The Credit Valley Hospital

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Insect Bites & Stings

With spring and summer come warm weather, humidity and, of course, those pesky insects. Here are some tips on taking the itch and sting out of your outdoor adventures:

The swelling, redness, and itchiness associated with stings and bites is the body's natural allergic response to the substance excreted into a bite by the insect. Avoiding insect bites is better than having to treat them; however, with heat and humidity, it is very likely that we will be bitten by bugs.

There are some ways we can minimize being stung. Avoid areas which have high populations of bugs (woods, marshes, clover fields, gardens, etc.) Do not wear brightly coloured clothing, strong flowery perfumes, or carry overripe fruit and aromatic foods. One should cover up with long-sleeve shirts, tuck pant legs into socks, and use mosquito netting.

Diethyl-toluene (DEET) is a commonly used chemical found in most bug repellents (ie. Deep Woods, Off Skintastic, etc.). Although these products are very effective, here are 10 helpful hints when using these potentially dangerous products:

1) Do not use on children less than 6 months of age.
2) Do not use repellents containing greater than 50% DEET.
3) Avoid long-term use and frequent total body application.
4) Liquids and lotion are preferred over sprays because it is easier to control their application.
5) Do not apply on the hands of children who like to put their hands in their mouths.
6) Avoid contact with the eyes and mucous membranes.
7) Wash off repellent once exposure to insects has passed.
8) Accidental swallowing of DEET products can be fatal. Store repellents out of the reach of children.
9) Never use repellents of open wounds or irritated skin.
10) Repellents can be sprayed on clothes (provided the clothes are not made of synthetic fibres, ie. rayon).

Citronella based repellents (candles and sprays) provide short-term protection from mosquitoes and black flies. Some products are touted as insect repellents--Avon's Skin-So-Soft and oral Vitamin B1 (thiamine); however, very little evidence is available to support their effectiveness.

No matter how hard you try, bug bites are inevitable. The most important factor in treating the itchy sites is to minimize scratching and thereby avoiding infection. Application of ice or an ice-pack, or applying a baking soda paste helps reduce swelling. Colloidal oatmeal baths (Aveeno), calamine lotion and hydrocortisone cream can alleviate itchiness. Oral antihistamines (Benadryl, Chlor-Tripolon) tend to reduce the allergic symptoms. Ammonium containing bite "neutralizers" (After Bite) provide a cooling sensation which may be caused by the evaporation of the product. Topical anesthetics (Solarcaine, Stop Itch) offer some degree of relief by numbing the areas for 30-45 minutes. Prevention is preferred to treatment.

Prepared by
Dennis Cazzin
Manager, The Valley Cornfield Pharmacentre

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