Summer time brings the appearance of insects which causes allergies

Swampy areas with dammed-up waters with abundant vegetation are the ideal site for the proliferation of insects which bite men. Coastal areas and river banks are places where insects appear frequently. Besides the most usual places, there are hours of the day where the activity of certain insects is higher. Mosquitoes prefer hot and humid nights while bees, wasps and ants have a preference for sunny days.

SYMPTOMS The symptoms appear in the individuals in different degrees and in several ways, depending on the insect which bites the person, on his skin sensitivity and also on this person’s attitude towards the bite. For the individuals who the bite of certain insects do not cause them allergy, the extent of the problem will be determined by the bite, but there are allergic sufferers who need to follow a treatment that minimizes the reaction to the bite.

TYPES OF BITE: 1. Arachnids bite: Arachnids secretes toxic substances for other living beings, there are some capable of producing damages, toxic enough for the man, to others that may cause serious problems. 2. Insects bites: Insects bite to obtain their food which is blood. Their mouths are adapted to penetrate into the skin and suck the blood. Insects’ bite are more frequent in exposed parts of the body like head, hands, arms and legs. Symptoms: All insects’ bite cause a reaction on the skin which first is a response to the insects’saliva or feces located in or near the bite area and are disseminated when scratching. Reactions vary from a small red innocuos rash to painful inflamations or even to an exanthema which produces an intense itching. Treatment: Bites should be thoroughly washed with water and soup, applying a soothing cream or lotion and in some case a cream containing antihistamine. Scratching should be avoided. A. Bites of insects with sting: A small number of insects (wasps, hornets and bees) are able to bite with a sting. Its venom contains inflammatory substances causing local pain, reddeness or inflamation for some 48 hours. B. Mosquitoes bite: The female mosquitoes need the blood of human beings or animals to produce the eggs. Male mosquitoes do not bite, its just that their sound is annoying. The main problem posed by the bite is the transmission of diseases in the tropics. Treatment: The area should be washed with water and soap and a soothing cream applied.

Bites of mosquitoes Dangerous mosquitoes: Anopheles: Aspect: Head and body following a straight line, drawing an angle with the surface. Customs: Rural areas, bite in the evening. Diseases: Malaria and philariasis. Culex: Aspect: The body parallel to the surface, the head pointing downwards produces a whistle when flying, dark red color. Costums: Rural areas and bite inthe evening. Diseases: Malaria and virus-type encephalitis. Aedex: Aspect: Similar body to that of Culex, but tropical species are white and black. Customs: Urban or rural, bite during day hours. Diseases: Dengue, yellow fever and virus-type encephalitis.

The opinion

Prevention in tropical areas:

To wear long sleeves shirts and socks, especially in the evening to reduce the area of the skin exposed. Protective screens should be placed in the windows to prevent mosquitoes from coming inside and the use of repellent lotion on the body or some sort of device that slowly sprinkles insecticides. The use of a mosquito net is very useful to prevent bites during night hours.