Mosquitoes, midges, fleas, bedbugs and horseflies all bite, and most bites are just annoying. The itch is the real problem: scratching breaks the skin and lets bacteria in. Here’s how to settle a bite and spot the rare ones that need help.
Imagine waking up on holiday with a row of itchy red bumps on your ankle. You scratch them in your sleep. Three days later one is bigger, hot, painful and oozing, and a red patch is spreading up your leg. The bite was harmless. The infection that followed the scratching is not.
Easing a bite
- Wash the area with soap and water
- Apply a cold compress for 10 minutes to reduce swelling
- Try not to scratch; keep nails short and cover the bite if needed
- Ask a pharmacist about antihistamine tablets, a mild steroid cream or a soothing cream
But when does a bite need help?
- Signs of infection: spreading redness, heat, pus, increasing pain, or fever. See a doctor or nurse.
- A large local reaction that spreads over 10 cm, or bites around the eyes or mouth: get advice.
- Signs of anaphylaxis (swelling of lips or throat, breathing difficulty, faintness): call your emergency number.
- Fever or flu-like illness after travel to areas with malaria, dengue or other insect-borne diseases: get checked the same day and say where you’ve been.
Avoiding bites
Use an insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin (icaridin) or another recommended ingredient, wear long sleeves at dusk and dawn, use nets or screens, and follow travel health advice, including antimalarial tablets where recommended.
Your next step: If a bite is getting redder each day, draw around the edge with a pen. If the redness spreads past the line, see a nurse or doctor.
Sources: NHS (Insect bites and stings), US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Preventing mosquito bites), World Health Organization (Vector-borne diseases). This guide is for general information and does not replace advice from your own nurse, doctor or pharmacist.
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