How to Get Rid of Insect Bites
It’s that time of the year again! Amateur gardeners think of planting and over run the local nurseries. Parents get kids ready for camp. The insect bites turn up – bees, biting flies, spiders, mosquitoes, fleas. Don’t let the little critters keep you indoors.
The majority of individuals can care for their insect bites by cautiously removing the stinger if there is one. Lightly wash the area with soap and water. Applying ice to the area is sometimes helpful. Other remedies your mother or grandmother may have used are found in your kitchen or medicine cabinet, and are usually very handy.
Antiseptic such as rubbing alcohol is great to reduce infection and inflammation. Just pat some on the area with a cotton ball and let it dry. Mouthwashes with alcohol such as Listerine do more than just keep your breath smelling good. The mouthwash can be used the same as rubbing alcohol. If the mouthwash is minty, it will help relieve the itch. Another antiseptic that’s become readily available is tea tree oil. It’s found in many soaps and topical solutions.
Calamine lotion been used for year to relieve itch from insect bites. Equally well known is baking soda found in many refrigerators. Make a paste of baking soda and water or vinegar place on the area. Apple cider vinegar by itself is renowned as a natural repellent. Epsom salt mixed with water according to package directions, then cooled, is also effective on insect bites.
Get a papain meat tenderizer, and now you’ve really got something to treat those insect bites! Papain is obtained from the papaya plant. In addition to being used as a meat tenderizer, medically papain is used to treat jelly fish and insect bites.
On a serious note, there are a minuscule group of people with insect bite allergies. These individuals have serious responses to bites and stings. Anyone who thinks they have insect allergies should be examined by a physician. It may be necessary for them to carry emergency kits with shots of epinephrine and/or antihistamine. For less serious cases, a doctor may order over the counter antihistamines.
