Face it, today’s bugs are NOT yesterday’s bugs.
Their bites aren’t either – it’s as if they are rolling up your sleeves just to bite you. And the itch – ugh. But you can do something about it. Save your money and your sanity with these in-house treatments for the itch, pain, and burn from those brazen insects this summer.
Baking soda salve
Baking soda has a myriad of uses, and bug bite relief is one of them. You don’t need much – just one tablespoon of baking soda mixed with water creates a paste you’ll apply to the bite area. Leave the salve on for ten minutes, then wash away.
Repeat applying the baking soda salve to the affected area as needed, but if it becomes more irritated, stopping use is recommended.
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Oatmeal salve
Your household oatmeal has more uses than just a healthy breakfast food. Oatmeal has anti-inflammatory and dermatological benefits as well.
Similar to the baking soda mixture, combine equal parts oatmeal and water to create a paste and apply to the affected area for ten minutes before washing off. Again, apply as much and as often as necessary for relief. But if your skin starts to feel worse instead of better, you should stop applying.
If you have multiple bites all over your body, taking an oatmeal bath may be a more effective option. Sitting in a warm oatmeal bath can provide much-needed itch relief as well as relaxation.
Apple cider vinegar swab
Ingesting apple cider vinegar is known to have many advantages, from gut microbiome enhancement to cholesterol management. Another benefit is toxin neutralization. Just apply a small amount to a sterile cotton ball or swab and apply to the bite area.
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Don’t have access to apple cider vinegar? The clear distilled vinegar works just as well!
Applying distilled vinegar to the bite area not only soothes but acts as a natural disinfectant to the bug bite area.
Now that you’ve mastered soothing the bug bite, how to keep it from getting infected?
Leave it alone! (don’t scratch or pick)
Picking with an already irritated bug bite can lead to infection. Cellulitis, a bacterial infection, happens when bacteria from hands or other surfaces enter broken skin. The result is redness and swelling at the infection site. Cellulitis can also cause fever, nausea, vomiting, and swollen lymph nodes.
If you absolutely must touch your bug bite, make sure to do so with clean hands. It also wouldn’t hurt to clean the bite area before touching it.
Keep your hands clean
Speaking of keeping your hands clean, it seems laughable that people need to be reminded to wash their hands in the 21st century. But alas, here we are – and clean hands are the key to keeping bacteria out of open wounds.
Before applying anything to itch or pain relief, wash the bite area with soap and water. This will reduce the number of microbes and Cellulitis-causing bacteria that could enter your body should your skin barrier be broken.
Keep the area clean and covered
Keeping the area covered is an option if you find it hard to resist the itch.
An adhesive bandage covering the area should be enough to keep the bite away from anxious fingers. Even better, a waterproof adhesive bandage will not only keep your hands out, it should keep out environmental irritants as well.
It’s inevitable that you’ll be bitten by some annoying bug while enjoying your summer. But you don’t have to suffer the itch and irritation of its bite without any recourse. Take these tips and tricks with you this summer to keep you and your family safe from being bugged this summer!
