When relaxing in the forest or park, we risk being bitten by a variety of insects. Ant bites may not be immediately noticeable, as they are often painless. But it's important to be vigilant, as even these tiny creatures can cause harm to your health.
Content
Ant bites: how to recognize them and why they are dangerous
Ants move quickly once they're on the human body, and their bites leave a trail. These marks are most often found on the legs, arms, and pelvic area.
An ant bite may cause blisters and redness.
When they bite, a venom based on formic acid enters the bloodstream. In terms of pain, ants bite like mosquitoes.
At first, there's a burning sensation, then the bite site turns red and swells. The swelling grows to 5 cm, and a red spot appears in the center. After some time, small blisters and white pustules appear. Painful symptoms usually disappear within 24 hours; much less often, itching and redness continue for 3–4 days.
Ant species that pose a threat to humans
There are approximately 12,000 species of ants in nature, distributed throughout almost the entire world. But only a few pose a threat to humans:
- Army ants (siafu) are found in Africa and South America. Unlike other species, they don't build nests but migrate in search of food. They build bivouacs to breed (the ants interlock with each other with their mandibles, forming a ball). Army ants have an intimidating appearance: their mandibles are larger than their heads, and females reach 5 cm in length. The bites of this species are the most painful and can cause severe allergic reactions.
- The bullet ant is a species of large ant native to southern Africa. Its name comes from the excruciating pain its bite inflicts, comparable to that of a gunshot wound. Its venom contains poneratoxin, the most potent toxin in nature.
- The bulldog ant is common in Australia and Tasmania. Encountering this insect may not be dangerous due to its small size (no more than 2 cm), but its bites are extremely dangerous and can cause severe reactions, including anaphylactic shock. The venom of this species is similar in composition to that of bees and wasps.
- The red fire ant easily adapts to any environment, allowing it to quickly spread throughout the Americas and adjacent territories. The venom of these insects contains solenopsin, which has dermatonecrotic, cytotoxic, and neurotoxic effects. Unlike their relatives, red fire ants sting rather than bite with their jaws. The pain from the sting is comparable to a burn, and the reaction is immediate and severe.
- Red forest ants. We can encounter these insects in our forests, fields, and city parks. The red ant reaches 1 cm in length, its body is black with a red head and thorax. The bite is quite painful.
It is important to know that most often ants attack people not without reason, but to protect their home. Therefore, when outdoors, try to avoid anthills, carefully inspect items left on the ground, and shake them off thoroughly. When hiking, it's best to wear long sleeves and closed shoes. If you encounter an anthill, try to move away from it and never allow children to disturb it, as ants may respond with aggression.
Photo gallery: the most dangerous representatives of the family
-
- Army ants have a frightening appearance.
-
- The red fire ant adapts well to its environment.
-
- Red wood ants live in Russia.
-
- The pain from a bullet ant bite is equivalent to that of a bullet wound.
-
- The bulldog ant is small in size, but produces a highly toxic venom.
What to do if signs of an allergic reaction appear
Multiple ant stings pose the greatest danger to humans. The exception is allergies, where even a single sting is enough to trigger a severe reaction. The severity of the consequences depends on the immune system and the amount of venom absorbed into the bloodstream. The location of the stings also plays a significant role—an allergic reaction will be more severe if the stings are on the neck, face, or chest.
When walking in the forest, beware of anthills.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction to ants (skin redness, swelling, itching, rash, and severe pain) appear quickly. In more severe cases, general well-being worsens, and the following may be observed:
- nausea and vomiting;
- dizziness;
- weakness;
- fever;
- asphyxia (suffocation, difficulty breathing, oxygen starvation);
- chest pain;
- heart rhythm disturbance;
- lowering blood pressure;
- increase in body temperature;
- urticaria (rapid appearance of blisters all over the body);
- Quincke's edema;
- anaphylactic shock.
If you experience signs of an allergy to ant bites, you should resort to the following remedies:
- external use drugs that have antiallergic and antipruritic effects (for example, Flucinar or Sinaflan);
- antihistamines (Diphenhydramine, Diazolin);
- Folk remedies: applying a compress with vinegar solution or a dandelion leaf to the bite site.
Quincke's edema is an acute swelling of the body that occurs within minutes of exposure to an allergen, that is, after the bite itself. Swelling begins in the facial areas (lips, eyelids, tip of the nose, cheeks), then spreads to the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth, and larynx and pharynx. Swelling can also affect the extremities, chest, and abdomen. Along with external changes, internal ones also occur—when swelling affects the larynx and vocal cords, a person experiences a sore throat, difficulty breathing, and hoarseness.
The main external manifestation of Quincke's edema is an increase in the size of some part of the body.
The most acute and severe type of allergic reaction is anaphylactic shock, as it affects the entire body. Anaphylaxis progresses as follows: a person experiences weakness, anxiety, dizziness, heart and abdominal pain, angioedema, urticaria, vomiting, and diarrhea. This is followed by a sharp drop in blood pressure, difficulty breathing, tachycardia, and loss of consciousness.
Anaphylactic shock usually presents as a complex of various symptoms.
It's important to remember: In the event of acute reactions such as angioedema and anaphylactic shock, never self-medicate! Call an ambulance and provide first aid as quickly as possible; failure to act quickly can sometimes lead to death.
Algorithm of actions in case of Quincke's edema and anaphylactic shock:
- After calling an ambulance, try to move the patient away from the ants.
- Apply a tight bandage above the bite site and apply a cold compress to the damaged area of skin.
