Is swelling after a gnat bite dangerous?

Daily walks and outdoor recreation are what healthy lifestyle advocates, psychologists, and doctors recommend. Unfortunately, these rules do not always contribute to strengthening human health, because in addition to oxygen, various dangers await us in the nature in the form of small parasites that are eager to feed on human blood. Insect attacks, which we encounter most often during walks in the forest or near plantings, often bring many unpleasant minutes, and swelling from a bite of a midge, aggressive fly or mosquito can significantly spoil the appearance and also pose a health hazard.

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Why does a midge bite cause swelling?

No one is surprised by the fact that a bee sting is almost always accompanied by swelling of the area near the puncture site. But a bee is a large insect, and it also leaves toxic substances in the skin that cause intoxication and a strong allergic reaction. Can a midge, which is barely more than 1 mm in size, also poison the human body?

Let's start with the fact that the provocateur of a bee or wasp bite is usually the person himself, in whom the insect sees a danger. Bees bite a person not because of hunger, but for self-defense, therefore they inject poison, which should paralyze the enemy. But mosquitoes, horseflies, midges belong to the category of blood-sucking insects that use a person as a vessel with nutrients. Their attacks have a completely different purpose - saturation.

It should be said that all blood-sucking insects, including midges (a microscopic type of gnat), contain poisonous substances and anesthetics in their saliva. First, the insect injects saliva, which numbs the bite site, and then begins to feed. The mosquito pierces the skin and sucks out blood, while the midge limits itself to taking a small piece of epithelium. But since we are initially under the influence of an anesthetic, we can feel a prick or burning sensation only when our body has already lost a good portion of blood or flesh. At the same time, the culprit of the event may already be out of reach.

At the site of a midge bite, as with other insects, swelling may occur. Usually, the appearance of such a reaction is associated with the characteristics of the victim's body. Swelling is an allergic reaction to the introduction of insect saliva into the body, which contains allergens.

They may be both anesthetic substances and other components contained in the saliva of insects. After all, these small pests are not in vain considered carriers of various viral, bacterial and parasitic infections. People see this as their main danger. The penetration of foreign substances into the tissues or blood of the human body, and these are bacteria, viruses, eggs and larvae of parasites, is accompanied by the development of an inflammatory process, which is actually a type of allergic reaction.

What happens during a midge bite and why does it cause tissue swelling? Let's consider the pathogenesis of this process. When an allergen from the insect's saliva enters the body, a complex process inside the body is launched. When B-lymphocytes synthesized by our immune system and antigens contained in foreign substances meet, lymphocytes begin to produce antibodies, which, along with T-lymphocytes, attack the allergen.

When an allergen first enters the body, there may not be a violent reaction, because the production of antibodies is a matter of time, but at the same time, sensitivity to the allergen increases. And when a repeated bite occurs, an active fight of lymphocytes-defenders and previously produced antibodies with the introduced allergen begins. Such a fight always has external manifestations.

As a result of the interaction of the allergen and antibodies on the cell surface, intracellular free calcium penetrates into it, which enhances metabolism. This is a signal for the production and release of allergy mediators: histamine, heparin, prostaglandins and some other enzymes.

The development of tissue edema is associated with the release of histamine. This enzyme increases the permeability of vascular-tissue membranes, which facilitates the circulation of fluid between soft tissues and vessels. Fluid begins to accumulate in the tissues, causing an increase in their volume. This process is called edema. And the inflammatory reaction, manifested by edema, redness and pain, is associated with an increase in the production of prostaglandins.

Causes of swelling from a midge bite

It should be said that insect bites are not always accompanied by swelling and inflammatory reactions. Probably, many have noticed that the tissue reaction to midge bites can vary significantly in different people. Someone simply does not notice the bite, another experiences itching and finds only a slight redness at the site of the skin puncture, and a third has a large, very itchy swelling at the site of the bite.

In sensitive people, insect bites can be accompanied not only by external but also by general reactions that significantly affect the well-being of the victim. In rare cases, one even has to deal with the development of anaphylactic reactions due to an attack by microscopic parasites.

