Love them or hate them, bugs are a part of life.
I was sitting on the grass the other night, and this happened:
Spider bites? Mosquito? Some other rude bug?
I’ll never know, but it seems the older I get, the more I react to simple things like bug bites, burns or any other kind of injury.
So, I did some research on home remedies for bites and here’s what I found.
First, if you have severe swelling, intense pain or stiffness, fever or chills, vomiting or difficulty breathing, or lightheadedness, GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM! An allergic reaction is nothing to mess around with.
Otherwise, when treating bug bites, the objective should be neutralizing the bite and removing any toxins.
Start by washing the bite with gentle soap and warm water. Then, try one of these remedies.
Put ice packs on the bite. This reduces swelling and lessens the need to scratch. Ice the area every hour for about ten minutes on the first day.
Rub a cut lemon on the bites. This one seemed weird, so of course I had to try it first. I rubbed a cut lemon on my leg. The coolness felt great, and I was surprised to find that a few minutes later I had forgotten all about the itching. The itch relief lasted for hours!
Make a potato poultice. After my husband saw me rubbing a lemon on my leg, he asked, “What’s next, a potato?” I shocked him by saying, ”Actually, yes!” For this one, you peel and wash a potato and then grate it. Put the shreds in a piece of cloth and apply it to your bite. Keep it on for 30 minutes and repeat as needed.
Take two aspirin and don’t call me. Dissolve a couple of aspirin in a teaspoon of water to make a paste. Apply the paste to your bites. This was the second thing I tried. The paste worked to stop any pain or itching. I did it at bedtime, so I don’t know how long the relief lasted.
Put salt on it. Salt also has healing powers. Pour a little salt on a damp cloth and hold it on the bites. Reapply as needed.
Baking soda and water. This one is an old classic. Make a paste of baking soda and water. Mix about 3 Tablespoons of water with a teaspoon of baking soda and apply it to the affected area. Repeat every few hours.
Aloe Vera. This is another classic that many people swear by. Whether you use the leaves of an aloe plant or use store bought gel, aloe is a great healer.
So, there you have it! Chances are you have at least one of these ingredients in your home at any time. Or, if you’re weird like me, try one of the lesser-known remedies just to see what happens.
My bites still look a bit nasty, but the swelling is down and so is the pain and itching. So, get out there and roll around in the grass!
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Read more of Ann’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.