- In case of anaphylaxis, turn the head to the side to prevent the person from choking on vomit.
- Provide fresh air if you are indoors, and be sure to loosen all clothing, remove tight clothing, and remove jewelry.
- If possible, give an injection of an antihistamine. For angioedema, you can take a tablet under the tongue. People prone to allergies should always carry such medications with them.
- Before emergency services arrive, be sure to monitor the allergy sufferer's blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. If necessary, administer artificial respiration or chest compressions.
According to statistics, 23% of Russians suffer from allergies to insect bites, including ant bites. Two percent of such reactions are accompanied by angioedema, and at least 77% by anaphylactic shock.
Hives are characterized by the appearance of blisters on the skin that merge into large red spots.
Treatment methods for bites
If you're attacked by ants, move as far away from the source of the attack (this could be an anthill or an ant trail) as possible and remove the insects. Once you're safe and have prevented further bites, treat the affected areas.
Disinfection
First, you need to disinfect the area of skin. For this, you can use:
- hydrogen peroxide;
- chlorhexidine;
- alcohol solution;
- miramistin;
- soap solution.
Relieves itching and redness
The most well-known remedies that can help relieve itching, pain, redness and swelling are the following:
- cold compress (apply to the bite site for 10 minutes);
- Advantan ointment;
- Psilo-balm;
- Rescuer ointment;
- Fenistil gel.
Rescuer ointment helps relieve itching and redness
Antihistamines
You should take medications that block the release of histamine into the blood. This is necessary to avoid an acute adverse reaction to ant venom. Such medications include:
- Diazolin;
- Fenistil;
- Telfast;
- Tavegil;
- Suprastin;
- Claritin;
- Zyrtec;
- Loratadine.
The bite site should be treated with an external remedy, such as Fenistil gel.
Folk remedies
In the absence of medications, you can turn to folk methods:
- Apply a paste of baking soda and water to the affected area until completely dry. Repeat every 2 hours.
- You can lubricate the bite sites with ammonia, vinegar, or peppermint paste. Many people use Corvalol for this purpose.
- Apply a paste of activated charcoal to the damaged skin and cover with film.
- Apply raw potatoes or onions, aloe juice, and finely chopped parsley to the reddened or swollen area.
- Apply tea tree oil to the affected area until the itching subsides. This not only relieves pain but also disinfects the wound. Camphor alcohol can also be used.
- Rub soft butter into the bite areas several times a day.
- Use herbal infusions and compresses (mint, plantain, parsley, sea buckthorn, viburnum, birch buds), which have antipruritic and anti-inflammatory effects.
Try not to scratch the bite sites, as this can cause scratching and infection. There's also a risk of scarring.
If you apply raw potatoes to the bite sites, the pain will subside and the redness will disappear.
Benefits of ant bites
Ants aren't just capable of causing harm. Ant venom contains zinc, enzymes, polypeptides, and acids, giving it numerous medicinal properties (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, disinfectant, immune-boosting, and cleansing). This is why ant use is so popular in alternative medicine.
The bites of these insects are used to relieve symptoms and treat many diseases:
- radiculitis;
- gout;
- relief of pain from dislocations and fractures;
- varicose veins;
- arthritis and arthrosis;
- atherosclerosis.
The treatment consists of 10-15 sessions. Find an anthill and approach it in your underwear (leave your clothes a few meters away). Use a birch broom to transfer the ants to your body. It's important to avoid the insects on your head, and it's best to plug your ears with cotton wool. After 5 minutes, move away from the anthill and brush the ants off with the broom. As you feel better, the session can be extended to 10-15 minutes. After the treatment, take a shower.
There's another method, primarily used to treat children. To do this, take a cotton or linen shirt and leave it on the anthill for 30-40 minutes. During this time, the clothing becomes soaked in formic acid, after which it's carefully cleaned of insects and placed on the child. The shirt should be worn for three days.
Before relying on folk medicine, consult a doctor and make sure you are not allergic to ant venom. Although treatment for these insect bites is considered effective, it can cause varying individual reactions and consequences. This approach should be approached with extreme caution.
The risks of using insect venoms outweigh the benefits. Therefore, in my opinion, it's not recommended to self-medicate with insect venoms, to avoid becoming a victim of hymenopterism—human poisoning from insect bites and stings.
Formic acid is used in the production of medicinal products (Muravyvit, ant powder, and oil extract). These medications are effective in the treatment of hepatitis, tuberculosis, kidney failure, impotence, and emphysema.
Reviews
Apply Corvalol or calendula tincture. Give an antihistamine (Fenistil, Zyrtec, Zodak). I also heard you can apply activated charcoal soaked in water to the bite site.
Fenistil, you can drink hydrogen peroxide - it won't do any harm
I read online that if the bite isn't very severe, you can apply ice or a cold compress to relieve the itching. I think you can apply something for other insect bites that relieves the itching and redness. If the bite is really severe, antihistamines are recommended, but only under doctor's orders.
You can wipe something like Fenistil gel with camphor alcohol. Take Suprastin orally at night.
There's also Suprastin, and you can also wipe the bite area with some chlorhexidine—it also relieves the itching and burning a little. But basically, if the itching doesn't go away within 20-30 minutes, it's probably an allergic reaction.
Encounters with ants are not only of interest to humans, but also dangerous. Their bites can be painful and unpleasant. Formic acid can cause a serious allergic reaction, which can be alleviated with folk remedies and medications. However, these insect bites can also be beneficial in treating certain illnesses.
