AboutKidsHealth: How to deal with bug bites
GUEST BLOG - Jessica Fishbein, AboutKidsHealthWith the kids off from school, summer is now in full swing. Come the end of June, your family is sure to be spending lots more time outside — whether it be at the cottage, soccer games, or campfires after dark.
While we wait all year to enjoy these summer activities, one pesky thing can get in the way of a good time and prevent us from enjoying the great outdoors: bugs.
Mosquitoes, bees, wasps, ticks and blackflies are just some insects that bite or sting. An insect will bite and sting either when it is feeding off skin — such as with mosquitoes — or as a means to defend itself.
Certain types of insects can also cause anaphylactic reactions and transmit diseases.
How do you know if your child has a bug bite?
Certain types of insect bites will be more painful than others. In general, bug bites have a redness and itchiness surrounding the area of the bite or sting. Bites or stings will look like a small, raised bump, pimple, or blister. This can last anywhere between a few hours to two days.
If your child has a large, firm swollen area around the bite, they are not having an allergic reaction — this is a large local reaction that is very unlikely to lead to a skin infection.
If your child has a large bug bite, you can apply ice or a cold, damp compress to reduce swelling. If your child’s bites are still causing persistent itchiness, over-the-counter topical medications may help.
How to avoid bug bites
• Avoid the fuss and move your activities inside when insects are out and about! Kids have a greater chance of getting bug bites in the evening and night — and when the weather outside is warm and damp.
• Not possible to go indoors? Opt for long pants and socks to cover up exposed skin.
• Spray your child’s skin and clothing with insect repellent or insecticide. While it is safe to use repellants with DEET on children, it is important to watch out for the concentration of DEET in the product.
o Children aged six months to two years can use repellant with 10 per cent DEET or less if it is applied once a day.
o Children aged two to 12 years can use repellant with 10 per cent DEET or less, no more than three times a day.
o Children older than 12 can use repellant with up to 30 per cent DEET.
o Do not use repellant with DEET on babies younger than six months old.
Allergic reactions and Lyme disease
For some people, bug bites and stings can be more than just irritating. Certain children are at risk of having potentially life-threatening anaphylactic reactions from bug bites and stings, which are most commonly caused by bees, wasps and hornets.
Children who have anaphylactic reactions may break out in hives, experience swelling around their mouth or face, have problems breathing or collapse. If your child is having an anaphylactic reaction, call 911 immediately, and use an epinephrine auto-injector if your child has one with them.
Certain mosquitos can transmit malaria or West Nile virus, while some ticks can pass along Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by blacklegged or deer tick bites.
If your child is going to be in tick-infested grass, carefully inspect their skin and clothing for ticks afterwards. Running shoes and socks — rather than open-toe sandals — will protect more of your child’s skin from ticks. Light-coloured clothing will also help illuminate any ticks that come into contact with your child, so you can remove them as soon as possible.
Remove any ticks gently with tweezers. Do not try to kill or crush any ticks that are on your child’s skin as it will increase the possibility of transmitting Lyme disease.
While children can recover from tick bites, if untreated, Lyme disease can lead to chronic health issues.
For more information on bug bites and Lyme disease, visit www.aboutkidshealth.ca.
Certain types of insect bites will be more painful than others. In general, bug bites have a redness and itchiness surrounding the area of the bite or sting. Bites or stings will look like a small, raised bump, pimple, or blister. This can last anywhere between a few hours to two days.
If your child has a large, firm swollen area around the bite, they are not having an allergic reaction — this is a large local reaction that is very unlikely to lead to a skin infection.
If your child has a large bug bite, you can apply ice or a cold, damp compress to reduce swelling. If your child’s bites are still causing persistent itchiness, over-the-counter topical medications may help.
Certain types of insects can also cause anaphylactic reactions and transmit diseases.
• Avoid the fuss and move your activities inside when insects are out and about! Kids have a greater chance of getting bug bites in the evening and night — and when the weather outside is warm and damp.
• Not possible to go indoors? Opt for long pants and socks to cover up exposed skin.
• Spray your child’s skin and clothing with insect repellent or insecticide. While it is safe to use repellants with DEET on children, it is important to watch out for the concentration of DEET in the product.
o Children aged six months to two years can use repellant with 10 per cent DEET or less if it is applied once a day.
o Children aged two to 12 years can use repellant with 10 per cent DEET or less, no more than three times a day.
o Children older than 12 can use repellant with up to 30 per cent DEET.
o Do not use repellant with DEET on babies younger than six months old.
Allergic reactions and Lyme disease
For some people, bug bites and stings can be more than just irritating. Certain children are at risk of having potentially life-threatening anaphylactic reactions from bug bites and stings, which are most commonly caused by bees, wasps and hornets.
Children who have anaphylactic reactions may break out in hives, experience swelling around their mouth or face, have problems breathing or collapse. If your child is having an anaphylactic reaction, call 911 immediately, and use an epinephrine auto-injector if your child has one with them.
Certain mosquitos can transmit malaria or West Nile virus, while some ticks can pass along Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by blacklegged or deer tick bites.
If your child is going to be in tick-infested grass, carefully inspect their skin and clothing for ticks afterwards. Running shoes and socks — rather than open-toe sandals — will protect more of your child’s skin from ticks. Light-coloured clothing will also help illuminate any ticks that come into contact with your child, so you can remove them as soon as possible.
Remove any ticks gently with tweezers. Do not try to kill or crush any ticks that are on your child’s skin as it will increase the possibility of transmitting Lyme disease.
While children can recover from tick bites, if untreated, Lyme disease can lead to chronic health issues.
For more information on bug bites and Lyme disease, visit www.aboutkidshealth.ca.
