Bug bites: When should you see a doctor?
With summer in full swing, exposed skin can become a target for mosquitoes and other insects.
One bug bite can send children into a scratching frenzy. But more concerning is the exposure to diseases, such as West Nile virus or Zika.
Dr. Maria Prodanovic Nutis, pediatrician at Del Sol Medical Center, told ABC-7 using repellent will help protect against bites. If the bite already occurred, Dr. Prodanovic Nutis said there are immediate remedies parents can try, such as calamine lotion or Benadryl, if their children are older than 6 months of age.
“Remove them from the environment, get them out of open bodies of water or get them out of the park,” said Prodanovic Nutis. “A quick shower can help.”
Prodanovic said that those remedies will work if the reaction to the bite is typical. But there are reactions that warrant a visit to the doctor or emergency room, she said.
“A small area of swelling up to an inch around an insect bite of any kind — whether it’s a wasp, an ant, a mosquito — is OK,” she said. “But if you have big swelling, like of the entire hand, or of the child’s eye or face, then you definitely need to be brought to medical attention.”
Prodanovic Nutis also urges bug bite victims to seek medical attention if they are having trouble breathing, or are experiencing lip or tongue swelling.
