Insect bite
Allergic
reaction to biting insects such as mosquitoes, sandfly
etc. is not immediate; it is delayed one. After several
hours of the bite, there appears redness and swelling
around the site bitten. There may be some rise in
temperature of the body. However, the reaction is never
serious, never fatal.
This reaction needs no treatment, except occasionally a
tablet of antihistamine to check itching. As the age
advances, after many such bites, the body reacts less to
them. That is also the reason why these reactions are more severe in children than
adults or older people. Allergic asthma by bite of insects like mosquitoes is usually mild
and may not occur immediately but after several hours of its biting. It is not a common phenomenon.
Insect sting
Stinging
insects such as bee, wasp and hornet produce an
immediate allergic reaction. This may vary from local
redness and swelling to the redness of the whole part,
or even generalized swelling, urticaria, choking,difficulty in breathing, unconsciousness and death.
Those who have hay fever, eczema, asthma and drug
reaction are more liable to get different grades of
severe reactions to stinging insects. Establishing
diagnosis is easy from the history of the patient. The
best prophylaxis is to avoid situation where one can be stung
by the insects and keep the body well covered while
going outdoor in the fields and gardens. As soon as a
person is stung, he should try to remove the sting from the site with a pin
or needle without rubbing it in. Stinging insects
such as Bee can precipitate severe asthma
immediately. Rarely it can also produce anaphylaxis
(severe allergic reaction which can cause even death).
Inhalation
of insect remnants
Insects such
as cockroach are present in the houses especially in
humid and dark places like kitchen, bathroom, toilet and cupboards. Allergy to
insect remnants is quite common, particularly in the monsoon season when different
species of insects breed and multiply. Insects have very
short life and when they die, their wings and bodies
become part of the ground dust. After drying and
disintegration such dust is inhaled and can cause
allergic asthma. Asthma due to cockroach remnants is very common and present throughout
the year. Other insects that can precipitate asthma are
ants, butterflies, wasps, dragon fly, grass hoppers,
house flies and
jassids.
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