[toc]No matter how much we try to avoid, we all get infected with insect bites and stings from time to time. Kids who play out in the sun or in the evenings tend to suffer from insect bites often when compared to adults. The major precaution you can take as a parent will be not letting the child sleep with any candy residue around the bed or in the clothing of the child. Sweet items tend to attract insects and sometime stings can be hard to remove.
There could be swelling, redness and pain due to insect bites. When you experience the symptoms, you must first ascertain which insect has bit you. Some insect bites and stings can be poisonous and fatal, and in such cases, you must resort to medical help at the earliest. But in most cases, the bite is harmless and you can use simple remedies you can find or prepare right in your kitchen to cure them. Here are some easy home remedies to help you relieve any kind of insect bites or stings.
5 Home Remedies For Insect Bites And Stings
Banana Peel
It helps a lot to ease the itching that is caused by an insect bite. Peel the banana and rub the inside of the banana peel on the area of the bite and let it stay on for a while. After about an hour, you can wash off the area with anti-septic soap and apply some instant hand sanitizer over it. In a matter of minutes, the itch will be gone. You can repeat this method if the itching begins again.
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Ice
Cold helps to reduce the inflammation, swelling and acts on the itch as well. Once the inflammation and swelling come down, the pain will also lower down. The redness will go on its own as these go away. You can apply ice 15 minutes at a time. You may repeat the application of ice any number in the day. Ideally, you can apply ice around 3 to 4 times in a day for best results.
Baking Soda
Apply some baking soda directly over the bite or you can prepare a mixture using baking soda and some warm water. Apply it on the affected area or you can wash the skin with this mixture around thrice in day. You can also bath yourself in a tub of warm water mixed with some baking soda if the insect is still stuck to your skin.
Make sure you don’t expose yourself to baking soda for more than 30 minutes because it may be harsh on your skin and could aggravate the itching as well.
Natural Oils
You can also use natural oils such as lavender oil or tea tree oil. Lavender is a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory agent which means it will act on the swelling and pain, tea tree oil is known to be a disinfectant and it will help cleanse the bite so that there is no further risk of an infection. You can apply both of these together.
Toothpaste
It may sound strange but toothpaste has anti-histaminic agents that will help to fight the inflammation as well. You can apply some amount of toothpaste to the bite area and leave it on for a while. Wash it off later using an anti-septic wash or soap.