Children in a World of Bites, Stings And Allergies

There is a tremendous world of insects all around us. Most of us forget about this underworld that exists everywhere. However, to the child, this represents a wealth of activity spurred by curiosity. The simple ant, snail, rolly polly, or daddy long leg can provide almost an inter day's worth of activity. The problems are far and few between until the sting or bite occurs.

There are too many bugs to list for our discussion, so let focus on some basic principles. Any sting that leaves a stinger behind, needs to be removed by scraping the stinger out. The stinger usually contains some poison or venom. If tweezers or a pinching fashion is used, this will result in the product being injected further into the skin. (Blood stream) Conversely, bites inject poison or venom during the bite. Many bugs have an antithetic quality that numbs the site so we rarely notice the bite until a day later when the swelling and itching are in full swing. There has been a lot of media attention to the Fire Ant, Africanized honeybee, and Tick borne diseases. All of these insects can present problems, and are considered hazardous.

The simplest solution of course is to stay clear. As you are well aware, we continue to develop residential properties in wildland interface areas. This is impinging on all species. As a result, we have seen the number of stings and bites increase. So this leaves us with the information grandmother taught us. Baking Soda, Vinegar, salt, and any other trick you may have learned growing up. Most bites or sting s result in redness, swelling and some itching. Not to mention pain. The thing can be helped with common over the counter medications. "Cortaid", "Benadryl" "Calamine Lotion", "Campho Phenic" etc.

If swelling persists, ice can help generally and can reduce pain. If itching persists, and cortisone based cream can help. The only time you could be in trouble is when the victim has a severe allergic reaction. This is known as "anaphylaxis". This occurs when the victim has a full body response to the bite or sting. Usually starts with difficulty breathing and wheezing and can progress rapidly. In children, this is especially dangerous because their airway passages are much smaller and they can not tolerate swelling as well as adults.

The sign to look for in children include, difficulty speaking, wheezing, sitting forward, nasal flaring, flushing of the skin, full body hive etc. Dial 911 without delay. In some cases, anaphylaxis can be fatal within minute. Local paramedic and EMT units carry medications to reverse such problems. In some cases, doctors have prescribed "Epi Pens" for children who are "Deathly" allergic to something. If a parent indicates that their child has an "Epi Pen", please take the time to have them show you how it works. Another option is to complete a First Aid course. You may save a life.