You know the feeling: The worry usually begins when you take a quick walk from the nature hike to your car or when your child returns to the house after the day camp. They carefully scan their arms and legs looking for any signs of discomfort on their face. Then you see it – those dreaded red bumps.
It is confirmed: your child was bitten by something.
Insect bites can range from irritating to dangerous. To tell the difference, Chicago Parent spoke to Illinois pediatricians and dermatologists about the most common culprits, prevention and treatment tips, and other important information.
Most common bugs to bite in Illinois
Photo credit: iStock / Joel Carillet
A little red bump isn’t the only reaction to insect bites, says Adena Rosenblatt, who has a PhD in molecular pharmacology and is an assistant professor of dermatology at UChicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital.
Your message to parents: If your child’s reaction to an insect bite occurs or appears large in hives, don’t worry, as children tend to have “more robust insect bite reactions than adults”.
While most pediatricians and dermatologists agree that it is almost impossible to determine which insect is the culprit from a bite, each bug has its own prevention tips.
Mosquitoes
A normal mosquito bite can cause a white and reddish bump, small blisters, dark spots, and “itchy, reddish-brown” bumps or bumps, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Rosenblatt and Amanda Osta, a pediatrician at the University of Illinois Health, say mosquitoes cause most of the insect bites they’ve seen.
Emptying sit water from buckets or flower pots can prevent mosquitoes and the diseases they bring with them, such as the West Nile virus, which Osta says is likely to break out in Illinois in late summer.
Ticks
Since ticks are arachnids, their bites look different than other bites with a “red border, a lighter border around it, and then a red circle in the middle,” says Rosenblatt.
One of the top tick concerns is Lyme disease, “the most common vector-borne disease in the United States,” which is transmitted by deer ticks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Erin Jamen-Esposito, a pediatrician at UChicago Medicine – Medical Group who has a PhD in pediatrics, says parents should thoroughly check their children for ticks after a day in the woods or in a forest sanctuary, as they can get stuck in the body for days. Ten minutes in the flower garden in the back yard may not warrant an inspection, she adds.
After you find one, use tweezers to pull the whole insect out – make sure the head isn’t still embedded – and toss it in a bag or flush it in the toilet, Osta says. If you think a doctor’s visit is warranted, take the tick to the doctor so they can determine if the tick can transmit disease.
Fleas
Man’s best friend can bring one of man’s worst (small) enemies with them. Regular veterinarian appointments help keep fleas out of the house, says Rosenblatt.
According to the Midwest Express Clinic, flea bites usually appear as itchy wheals on the lower half of the body, as well as in the elbows and knees.
Bed bugs
If you’re traveling this summer and using multiple hotels, Airbnbs, or even moving homes, bed bugs can be an unwanted guest. Bed bugs leave small, red, and itchy bites, says the Midwest Express Clinic.
Rosenblatt recommends hiring an exterminator especially for bed bugs that look like apple cores between the bed folds.
be crazy
“It is very rare for spiders to bite, and when they bite it does not look like an insect bite,” says Rosenblatt. Arachnid bites can be larger, redder, and cause swelling.
Stinging insects: bees, wasps and hornets
To make sure you don’t send RSVP invitations to bees and other stinging insects, the best offensive is a defense, as regular insect repellants won’t prevent them, says Jamen-Esposito.
Allergic reactions to stings can lead to difficulty breathing and swallowing, according to Lakeview Pediatrics from Chicago.
Generally Tips and questions about prevention
Photo credit: Adobe Stock / gamelover
Why do some people get more bites than others?
Unlike parents, beetles play favorites – when it comes to who they bite.
“You can have a group of people sit outside and sometimes one person will be the target of the insects and they seem to get the most bites,” says Jamen-Esposito. “Some people can react more strongly to the same insect and react more strongly. It’s all patient-dependent, not necessarily error-dependent. “
When should I call the doctor?
Rosenblatt says parents should call the doctor if a bite doesn’t improve or worsens after a few days.
She adds that pus or an open wound are not normal reactions unless the child is nibbling on the area. Other symptoms that can trigger a visit to the pediatrician include fever, headache, abdominal pain, and difficulty breathing.
This is where experts agree are the best ways to prevent bites.
Know the time and environment
Bedbugs are most active during dawn and dusk, Rosenblatt notes, so consider planning a trip to the nearest botanical garden to avoid these times. Avoiding heavily forested areas can also help prevent bites.
Apply insect repellent
Standing in the aisle of the pharmacy with shelves on shelves with sprays, lotions, sticks, and wristbands advertised to repel insects can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be.
The ingredients, or one ingredient in particular, are more important than the brand, says Rosenblatt.
DEET – short for N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide – is one of the most important ingredients in insect repellants, according to experts.
While DEET is not approved for children under 2 months of age, parents of older children should look for products that contain 10-30% of the ingredients approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
If your kids are still in the “hands-in-mouth” phase, avoid DEET, says Jamen-Esposito, as too much DEET – ingested or repeated too much – can cause rashes.
When it comes to sun protection, put on the sunscreen first and then the insect repellent. Also, avoid two-in-one products that contain SPF and DEET, as excessive exposure to the latter can cause rashes, Jamen-Esposito notes.
Layer up
When it comes to blocking bugs, keep your low profile, say experts.
Jamen-Esposito recommends pants with elastic at the ankles, such as jogging pants, and socks over the cuffs – no matter how unseemly the look.
“Bell-bottoms or bootlegs won’t be your friends for Beetles,” she says.
Mosquito nets may not make it onto your Instagram post about your family’s 5 mile hike, but they can be helpful for young children who can’t use DEET or to block out bees and wasps.
Put the perfume away
Floral scented perfumes, lotions and detergents can attract stinging beetles and stinging insects such as bees, wasps and hornets, according to Jamen-Esposito.
If anything, try this one Treatment options for insect bites
No matter how hard parents try to be proactive in covering their children with bug spray, those pesky bugs have a way of getting under our skin (literally). Here are some ways to treat insect sting reactions that can last for several days:
- Medication: Antihistamines like Benadryl, Zyrtec, and Allegra, along with hydrocortisone creams and topical steroids, can help relieve the itching and redness, according to Rosenblatt.
- Care at home: Putting on cold compresses can relieve itching and prevent infection, says Osta. Lakeview Pediatrics also recommends applying “firm, sharp, direct, even pressure” like a fingernail or pen cap to the bite for 10 seconds to reduce itching.
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