An effective insect bite ointment is designed to alleviate the effects of attacks of biting or stinging arthropods. However, it is impossible to consider each such remedy as a panacea and a 100% guarantee of getting rid of all unpleasant symptoms: the ointment will only reduce the reaction of the skin and tissues under it to foreign biological substances that enter the body when it is bitten.
For example, some creams have anti-inflammatory, disinfecting and sedative effects, while some other ointments and creams are more focused on preventing the development of an allergic reaction: they do not allow swelling to increase, they also help to relieve itching from an insect bite and minimize the appearance of rash.
Thus, in determining how to smear insect bites, one should not expectthat any one remedy will be able to completely rid you of all the unpleasant consequences - such drugs simply do not exist.
On a note
Especially carefully it is worth choosing a remedy if you decide to anoint an insect bite in a child, since many ointments are not recommended for babies or children with very sensitive skin. In most cases, itching after bites is not dangerous at all, but some ointments that are trying to relieve it may well lead to serious side effects.
Properly selected ointment in most cases will cope well with the reduction of discomfort after the bites of insect parasites, such as bedbugs, fleas, mosquitoes, gadflies and midges.
But with bites of stinging or poisonous insects (bees, wasps, hornets, predators and water bugs, as well as spiders, scolopendr, leeches) even a high-quality ointment, cream or balm from insect bites is often necessary to be used in conjunction with other types of medicines and drugs to combat the symptoms of intoxication. Ointments here, unfortunately, are often capable of only slightly reducing the effects of bites.
As for tick bites, it makes sense to apply, above all, those ointments that have a pronounced antiseptic effect - all the other “virtues” of drugs in this case are secondary (if you have green paint or alcohol, it is better to use them). However, even in this case, to protect the ointment from borreliosis or encephalitis ointment, alas, are usually not able to.
In any case, to achieve the best result, an ointment, cream or gel from insect bites first you need to be able to choose the right thing, which we will discuss in more detail later ...
How to choose ointment?
Preparations used after insect bites are produced in various forms of release, differing in their composition, consistency and packaging.
Among these funds can be distinguished the following three main groups:
- gels - as a rule, these are water-based products containing various pharmaceutical substances and (or) natural medicinal ingredients;
- creams - usually these are preparations based on natural or synthetic fats or oils, also containing certain medicinal additives;
- Balsams - therapeutic agents, which are usually based on plant extracts and natural resinous substances.
On a note
High-quality balm from insect bites primarily contributes to the speedy regeneration of tissues at the site of the bite, and therefore it is used mainly after attacks of stinging insects.
It should be noted that there are other types of tools used after insect bites: aerosol preparations, pencils, patches, etc.
Creams are considered the most effective form of ointment for insect bites, since it is thanks to their fatty component that they provide rapid transport of medicinal components through the skin.
Nevertheless, the funds released in other forms are not far behind in this regard, especially with a well-balanced formulation. For example, after insect bites, the following drugs work quite well:
- Gel Fenistil;
- Levomekol;
- Advantan;
- Akriderm;
- Menovazine;
- Hydrocortisone ointment.
The bites of various insects sometimes require a specific treatment approach. In turn, each of the means also has its own specific specifics and is most effective in a particular case.
For example, if you were bitten by mosquitoes or bed bugs, then the primary task of the ointment is to remove the swelling of the tissues and contribute to the rapid disappearance of the itch.
Fenistil, Akriderm, Soventol, Mosquitall gel-balsam, Gardex gel do an excellent job with this. When a secondary rash (allergic) occurs after the bites of insect parasites, it makes sense to smear the rash sites with Fenistil or Advantan.
At the same time, after the bites of stinging insects, it is necessary to apply ointments of a slightly different orientation - first of all those that prevent the development of an allergic reaction and contribute to the reduction of pain.
On a note
The ointment with the well-known name "Rescuer", often used for insect bites, is the least suitable for this purpose. The task of this drug is to disinfect skin damage and to promote the rapid healing of wounds, scratches, ulcers and bruises. When stinging insect bites, this ointment can only restore tissue affected by inflammation faster, but cannot minimize all other symptoms.
If the insect bite is very painful, the damaged area can be spread on Menovazin, which will create a feeling of coolness and significantly reduce pain.If inflammation or edema occurs, Levomekol or Advantan should be used.
Levomekol is especially good if you need to smear insect bites on a child who has already managed to scratch them before the appearance of pustules. Panthenol is also used in this case.
Finally, if an insect bite caused a powerful allergic reaction with fast-growing edema and a rash, the skin areas covered by them should be lubricated with hydrocortisone ointment. However, this tool has a sufficient number of contraindications, so it should be used with great caution, and best of all - consult with your doctor first.
