Preventions And Remedies For Insect Bites And Stings

Insect bites can happen anytime and at any place which can cause either minor or major illnesses. Usual bites that we encounter came from ants, mosquitoes, cockroaches, ticks, bees and spiders. Although most of them don't possess serious health threats, you must still be cautious about this little bugs and know different home remedies for immediate self treatment.

Most of these insects are active at night because they are some what allergic to sunlight. Warm weather is another factor that causes this bugs to be more active and much likely to have physical contact with humans. They are usually found in messy areas of the house like kitchen, garage and the garden.

Mosquito bites for example seems so harmless. But there are kinds of mosquitoes who are carriers of deadly viruses like the dengue virus and the West Nile virus. Meanwhile, a bee sting and a cockroach bite can only cause skin allergic reactions but severe cases of allergic reactions are highly possible and could be deadly.

Below are some of the known bite symptoms of outdoor insects and bugs.

Itchiness

Swelling of the skin

Redness of the bite area

Fever

Chilling

Allergic reactions

Lyme disease

Rashes

Abdominal pain

Muscle cramps

Headache

Dizziness

Bacterial infections

To keep your household bug free and prevent frequent insect contact, you can restructure your house to ensure that it can effectively repel bugs. Use refined screens and netting in your windows and doors as defensive barriers for any types of bugs. Avoid walking in grass and stagnant areas of the house, spiders and other bug crawlers live in these areas.

Clean your backyard, garden, garage and your kitchen to avoid being colonized by different insects. All areas must stay dry at all times and keep the bad and stinky odors thoroughly. Bad odors can attract flies and other common house bugs.

To repel mosquitoes, use light colored shirts because mosquitoes hate objects that can make them visible. Wear long sleeves, hat and pants when outside the house, this can help avoid mosquito bites and bee sting. Don't use too much perfumes and scented soaps, it can help attract bees.

Another simple prevention is to use insect repellent lotion. Apply lotion to your exposed skin when going out. Insect repellent lotions are very effective in repelling bugs but take extra care when applying to children. Don't ever spread it to palms and places near the face because it might be inhaled which is bad for the health. Sprays are also ideal and best to apply it on clothes and not on the skin.

After returning home, it is highly recommended to wash your skin with soap and water to remove the harmful chemicals of insect repellent products.

Now there are different types of treatment for insect bites. Below are some tips on how to deal with insect bites.

1. For bee sting, scrape the stinger away in a side to side motion with any straight edged object such as a knife. Be careful upon pulling the stinger, it might push the venom more into the sin. This are also effective for a tick bite.

2. For other bug bites, a warm or hot bath can help ease the affected area. An insect bite is a spam like symptoms so hot water bath are more beneficial.

3. Wash the affected area with antibacterial liquid soap and rinse thoroughly. The apply antiseptic ointments to reduce the risk of complications.

4. Rub an aspirin tablet to the affected area to reduce the itching. Aspirin has anti-inflammatory properties which helps reduce inflammation and itchiness. Never apply this treatment to those who has allergic reactions to aspirin.

5. Oral antihistamines such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen can also provide itching and pain relief.

6. Regular household products like salt and baking soda are effective in reducing the swelling of an insect bite. Dissolve both with water and make a paste like lotion to spread into the affected area.

7. For spider and cockroach bites, wash the bite with soap and water and immediately apply antiseptic treatment. Ice pack can help slow the absorption of the venom. Most spider bites are not deadly except for black widow, brown recluse and tarantula spiders.

Take note that all this tips are general remedies for normal insect bites. Severe complications may occur with insect bites from black widow spider, brown recluse spider, scorpion and other poisonous insects. Immediate medical attention must be done once bitten. Time is important when dealing with bug stings and insect bites, so be cautious and take extra careful inside and out of your house. Serious diseases or even death can be prevented if you know the steps on how to prevent and treat this simple injuries.

About the author

Noah Mark Rodolfo is an alternative natural healthcare practitioner and is committed to bring the best health and wellness information online. Get the most updated news about health, diseases, weight loss and proper nutrition on his website at Health and Wellness.