The clinical picture and severity of individual symptoms depend on many factors:

• varieties of midges (and the saliva of different types of insects has varying degrees of toxicity to the human body),
• the number of bites (it is clear that the more poison gets into the blood, the more severe the condition of the victim),
• immune status (people with a predisposition to allergic reactions suffer more than those whose immune system works less actively, reacting only to serious danger),
• the patient's age (a child's body is more sensitive to allergens, because the baby's immune system is still in the development stage, it is not surprising that children under 3 years old may experience extensive swelling on the body from a midge bite),
• individual characteristics of the human body (some victims have increased sensitivity to individual components of insect saliva, so both external and general symptoms may be highly intense),
• the presence or absence of pathogens in the saliva of the midge or on the body of the victim (the penetration of bacteria and viruses into the body will provoke stronger inflammatory reactions, so at the site of the swelling there will be noticeable severe redness, pain, itching and even the formation of pus in the wound), but here the state of local and general immunity plays a large role.

The condition of the wound at the site of the bite also depends on the person's reaction to this event. Burning and itching force the victim to take some measures to relieve the unpleasant symptoms. People begin to scratch the bite site, lubricate it with saliva, not caring about the cleanliness of their hands and body at the site of injury, and this in turn provokes the penetration of infection into the wound, complicating its healing.

But who is most susceptible to midge attacks? Risk factors for midge attacks include morning or daytime walks near open natural bodies of water or among tall grass, rest in the forest, crossing a swampy place in the warm season. It is important to understand that midges can surround us everywhere, because they are afraid only of severe year-round cold, which can be observed in the Arctic and Antarctica, whose inhabitants are not familiar with these small pests. But the likelihood of encountering hordes of biting midges is still higher in nature in places with high humidity, so lovers of recreation by the river and fishermen are most susceptible to attacks.

In the morning and daytime, horseflies and midges pose the greatest danger; in the evenings, mosquitoes come out on a bloody hunt.

Despite the fact that midge bites are considered to be quite common, there are no specific statistics on this matter. And this is not surprising, because not everyone with the above-described problem goes to the doctor. And some people may not notice the bites of microscopic creatures at all.

However, it is safe to say that small children are most susceptible to insect bites. The soft, easily permeable skin and natural milky smell of children attract mosquitoes and midges more than the scent of perfume or chemical smells coming from adults. In addition, the skin of adults, especially men, is denser and rougher, which bloodsuckers do not like.

It is quite difficult for midges to reach human skin through clothing, so people whose bodies are mostly covered by clothing may feel more protected than those who wear short sleeves or short pants or who rest naked.

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Symptoms of a midge bite

As we have already mentioned, each person's body is individual. It is clear that reactions to insect bites are also individual. We can list only possible manifestations of the body's reactions to a bite, but this does not mean that an insect attack should end with the appearance of the entire symptom complex.

Midges are gregarious insects, so their attacks are usually massive. However, when a person sees a horde of insects, they try to brush off the bloodsuckers, and not all of them manage to profit from a piece of human flesh. If we are talking about single bites, a person may notice the appearance of mainly local symptoms:

• a tingling sensation, pain and burning in the area of tissue puncture,
• hyperemia (redness) of the skin at the site of the bite (the diameter of the hyperemic area depends on the body's reaction to the midge's saliva; it can be either a pinpoint wound of a deep red color or a large lesion),
• swelling of tissues at the site of penetration of the insect's saliva,
• itching in the area of the skin puncture,

A local allergic reaction to midge saliva may manifest itself in the form of various rashes on the skin (spots, small vesicular rash, papules or dense nodules on the skin). If the damaged area was scratched, a dark, almost black scab may form at the site of the wound. If an infection was introduced, the wound begins to fester, increases in size and does not heal for a long time.

But in addition to swelling and external manifestations, a person may also experience general symptoms of a midge bite. They usually appear against the background of multiple bites and indicate intoxication of the body with poisons from the midge's saliva. The greater the number of bites, the more poisons penetrate the human body, and the more severe the general reactions will be, including:

• an increase in the victim's body temperature to 39.5 degrees,
• lymphadenopathy (a condition in which there is an increase in the lymph nodes near the bite site along the lymph flow),
• the appearance of signs of tachycardia (increased pulse and heartbeat),
• drop in blood pressure,
• dizziness.