Perhaps the most versatile tool used against the bites of a wide variety of insects is Fenistil gel. It must be kept in the first-aid kit for going on nature and will certainly take with you on trips abroad. In more detail about this preparation it is possible to read slightly below.
What is important to do before applying the ointment
Ointment, balm or cream after insect bites should be applied after the first aid is given to the victim. In the case of bites of blood-sucking parasites, such assistance is usually not required,however, it is needed immediately after the attack of stinging arthropods, as well as spiders, scolopendras and some others.
In most cases first aid after insect bites appears in the following order:
- if a bee has bitten, then first of all its sting is removed with a pair of tweezers from the wound (after the bites of hornets or wasps it does not remain, so you can not even look for it);
- then, as soon as possible, poison is sucked out of the wound (if it enters the human oral cavity, it causes no harm);
- A cold compress is applied to the bite site (stones or wet earth cannot be used for this purpose - they can become a source of infection).
In the case of bee stings, some of the poison is neutralized with soap, and wasps and hornets are neutralized with any organic acid (for example, ordinary vinegar, a piece of lemon, apple or orange). Only after this the bite can be anointed with a specialized tool.
Gel Fenistil and its properties
The universality of the drug Fenistil from insect bites is primarily in its ability to perfectly soothe the itch. Unfortunately, with bee stings or wasps, its use does not prevent the appearance of edema,However, with a moderately severe reaction of the body to poison, this gel copes well with stopping an allergic reaction, since it generally refers to antiallergic drugs.
The optimal field of application of phenystyle is mosquito bites, bedbugs, midges and flea bites. In these cases, the gel helps relieve the itching of bites and quickly reduce to the minimum other unpleasant symptoms (slight swelling of tissues, redness, soreness).
Another important feature of Fenistil gel is the possibility of its use in children older than 1 month. The only thing that is worth while to remember is that this preparation should not be smeared on large areas of skin or places where there are scratches and bleeding abrasions.
The price of a 30-gram tube of Fenistil gel is approximately 350 rubles.
Reviews
“Very good insect bite ointment - Fenistil. We constantly take it with us to the dacha or kebabs, even if mosquitoes bite someone, it is enough for them to smear the skin once, and the bites stop to itch after a few minutes. Several times they had to smear the bites of bees, it also works well. The bite site swells up, but passes faster, the pain is not felt for long. ”
Irina, Tver
The famous Levomekol
Levomekol can not be called a classic tool designed specifically for the treatment of insect bites - it is used for disinfection of wounds and ulcers, antimicrobial and antiviral therapy. Good drug and in the treatment of burns.
In the case of insect bites, Levomekol is usually used as an anti-inflammatory agent. Therefore, it makes sense to use it after an unsuccessful "acquaintance" with such arthropods as wasps, hornets, bees, tropical ants, scorpions and spiders. It is their attacks that usually end with an impressive tumor, swelling, hemorrhage, and sometimes even tissue necrosis.
If Levomekolom is used to smear the wound in these cases, it will provide accelerated tissue repair at the site of the bite and removal of inflammation.
Pleases and the cost of the ointment - only about 100 rubles per tube of 40 grams.
Advantan with insect bites
When insect bites Advantan ointment is usually used as an antiallergic agent. If you immediately anoint it with the affected place, then sometimes it is quite possible to do without the appearance of strong edema and urticaria, and even after the bites of insects such as paper wasps and bugs.When attacking larger arthropods, the drug can also help - it helps to localize inflammation and prevent the development of an allergic reaction.
It is useful to pre-select for yourself one of the forms of the drug: a fat-based ointment, an emulsion or a water-based gel. Such a variety of forms of release allows you to stay exactly on the type of product that is most suitable for each specific skin type.
The effect of all three forms of this drug is about the same, but on oily skin, the place of an insect bite is best anointed with an emulsion, ointment for dry skin, and for normal skin - Advantan gel with a balanced ratio of water and fat.
However, despite all the positive aspects of this tool, he has one indisputable minus - hormonal effects. That is why treating Advantan with large areas of skin is not recommended - in order to avoid the appearance of more serious problems.
Price Advantan is about 400 rubles per 20 grams of emulsion or 15 grams of cream.
Akriderm
Akriderm - a remedy for symptomatic treatment. It is used, as a rule, for various skin lesions and severe dermatitis.
For insect bites, Acryderm is used as a drug to relieve itching and get rid of the rash at the site of the tumor, so it’s best to show when treating bedbug bites and mosquitoes.
An important advantage of this tool is the “delicacy” of its action - Akriderm can be safely used even for children.
The price of the drug varies around 450 rubles for a tube of 30 grams.