Insect Bites Remedies

Parents, especially mothers would have their own ways of protecting their children against any possible danger; be it inside or outside the house. And with the frequently changing weather, there are so many threats to children's health. And among the factors that are posting danger to children insect bites prove to be one of the most prevalent. Insect bites may be done by several pests and insects that are feeding on humans' blood. These insects are very attracted to children, especially to infants due to their sweet scent and pure blood. Parents should watch out for the following insects and the dangerous illnesses they can incur among kids by just touching and biting their skins.

a. Mosquito

These insects normally inhabits in dark and cold places. That is why they are found to be lurking and flying under the table, in small crevices, empty and wet drums and bottles, and many other locations. They usually bite at night but there are types of mosquitoes who are attacking at day time and they are the Asian Tiger Mosquito. But among different types of mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti served to be the dreaded one because it is the one that can transmit dengue or the yellow fever. They can easily multiply in stagnant water, especially if kept in a dark or dim place.

The best preventive solution against any type of mosquitoes is cleanliness. Always put cover to all containers with water. Dispose old tires because it is also another nesting place for them. Schedule a regular fumigation paired with anti-mosquito aerosol sprays for more intensive action. As for your children, let them put on insect repellents every once in a while. There are available insect repellents in the market that are made of the Neem plant which is a natural insect repellent. It may be used for younger babies and infants.

b. Cockroach

Going through ancient history, cockroaches have already started sprawling and crawling around even before anyone of us has been born. It is said to be the last one standing after the nuclear bombings that killed millions of people. So, you can only imagine how many cockroaches there are now all over the world. You can see them in dirty places most of the time such as canals, sewers, and garbage bins. Just like any other insects, cockroaches can bite human skins. And once you have been bitten, the bite will leave a reddish mark that will gradually become swollen in a few minutes. The bite mark is usually a bit hard and warm. Cockroach bites are slower to heal than mosquito bites. It could even leave a dark mark once it finally heals. If kids are bitten, bites located near the face and neck area can be very fatal. Each cockroach bite is filled with poisonous substances that cause redness and swelling. The poison may spread easily in the sensitive areas of the face and neck. It can lead to suffocation, blood infection, and ultimately, death.

Insect repellents cannot protect your children from cockroaches. There are available home remedies in the market such as aerosol sprays, chalk markers, sticky traps, and many more. But the most effective prevention would be cleaning all places inside the house. And never leave any food crumbs or leftover foods in any part of the house.

c. Bed Bugs

These little critters resemble cockroaches but they are very small, you can only touch them through the tip of your finger. Bed bugs usually take comfort in the small crevices and holes through your furniture including your beds, especially if they are already old and worn out. They love to stay in dark and skimpy places. They attack in the night when the temperature is already cold. You can hardly feel them because of their small size. They only feed once or twice a month, but once they do, they really see to it that they are satisfied. It means they can bite you several times in one night. So, when you see small reddish marks on your skin that are close from each other, they have feasted on you as their food for the night which served as their breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner. These insects can reproduce so fast. If you see one at a certain time, surely, you have a bunch of them in your mattress. Their bites are very itchy and can get swollen but not as big as that of with cockroaches.

Bed bugs are hard to eliminate if you are going to do it by yourself. There are pest busters that offer pest control services which include bed bugs. Bed bugs control and elimination will take a day or two if the infestation is already worst. Some may require you to buy new furniture and renovate certain parts of the house.

If you have troubling cases of these insects in your house, do your best to eliminate them before they get to your family. Remember, a simple bite contains thousands and millions of toxins and poisonous chemicals that can be harmful to your child. And in all of these pest cases, the main solution and prevention would be CLEANLINESS.

Alexa Rae Ciriaco is a single mother, a teacher, and a writer. She is currently taking up her Graduate Studies on Educational Technology. She also specializes on parenting topics, specifically regarding infants and toddlers. She is also inclined into writing articles of various niche.

Avoiding Mosquito Bites

One of the best ways to keep mosquitoes from getting the bite on you is to avoid being the main attraction at your local mosquito theme park in the first place. Understanding a bit about mosquito behavior can help avoid calling unnecessary attention to yourself.

