Staying Healthy During Your Pregnancy

« Back to Home

Understanding When Bug Bites Warrant Urgent Care

Posted on

The fall season brings cooling temperatures that will often drive pests indoors. Insects like spiders can seek refuge in your house, which sometimes leads to bites. If you or one of your family members have been bitten by an insect of some sort, it's important to know when that bite might need the attention of an urgent care provider. Here's a look at some of the things that you need to consider when you're monitoring the condition of any kind of bug bite.

Allergic Reactions

If the bug bite is triggering an allergic reaction, it's important to get to an urgent care center right away. Some of the early indications of an allergic reaction include significant swelling of the affected area, trouble breathing, rapid heart rate, and more. Allergic reactions won't resolve on their own, and over-the-counter antihistamines aren't usually enough to treat it without the potential for a medical emergency. That's why you need to visit an urgent care center where they can intervene immediately with the proper treatment for your safety.

Infections

Depending on the nature of the bite, you may end up with an infection from the venom released or from bacteria at the site. Most signs of infection include redness, puffiness, and a feeling that's warm to the touch in the affected area.

You may also develop a fever as the infection progresses, and it may lead to a rash or a bullseye around the bite. When you see an insect bite, it's important to use a pen or something similar to mark the boundaries of the bite so that you can tell if it's spreading or worsening. If it does, that's a key sign that there's an infection in the site that needs treatment.

Systemic Reactions

Another common issue with some insect bites is a systemic reaction. This can come with or without any redness or physical identification at the site of the bite. You may notice symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, fever or chills, muscle and joint pain, or even paralysis. These are indications of a widespread systemic reaction to the bite and definitely are signs that you need an urgent care's intervention right away.

These are some of the most important things to know when it comes to determining whether your insect bite needs medical attention. If you're seeing any of these signs, visit your local urgent care as soon as possible for more information.


Share