In addition to the symptoms of intoxication, people with individual intolerance to the components of insect saliva may experience signs of suffocation caused by swelling of the throat, especially with bites in the face area, and dangerous anaphylactic reactions. Fortunately, such situations are extremely rare.

The first signs of a midge bite are considered to be burning, sharp pain and swelling at the site of penetration of the insect's saliva into the skin, although they do not always occur. Subsequently, the bite site turns red and begins to itch, other symptoms of allergy and signs of intoxication of the body may appear. With multiple bites, the entire area of the body on which they are localized may turn red.

The severity of the bite symptoms depends not only on the individual reaction of the body to the introduction of saliva, but also on the location of the damage. The most sensitive tissues are the facial and eye tissues. The delicate skin around the eyes is permeated with sensitive receptors, so the bite is almost always accompanied by severe pain, despite the introduction of an anesthetic by the midge.

But there is also such an observation that the stronger the pain from the bite, the more pronounced the symptoms. What is fraught with damage to the area around the organ of vision? From the bite of a midge there is swelling of the tissues of the eye, lacrimation increases, the victim feels pain and itching, the tissues around the eye and mucous membranes turn red, a burning and stinging sensation in the eyes can be felt.

The skin on the eyelids covering the eye is particularly sensitive. If the bite falls on this area, the person's appearance may be noticeably affected. Swelling of the eyelid from a midge bite is a fairly common occurrence, and with multiple bites, the eye may swell to such an extent that it will be impossible to look through it, in other words, the eye may swell completely. The degree of swelling depends on the work of the immune system and the number of bites per square centimeter of the eye area.

In people with a predisposition to allergic reactions and intolerance to insect saliva components, bites in the head and eye area may be accompanied by more severe symptoms. A midge bite may cause swelling of the entire face, the victim may complain of dizziness and shortness of breath. This is a very dangerous condition that requires immediate measures to reduce the intensity of an allergic attack.

Resting in areas with tall grass can end up with a person having bitten legs, which in the warm season are often uncovered by clothing, and what does it cost a small parasite to get under a trouser leg. Hordes of midges love to nest in tall grass, and it is worth taking a short walk through it, as specific traces of bites appear on the skin of the lower extremities.

Multiple injuries to the shin and ankle from a midge bite can be accompanied by symptoms such as swelling and redness of the tissues at the bite site, pain and itching. But the reaction to the bites can again be different. One person will only have small pinpoint marks at the tissue puncture site, while another will suffer and complain of swelling of the leg from a midge bite. The latter is very unsafe, because the accumulation of fluid in the tissues can disrupt blood circulation in the legs.

Swelling from a midge bite in a child

We have already mentioned that a child's body is more sensitive to various unfavorable factors. And insect bites are no exception. The immune system and regulatory functions of a child under 3 years of age are not yet fully formed and the reaction to allergens is more pronounced than necessary.

In adults, swelling from a midge bite does not always appear, but in small children, huge hyperemic areas remain on the skin that hurt and itch a lot. Insect bites cause great anxiety in a child and a desire to get rid of the obsessive, painful symptom at all costs. Children begin to scratch the bite site, risking infection.

In addition, children are more likely than adults to develop a fever due to a midge bite, since a child’s thermoregulation mechanism is also not ideal, and increased production of inflammation mediators can disrupt its functioning.

Midges raised from the grass surface try to land on the nearest open area of the body, and children are small in stature, so they are more likely to be bitten in the face than adults. But if even an adult can have swelling of the face and eyelids from a midge bite, what can we say about small children, whose body's reactions to foreign substances are quite violent.

Children under 3 years old can run around naked near bodies of water, so bite marks can be found not only on the arms, legs and face of the child, but also in the area of the buttocks and genitals, on the delicate mucous membrane of which painful hyperemic marks remain, causing a lot of suffering to the little person.

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Consequences and complications

It would seem that a midge has bitten an adult or a child, the bite site will hurt a little and everything will pass. Should we worry about this? Let's start with the fact that the first insect bite in life can go unnoticed, without causing dangerous symptoms, but this is not an indicator that a wider symptom complex will not appear in the future. One only needs to remember the pathogenesis of allergic reactions to a midge bite.