Mosquitoes identify their targets by sight, heat and smell. Avoid physically active movement (exercise, ball games, yard work, etc.) during peak mosquito hours to keep them from noticing you from a distance.
Peak mosquito times tend to be right around dusk and dawn. Reduce outside lights in the evening hours (use yellow bulbs, if possible).
Wear light colors during the daytime, as dark clothing during daylight hours actually attracts the little buggers. According to one report, mosquitoes prefer blue and green so you're better off wearing yellows, reds and oranges.
Mosquitoes are attracted to perspiration, heat, carbon dioxide, and lactic acid. All of these are produced after exercising, so avoid outdoor exercise during peak mosquito hours (at dawn and dusk). Our bodies also release lactic acid after eating certain foods, so avoiding outdoor dining during those hours is helpful, as well. Commonly believed mosquito-attracting foods include bananas (or other potassium-rich food items), and salty foods.
Avoid perfumes when outside. Using hand creams and lotions with a sweet scent can also increase your risk of attracting mosquitoes, so go for the unscented varieties during mosquito season. Try using unscented soaps when showering, too. Even though they're rinsed off, the scent remains on your skin and attracts bugs.
Keeping a barrier between yourself and mosquitoes is a simple and natural way to avoid bites. Be sure to wear long sleeves and long pants when outdoors at dusk, or in areas with an especially high concentration of mosquitoes (woods, swamps, hiking trails). And use screens in all your home's doors and windows during summer months.

Several gardeners assured me that planting marigolds, scented geraniums (rub the leaves on your skin too), rosemary, catnip, peppermint, spearmint, daisies, verbena, spike lavender (not the sweet French variety), basil, thyme, garlic, allspice, cedar, and lemon grass around the yard naturally repels insects. Decorating with eucalyptus is also rumored to be helpful. You can make your own insect-repelling sachets by drying the flowers and leaves from the above plants and placing them into small, hand-sewn cotton bags.

Eliminate Their Breeding Grounds

The first step in avoiding the bite is to eliminate the local mosquito population at its source. Mosquitoes use stagnant water for their breeding grounds, so drain any collections of stagnant water found in your yard, neighborhood or workplace.

Keep your eye out for these sources of standing water:

discarded tires

roof gutters clogged with leaves or other debris

rain barrels

wading pools

drainage ditches

paint buckets

tin cans

paper cups or other discarded trash

trash containers

infrequently used yard equipment

plant containers

bird baths

broken toys

pet water bowls

holes in tree stumps

If your kids want to play in their wading pool, be sure to dump the water out at least once a week and turn the pool upside down when not in use so rain doesn't collect in it. And if you want to keep your birdbath and pet's outdoor watering bowl, be sure to clean out the water at least two times each week. If you have an outdoor fish pond with goldfish or amphibians, the fish will eat the mosquito larva so you won't need to drain the fish pond.

Deborah Taylor-Hough (free-lance writer and mother of three) is the author of several popular books including Frugal Living For Dummies(r) and Frozen Assets: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month. To subscribe to her free email newsletter, Simple Times, send an email to: subscribe-simple-times@hub.thedollarstretcher.com Visit Debi online and read more articles dealing with simple living, frugality, parenting and much more: http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/

Understanding How Insect Repellent Protects You From Bug Bites

There is no denying that outdoor activities are one of the most exciting activities you can have. This is probably the reason why many people like to spend lengthy times outdoors. Yet, before you leave your house, you should not forget that bugs are aggravating. The best way to avoid bug bites is to use insect repellent.

So, what is so special about insect repellent and why is it considered as the best protection against bug bites? In this article, you will know how it works.

Insect repellent is a general term used to refer all the repellent used to keep bugs off. But, actually there are different kinds of insect repellents that are out in the market. You can find insect repellent which uses chemicals such as Deet while some are considered natural products which have active ingredients like Citronella and oil such as lemon and eucalyptus. You are surely aware that chemical products have bad effects on your health and purchasing natural repellent is a better choice.

As the name implies, most people believe that this repellent works by repelling insects such as mosquitoes, flies and bugs. Well, some products work like this but there are products that make you smell or taste bad to bugs. There are also products that mask your skin odor. This process can be explained by a simple technology. Insects use their "radar" to locate tasty humans they can bite.

Wearing insect repellent does not give you a hundred percent guarantee that bugs will not bite you anymore. You must understand that there is another reason why you may get bit. It is a common fact that bugs are attracted to the odor of your skin. However, they are also attracted to another odor which you give off. This means that they are attracted to the carbon dioxide coming from your breath.

It can protect your from the danger of bug bite. But, they are only effective in short distances. Thus, you may see some mosquitoes flying closely to you. This does not always mean that they are biting you but, you can detect if they are really biting you because of the sensation that you feel. The best way to know if you have been infested by bugs is to look at the spot where you can feel the sensation. If you see some mark indicating they you have been bitten, you have to put on more repellent in that part of your body.

