For people who love summer, it’s a great season for picnics, camping events, and summer vacations. As more people begin traveling and spending time outdoors, spiders, mosquitos, and wasps are just a few of the insects known to bite and sting. Bug bites are common during the summer, and it’s important to know which bites should be ignored and which ones require a trip to urgent care for treatment. Various bites and stings can be potentially life-threatening if not cared for immediately, and learning how to detect bites can help make sure that you’re treated. 

Bite and Sting Symptoms You Should Never Ignore 

In many cases, insect bites, mosquitos, and beetles can cause irritations to the skin, but most of the time are known to be harmless. In rarer situations, bites from common insects can become a lot worse than intended, often because these bites can pass pathogens and viruses into the bloodstream and skin. When this occurs, there are some symptoms that you should watch out for, including: 

• Rashes and Swelling: Areas surrounding the bite may swell and develop rashes, indicating the presence of venom, which can narrow down the possible source to arachnids such as spiders. Rashes can indicate allergic reactions, and if bitten by ticks, it could indicate Lyme disease. 
• Fever and Chills: Fevers and chills are the body’s attempt to fight off the insect bite, even if the bite is from an insect that’s considered non-harmful to most people. In these cases, it could indicate the signs of an allergic reaction, and seeking out urgent care can allow your physicians to prescribe medications and check for symptoms. 
• Insect Bite Infections: Excessive scratching can cause the open wound to open up, and if other pathogens and bacteria get into the wound, it could lead to an infection. Signs of a skin infection include sores, redness, and pus oozing from the wound. Seeking out urgent care can help treat the infection with antibiotic medication. 
• Bite Extensions: One important symptom to pay attention to with bug bites is extensions in the bite mark. These extensions look like long dragging lines across the skin, causing raised infections along the areas. When this occurs, it could be an infectious disease called impetigo, which requires immediate medical attention. 

When To Seek Out Urgent Care For Bites

Other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and fatigue require emergency medical attention, especially if potentially bitten by spiders such as brown recluses, stung by hornets or wasps, and bitten by ticks. If any redness, swelling, or hardening around the skin bite worsens over the next 24 to 72 hours, seeking out urgent care as soon as possible can help diagnose your insect bite and treat it. Paying attention to insect bites during the summer can help save your life, and while reactions to insect bites are rare, if you feel worried about your symptoms, stop by your local urgent care provider for information about summertime safety and bugs bite care.