Wasp stings and more: Quick help for insect bites
Wasp stings, bee stings and mosquito bites are not uncommon in summer. Some bites just itch, others can quickly become dangerous for your child. Find out here when you should contact the doctor in the event of a wasp sting and what measures can help your child after an insect bite.
Wasp sting or bee sting?
Many parents wonder how to tell a wasp sting from a bee sting. In the case of a bee sting, the stinger and the venom sac get stuck in the sting site. The bee dies from the loss of the stinger. After a wasp sting, however, no sting remains stuck. You can tell a bee sting from a wasp sting by looking at the sting that remains.
A bee’s stinger, which is left after a sting, has a small sac filled with venom at the back end. If you look closely, you can even see the pumping movements of the poison gland. The spike should not be grabbed with the fingers and pulled out, as this would empty the venom sac into the puncture wound. If you have tweezers handy, the stinger can be removed without squeezing the venom sac. The best way to remove the sting is to use a tick card from the pharmacy.
What home remedies help with a wasp sting?
There are many home remedies that can be used to treat a wasp sting. But only a few measures really help with a wasp sting. Of course, they can also be used in combination. In the case of wasp stings in the mouth or an allergy to insect bites, the emergency services may have to be called. In these cases you can use the following measures.
- Sucking the venom out of the wasp sting: With a small vacuum pump, about half of the venom can be sucked out of the sting wound. If you have such a device, which is slightly larger than a ballpoint pen, quickly at hand after the wasp sting, this is a very effective method. These vacuum pumps are available as so-called snake venom extractors in specialist stores for outdoor and expedition needs. Sucking out the poison with your mouth, on the other hand, is of little help after a wasp sting.
- Cold: Cool the wasp sting with a cold compress or ice cubes. The cold causes the blood vessels to constrict. Just like the so-called LUCKY rule , this counteracts swelling.
- Onion: Cut up an onion and place the cut side on the wasp sting – an old home remedy that really helps due to the anti-inflammatory compounds found in the onion.
- Homeopathic remedies: A wasp sting can also be treated well with the help of homeopathic remedies . Apis, a substance extracted from bees, is very effective. Administered as globules, usually in the potency C30, Apis helps very quickly against allergic reactions or swelling. Apis is therefore also well suited as an emergency medication for a wasp sting.
A wasp or bee sting in the mouth area is particularly dangerous because the mucous membranes can swell quickly. Since there is a risk of suffocation for this reason, you should call the emergency services immediately after a wasp or bee sting in your mouth or throat. All medicines and aids are available in an ambulance to take care of your child on site. This is the quickest and best help.
What to do against mosquito bites?
Of course, you can also apply all of the above tips for wasp stings to mosquito bites. Mosquito bites are not dangerous, but usually very unpleasant. A mosquito net over your child’s bed is the most effective way to prevent bites. If you don’t have a net, make sure that your legs in particular are well covered. Feet should also be covered when going to bed, because mosquitoes prefer to bite thin and warm areas of skin. A shower before going to sleep also proves to be very useful, since sweat is a particularly effective attractant for the pests. On the other hand, scents such as fennel, eucalyptus or lavender drive them away so that they don’t even dare to go near your child. For example, put a few drops of lavender oil in the evening bath water or on a towel,
Do not scratch wasp stings and the like
Although tempted, your child should not scratch an insect bite or other itchy bite, as this can introduce bacteria into the wound. The bug bite can then become infected, which ends up being worse than a small, itchy pustule. That’s why band-aids turn out to be quite useful. Glue one to the stitch so you can keep your child’s scratching fingernails away.