Although people are aware of the importance of insect repellent, only few of them know how often they should wear insect repellent. Some are still drained whether or not they should wear this kind of repellent all they long. Of course, you have to use it all day long if you are in a place where there is a high concentration of bugs. Also, always bear in mind that the most risky time to be bitten is during dusk or dawn. This is because this is the feeding time for many bug especially mosquitoes.

Insect repellent can protect you from the danger of bug bite. For more info visit: Insect repellent

What Every Parent Ought To Know About Protecting Kids From Insect Bites

Protect Your Kids

It is essential to protect your children from the potentially dangerous effects of nasty insect bites. Since children playing outdoors are often bitten or stung by insects, when children are outside and no matter what they are doing, it is important for them to be protected.

Insect Bite Facts

When an insect bites, it injects venom or other substances and bacteria into your child's skin. Bites from bees, yellow jackets, wasps, hornets, fire ants and some spiders are usually the most problematic. Bites from mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, biting flies and spiders can also cause reactions. While only a small percentage of children develop severe reactions to insect venom, it can definitely cause an allergic reaction depending on how sensitive your child's skin is.

o Some signs to be aware of are: fever, hives, skin rashes, painful joints and swollen glands. Call Your Doctor Within 24 Hours if you feel your child needs to be seen.

o Some symptoms of an allergic reaction can be very severe. Anaphylaxis is a response that leads to shortness of breath or wheezing, tightening of the throat, shock and loss of consciousness. If this is the case, Call 911 immediately. Your child may need an ambulance for symptoms of anaphylaxis from bee, yellow jacket, wasp, or fire ant stings.

Most of the time pesky bug bites or stings only cause mild swelling and an annoying experience of itching or a stinging sensation. Watch out for sores from children scratching since their bites can become infected and leave scars.

Prevention is Your Best Bet

Teach your children to play it safe. Preventing bug bites is important, since insects can be transmitters of disease. You can bring awareness to your family's skin care by being an example. Children respond better when they see you protecting your skin. Begin by following these recommendations:

Helpful Tips

o If your child has had a serious reaction to insect bites or stings, ask your doctor about an emergency care kit.

o Try not to provoke insects. Avoid quick, jerky movements around insect hives and nests.

o Play in safe areas. Do not allow your child to play in high grass or weeds. Limit the time your child spends in wooded areas.

o Avoid wearing perfumes.

o Avoid wearing floral-patterned clothing. Instead, wear light, solid colors.

o Protect your child well by having them wear protective clothing to properly cover their skin when out in the woods. Wear long-sleeved shirts and tuck pant cuffs into socks to help protect their ankles. This helps to avoid ticks and the risk of contracting Lyme Disease.

o Make sure they wear shoes while walking or running in grassy areas to avoid stings to the feet.

o Cover your child's head and neck with a full brimmed hat to shield them from getting bites.

o Have them wear gloves when they help you in the garden to avoid bites and stings.

o Regularly check their clothes for bugs.

More Tips:

o Stay out of shady areas near bushes and shrubs. Use protective netting when sleeping or eating outdoors. Flying pests like mosquitoes and gnats come out to feast after the sun sets.

o Eat outdoors with caution, especially or in areas near garbage cans. Avoid sweetened foods and beverages.

o Give your dogs and cats flea and tick treatments

o Have properly-fitted screens on your home's windows.

o Remove standing water from your yard. Mosquitoes commonly breed in standing water.

Use an All Natural Insect Repellent

Although it may not be possible to prevent all bug bites, observing these recommendations may reduce the number of bug bites your child gets. The first line of defense against annoying bug bites is to use an appropriate insect repellent.

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where you will also find more articles and great award winning baby skin care products, which are wonderful for adults too!

Here's to your family's good health!

Diane Cuesta

Owner of SkinCareBaby LLC

Diane Cuesta has been uplifting the consciousness of individuals and practicing heart-centered spiritual healing since 1992. With a deep sense of compassion and commitment to Love, her mission as an author/internet business owner is to serve humanity for the highest, greatest good. It is her vision that the greatest business and financial success occurs when spiritual, humanitarian and environmental principals are practiced.

For more great tips about baby skin care visit our website:

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