Treatment of insect bites with Menovazin
The drug "Menovazin" is designed primarily to provide anesthetic effect, as the main "working" substance in it is menthol. With this tool you can safely smear the bites of bees, wasps, large wild bugs, because even after the appearance of inflammation, it will provide a feeling of coolness at the bite site, reduce itching and pain.
Menovazin is inexpensive - about 30 rubles for 40 ml.
Panthenol and its properties
Panthenol-based products are manufactured by many pharmaceutical companies in several dosage forms. And often the buyer pays it advertised name, and not much cheaper active ingredient.
Panthenol cream itself costs from 100 rubles for 50 ml,But various combined preparations based on the same active ingredient are offered by pharmacies for completely different money - from 350-500 rubles for the same amount.
For insect bites, Panthenol is most rational to use as a cream or ointment: in this case, it restores the skin in areas of inflammation, relieves itching, and quickly heals wounds.
Hydrocortisone ointment
Hydrocortisone ointment is a means of hormonal action, therefore, when using it, you must carefully read the instructions and be sure to take into account the existing contraindications.
When insect bites ointment blocks the occurrence of an allergic reaction and the release of histamine in the body. This tool can be used to prevent the development of anaphylactic shock from stings of stinging insects, spiders and scorpions.
The price of hydrocortisone ointment is approximately 50 rubles per 5 grams.
Other ointment for the treatment of bites
All of the above remedies for insect bites are sold exclusively in pharmacies and therefore in some cases may not be available. Fortunately, they can easily be replaced by approximate drugs in action, in the range available in supermarkets and household chemicals stores.
Thus, the products of the trademarks Mosquitall, Gardex, Off, Taiga, among which there are also means for children, are widely distributed. For example, Gardex insect bites baby cream works very delicately and quickly relieves itching in the case of mosquito bites, and Taiga products, in addition to getting rid of bite symptoms, also help protect against insect attacks.
In the overwhelming majority of cases, for the treatment of insect bites, you should choose fat-based products that have an additional antiallergic effect. Alleviation of allergies in the "global" sense is much more important for the body than, for example, relieving itching or getting rid of painful sensations. Ointment, designed to deal with unpleasant sensations, should be used either in cases when the allergy itself is not, or in addition to antiallergic agent.
And, finally, there are numerous tools on offer to scare away insects and prevent them from biting at all. They are effective in the case of protection against attacks of mosquitoes, fleas or bedbugs, but unfortunately they are not able to scare away an angry hornet or a bee.Choosing such a tool, you should look for the name "DETA" or "permethrin" in its composition. If the proposed deterrent ointment contains essential oils as the main active ingredient, then there is practically no expected effect from it.
In conclusion, we recall: it is better to reliably protect against insect bites in advance than to treat their effects. Take care of yourself.
An interesting video: mosquito bites can be very dangerous for humans.
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I had severe swelling from the bite of the midge. She bit under the knee, so everything was swelling so that she could not bend or unbend her leg. Lokoid krelo emulsion took and lubricated the bite. Edema gradually began to go, in the morning it became even better. This is the first time such a reaction in my body was on a bite.
In the forest, the midge bit me, at first there were only dots, then it got worse - my face became inflamed. On the 3rd day, I started swelling of the entire face, my eyes became like slits, although I took Suprastin 1 st 4 times a day. He washed his face with soap and smeared with hydrocortisone, but there were water rashes on his face, as in herpes. How to smear your face so as not to leave marks from the rash
Do not joke. Consult a doctor!
It is necessary to brew 1-2 tablespoons of nettle into a glass of water and drink in 10 small sips. Repeat after 3 hours.You can rinse with a strong nettle solution (it is often undesirable to drink such solutions, as nettle thickens the blood, and to wash and wash - even every day). Reduces itching and skin irritation. And in general, carefully cares for the skin.
As soon as I see or feel that I have bitten, I immediately smear the balsam Red Elephant. Myself in its pure form, and the child is added to the cream. It helps very quickly! And if you already have a wound, it does not heal so soon, but it heals. And there is no festering.
Here, I sit in the middle of the night, the child woke up, mosquitoes bit him, and he could not sleep from the itch. In the first-aid kit she found only Levomekol, buttered the places that were bitten by mosquitoes. He fell asleep, sort of calmed down. But I would like a more effective means to immediately help my children from mosquito bites. Tell me, please, what kind of cream relieves itching?
A very good remedy is LA-CREE cream.
I have a strong reaction to mosquito bites. Immediately, the blisters start up and the itching is such that I cannot bear it, I can comb it to the blood. Tried a lot of tools, it really helps Azudol gel,he relieves itching in a few minutes and quickly heals wounds at the site of bites.