Dealing with insect bites

Summer time is insect time. Here are a few tips on how to react if you've been bitten by an insect.

Mosquito bites

• Apply a cold pack or cloth filled with ice to reduce pain and swelling.
  

• Try to avoid scratching the skin.

Bee and wasp stings

• Try to remove the stinger after a bee sting as fast as you can.

• Apply a cold pack or cloth filled with ice to reduce pain and swelling.

• If you’re bitten in the mouth or throat, you should contact a doctor immediately. Stings in oral mucous membranes can quickly cause severe swelling, which could block the air passages.

• If you are afraid of developing an allergic reaction to the sting, you should seek medical attention immediately.

Tick bites

• If you or your child went through the woods, do a tick check. Check carefully from head to toe. Look through the hair and check the scalp border afterwards, where ticks like to latch on. If you see a tick crawling, pluck it out with tweezers without pinching the skin. Consult a professional if the tick doesn't come out.

• If a rash or pustule develops after the bite, contact your doctor immediately.