Most insects will not bite unless they are provoked, and they will do so as a way of protecting themselves. Stings from insect bite are common and most of the time they result to redness and swelling of the injured area. But there are those bites that have life threatening reactions.
Insects pose about three quarter of all animal life; they most primarily live on land. The majority of the insects’ species are beetles, butterflies, moths, bees, wasps and flies.
A sting injects into the body some kind of venom that is composed of proteins and other substances that trigger an allergic reaction in the victim’s body.
Bees, wasps, hornets and fire ants usually sting and people get allergies from them. There have also been some reported cases of where people have died from the bee stings. But in all these kinds of insects, the type of injury will differ. When a bee stings, it usually dies, but a wasp can sting several times because it does not lose its stinging apparatus. Fire ants inject their venom by biting the victim and injecting the venom several times.
Insects like mosquitoes do not normally cause significant illness but some kind of mosquitoes that breeds on the west side of the Nile spread a virus that causes malaria.
Lice transmits epidemic fever that is caused by spirochetes
The sand fly causes Leishmaniasis, which is a type of protozoa
The tsetse fly that is found in most parts of Africa causes sleeping sickness in humans and east coast fever in animals. The fly transmits trypanosome that is also a type of protozoa.
The house fly plays a role in spreading typhoid, and same with amoeba by coming into contact with human food.
Fleas spread the bubonic plague which is a very deadly type.
There are kind of mosquitoes that cause viral disease like elephantiasis and yellow fever
Ticks are responsible for the Lyme disease
Bites from spiders are very fatal
Reactions from insect bites may include the following:
• Shock which mostly occurs if the circulatory system does not get enough blood
• Wheezing, coughing, difficulty in breathing or having a feeling of fullness in the throat and lips.
• Tongue, lips swelling. Other body parts that may swell include the legs, soles and feet
• Confusion and lightheadedness
• Nausea and stomach cramps
Hives
To treat the allergic reaction that is caused by the insect bite, first remove the stinger that is usually left behind and then wash the area gently with soap and water and place some ice on the area. Those people that do get anaphylactic reaction are usually treated with an injection if epinephrine which is a kind of hormone that relaxes the heart. It is always advisable for people who experience such severe reactions to carry their own kit or emergency tablets.
There is a process called desensitization where the doctor will conduct a skin test and determine which insect you are allergic to. They inject you with the venom from those insects until your body is able to tolerate.
