injector and show you how to use it.

You'll also be referred to an allergy clinic for further tests and treatment. If you develop blisters after being bitten by an insect, don't burst them because they may become infected. Blisters don't usually cause pain unless they rupture burst and expose the new skin underneath. If possible, use an adhesive bandage plaster to protect the blistered area.

See your pharmacist if the bite or sting fills with pus and feels tender to touch, your glands swell up and you feel unwell with flu-like symptoms. Your pharmacist may prescribe oral antibiotics medicines to treat infections caused by bacteria. You'll need to take these as instructed, usually 2 to 4 times a day for 7 days. If you have the symptoms of a systemic reaction SR , it could lead to anaphylactic shock.

Anaphylaxis may need to be treated with an adrenaline injection, antihistamines, oxygen or an intravenous drip directly into a vein.

If previous insect bites or stings have caused a large skin reaction, such as redness and swelling more than 10cm 4 inches in diameter, your GP may refer you to an allergy clinic. The criteria for referring someone to an allergy clinic may vary depending on what's available in your local area. Horsefly bites can take a while to heal and can become infected. See your GP if you have symptoms of an infection, such as pus or increasing pain, redness and swelling.

They usually cause small, red lumps that can be painful and very itchy, and can sometimes swell up alarmingly. Bedbug bites typically occur on the face, neck, hands or arms.

They're typically found in straight lines across the skin. The bites are not usually painful, and if you've not been bitten by bedbugs before, you may not have any symptoms. Mite bites cause very itchy red lumps to develop on the skin and can sometimes also cause blisters.

Mites usually bite uncovered skin, but you may be bitten on your tummy and thighs if your pet has mites and has been sitting on your lap.

Some mites burrow into the skin and cause a condition called scabies. Flea bites can cause small, itchy red lumps that are sometimes grouped in lines or clusters. Blisters may also occasionally develop. Fleas from cats and dogs often bite below the knee, commonly around the ankles. You may also get flea bites on your forearms if you've been stroking or holding your pet. Bites from spiders in the UK are uncommon, but some native spiders — such as the false widow spider — are capable of giving a nasty bite.