Dr Phil Kieran: What can I do about insect bites and ticks?
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Camping is a great way to see the countryside and can be a fantastic experience for children. Thankfully, it’s also a safe activity in Ireland. Not only do we have much less large wildlife to worry about, but the environment is also very safe by international standards.
However, an unwelcome encounter with an insect can ruin a holiday. I recommend bringing the following items: antihistamines, barrier substances like Vaseline or Sudocrem, insect repellent, and sun cream.
The most common insect bites in Ireland are from flies like mosquitos or horseflies.
Horsefly bites tend to be sore immediately, whereas mosquito bites can become itchy, red, and swollen over the next 24 hours or so.
Spider bites often appear after a few days and tend to feature a red area with a darker centre — the small puncture wound is often visible. Antihistamine and ice packs will usually settle the itch and redness without needing any further treatment.
Once an insect bite breaks the skin, an infection may result. This will show up as increasing redness, heat, and tenderness, likely days after the initial bite. So, if the bite seems to be improving and then rapidly worsens, have a GP look at it, who will see if it needs an antibiotic.
Tick bites worry people most due to the risk of Lyme disease. The disease is spread by deer ticks, which, despite their name, don’t usually feed on deer. They mainly stick to small mammals like mice, rats, and voles. Ticks sit on the tips of grasses or plants next to pathways in the undergrowth and will hook on to anything that passes.
If left undisturbed, ticks feed for several days before detaching and moving on to the next life-cycle stage. Before feeding, ticks are small and flat (about the size of a poppy seed), so they can be difficult to spot. They need to be attached for more than 24 hours before becoming a significant risk of transmitting Lyme disease.
The two steps you can take to reduce your risk of tick bites are to wear long trousers, if appropriate, and to check your and your children’s skin every day when you return to the campsite.
If you find a tick attached don’t panic. Use a clean tweezers to grip the tick as close to the skin as possible. Lift firmly, directly away from the skin. Try not to squeeze the body of the tick or twist. If it looks like any bits are left behind after removal try to remove these with tweezers also.
If the tick has been attached for multiple days and you are concerned, talk to your GP.
- If you have a question for Dr Phil Kieran, please send it to parenting@examiner.ie