Introduction 

Understanding the at home first-aid steps is often crucial to treating a bite or sting. A bite or sting may be caused by various different organisms and the resulting symptoms may only require at-home remedies or may have to be escalated to emergency care by healthcare professionals. This guide will help identify what to do for bites and stings that can be treated at home or the first aid steps that can be carried out at home prior to professional treatment. 

The most common bites and stings include: 

• Insect Bites
• Arachnid Bites (Spiders and Ticks)
• Marine Animals  (Jellyfish, Stingray, Sea Urchin)
• Other Animals (Cats, Dogs)¹

In situations where a bite or sting does not cause an allergic reaction or need urgent medical attention, they can be treated at home by easing symptoms and reducing chances of infection.²

Treating Insect Bites at Home 

Insect Bites and stings are usually quite common and symptoms tend not to be serious unless they become infected or cause allergic reactions. It is also important to be aware that some types of insects are associated with more serious illnesses like mosquitoes and malaria, but for the most part, relief from the irritation and pain of a bite or sting can be found at home.³

Mosquito Bites 

Symptoms: 

• A small, swollen reddish lump on the skin appearing within minutes of the bite
• Lump is usually very itchy 
• Blisters forming in those sensitive to bites
• In some patients, they can appear as dark bruise like spots²

Home Treatment: 

• Stay calm and act quickly and first clean the area
• Ice: Can act as a temporary tool to reduce inflammation and decrease blood flow to the area of the bite. It doesn’t remove or neutralise the mosquito saliva proteins that act as an allergen and the relief from the ice is only effective for a short period of time⁴
• Homoeopathic substances. For example: honey which reduces swelling and has antibacterial properties to reduce risk of infection, Aloe Vera where the salicylic acid in the aloe vera stops the pain and itching produced by histamine in the body after a mosquito bite, or Basil which not only repels mosquitoes but is anti-inflammatory and analgesic
• Over the counter Medication: Calamine lotion, low dose corticosteroid cream, and over the counter antihistamines (Benadryl or Claritin) can reduce itchiness and swelling⁵

Wasp and Bee Stings 

Symptoms: 

• Sting from bee or wasp found in sting site 
• Localised inflammation
• Sharp pain lasting a few seconds in the area of the sting 
• Itchy, burning, and painful swollen red bump¹

Home Treatment: 

• Remove the sting if present: With clean hands, either use your fingernails or the hard surface of a card to scrape out the sting from the skin. Make sure to not use any tweezer as this can increase risk of venom being released
• Clean the area with soap and water, and disinfect
• To reduce pain and swelling you can use ice or medications like paracetamol or ibuprofen¹
• Elevate the site of the sting and reduce itching through calamine lotion, hydrocortisone cream, or over the counter antihistamines
• Be aware of signs of anaphylactic shock⁶

Ant and Flea Bites 

Symptoms 

Ants:

• Raised bumps that may be pus filled 
• Swelling
• Pain that can be mild, intense, or sharp 
• Red inflamed area around bite⁷

Fleas: 

• Clusters of small red spots 
• Red inflamed area around bite looks like a halo
• Usually found on the ankles or feet 
• Intense itching
• Redness can remain for hours to days⁸

Home Treatment: 

• Remove any ants/fleas from the skin 
• Wash area and use ice or a cold compress to help with swelling 
• Use of oral antihistamines for itching and painkillers for discomfort 
• Observe for urticarial reactions and severe allergic reactions^8,9

Treating Arachnid Bites

Spider Bites

Symptoms

This depends on type of spider but general symptoms include: 

• Small puncture marks 
• Sharp pain at site and remains for around 2 to 8 hours 
• Redness,swelling, and may blister 
• Sweating, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain 
• Burning sensation¹⁰

Home treatment: 

• First aid at home will depend on the type of spider bite and whether it was poisonous
• Wash the area with cool water and soap 
• Reduce swelling using a cold compress or ice
• Elevate body parts to reduce inflammation 
• Reduce pain through painkillers¹⁰
• Observe the patient for further symptoms such as breathing difficulties, swelling of throat, face, mouth, severe nausea, muscle spasms, or feeling faint. If mild symptoms worsen seek medical attention. If you think that the source of the bite was poisonous, for example a brown recluse or black widow spider, seek urgent treatment even without any symptoms¹¹

Tick Bites

Symptoms

• Red swollen lump at bite site 
• May be sore but usually less associated with pain¹²
• Observe for signs of allergic reaction or flu like symptoms which can signify a tick borne illness

Home treatment: 

• Generally, most tick bites are harmless, but symptoms need to be observed for 30 days incase of allergic reactions or diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease¹³
• Remove the Tick using a fine curved tweezer. Grasp the tick making sure you get as close to the skin surface as possible. Then pull the tick backwards, making sure you apply a steady and even pressure until the tick is out of the skin. Whilst doing this, make sure to not twist or squeeze the tick as it may release infectious body fluids. Clean the area and your hands with water and soap and dispose of the tick
• If part of the tick remains in the skin, leave the area alone, and it will be expelled naturally¹⁴

Marine Creature Stings

Symptoms

• Intense throbbing pain when stung and an itchy rash 
• Raised circular areas on the skin called welts caused by Jellyfish and Portuguese man-of-war stings 
• Bleeding, open skin wounds or tears 
• Redness and swelling¹⁵

Home Treatment 

• Rinse the area with seawater and remove any spines or tentacles from the skin using gloves or tweezers
• Once removed, soak the area with hot water for at least 20 minutes. This can be also done using a towel or helping the person into a hot shower
• Remove the area from the hot water briefly before placing it back into the water. Continue if pain persists
• Use painkillers for symptoms 
• Seek medical attention for the following: If pain is severe and persists, if you have been stung in sensitive areas like the mouth, throat, or eyes, if the marine animal sting is from a tropical country and if the sting was from a stingray¹

Animal Bites 

Dog and Cat Bites 

Symptoms 

• Pets can lead to bites on common places like the face, head, and neck. They are more common in children 
• Puncture wounds, cuts, breaks in the skin 
• Bleeding 
• Bruising 
• Numbness and tingling 
• Tendon/ Joint injury that can affect range of motion
• Severe tissue tears which can lead to scar formation¹⁶

Home Treatment 

• Although some first aid can be given at home initially, any bite that breaks the skin surface must be treated by a healthcare professional within 24 hours as the person may need stitches, a tetanus shot, antibiotics, or even surgery
• First calm the affected person and wash hands with soap and water before treating the wound
• Encourage the wound to bleed to prevent infection
• Stop any heavy bleeding of the wound using pressure bandaging and immobilisation, pressure can be applied using a dry and clean cloth
• Once bleeding has reduced or stopped, wash the bite with running water for 3 to 5 minutes, and apply an antibacterial ointment to the area
• Pat the area dry and apply a sterile bandage to the area
• Use painkillers like ibuprofen and paracetamol to help relieve some pain¹⁶

Summary 

Not all bites and stings can be treated at home and depending on the species, wound area, and symptoms you may have to seek urgent medical treatment. However, in some cases, simple first aid steps like the ones mentioned are not only helpful, but also may be crucial in the recovery and treatment of bites and stings. Home remedies can include ice, homoeopathic treatment, over the counter painkillers, antihistamines, calamine lotion, tick removal, and wound dressing, these can provide relief to the patient. It is important to remain calm and reassure the patient and also observe for any symptom progression that may require more urgent attention.¹