The danger of subsequent reactions will be determined by the severity of the symptoms and the victim's reaction to them. For example, a small red itchy spot at the site of a bite can easily turn into a large wound, which can subsequently begin to fester if the bite site is diligently scratched, which is often done by children who find it difficult to tolerate itching. In addition, a child, unlike an adult, does not yet understand the full danger of introducing an infection into the wound.

And even if the skin at the site of the bite was clean, and the hands were washed thoroughly before scratching, such manipulations will help to increase the size of the wound and facilitate access inside for opportunistic microorganisms, which are almost always present on the body. And how many of us cover up a scratched wound?

But infection of the bite site is not the only complication. High-intensity allergic reactions are also dangerous, especially if they continue for a long time, increasing the intoxication of the body. It is difficult to answer the question of how long it takes for swelling from a midge bite to go away. After all, some people may not experience it at all, others endure discomfort for only 1-2 days, and for others, swelling appears only the next day and only intensifies over time. There are also instant allergic reactions, when the bite site literally swells before your eyes.

But what can be said for sure is that long-term edematous syndrome is a certain danger. Thus, swelling of the legs from a midge bite that does not subside for a long time can cause a violation of peripheral blood circulation, and swelling of the face and throat becomes a risk factor for suffocation and hypoxia.

A strong increase in temperature is also dangerous in this regard, because it increases blood viscosity and makes it harder for the heart to work. And what can we say about anaphylactic reactions, which pose a great threat to human life regardless of the age of the victim. If a person does not receive qualified emergency care, he may soon die.

It is also important to remember that a midge bite is a risk factor for contracting some bacterial, viral and parasitic infections, especially considering that the insect can bite several people and animals in a day. For example, epidemics of visceral leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease that is fatal if not treated, in the tropics and subtropics are associated with midge bites.

It turns out that the bite of such a small bloodsucker as a midge can pose a threat to human life and health, so you should not treat this situation with the usual carelessness.

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Diagnosis of swelling from a midge bite

Regardless of what kind of insect has bitten a person, if there is severe tissue swelling and other pronounced allergic reactions (for example, urticaria, which can later develop into an anaphylactic reaction), a person should seek help from a doctor. Since such an incident can happen at any time of the day, with severe allergic reactions there is no need to stand in line to see a therapist or dermatologist, you need to go to the emergency room, where there are always doctors who can provide emergency assistance in such a situation or make appropriate appointments.

An insect bite always leaves a specific mark with a visible puncture site on the skin, so diagnostics usually do not cause any particular difficulties. But it is more difficult to determine the insect that caused the wound, because a person may not even notice the culprit of the incident. During a bite, the saliva of the midge acts as an anesthetic, and a person may not notice the moment of the bite.

It is important to know that the swelling of tissues from a midge bite is stronger than from a mosquito, because the latter only pierces the skin to get to a blood vessel, while the midge tears off a piece of human flesh, even if it is microscopic. At the site of the bite, a small wound is formed instead of a practically invisible puncture from a mosquito bite.

In order for the doctor to understand what exactly he is dealing with, it is necessary to describe in detail the conditions under which the itchy swollen spot appeared, what preceded it, what symptoms, in addition to external manifestations, appeared in the victim in the near future. The patient's medical history and story will help to understand whether the victim had previously had close contact with insects, and what the body's reaction to them was.

Serious systemic and local reactions require more detailed study. The patient is most often prescribed allergy tests to determine the nature of the body's reaction. If we are talking about an allergic reaction, then an analysis with various allergens will help to identify both the causative agent of the reaction and the degree of sensitivity of the body to the identified allergen.

It is important to understand that an allergic reaction that has appeared once does not go away without a trace, because it indicates an increased sensitivity of the body to the allergen, which is the saliva of the midge. With a repeated bite, reactions can not only repeat, but even be more pronounced, because the number of antibodies in the body will grow with each subsequent reaction. They will pose a real danger to a person, so the doctor must do everything to prevent the appearance of allergic manifestations in the future.

The task of differential diagnostics of swelling from a midge bite is not only to determine the allergen and its affiliation (the saliva of different insects contains different types of poisons), but also to identify other possible causes of an allergic reaction. Thus, the appearance of hives on the body and other allergy symptoms can be caused by the body's reaction to food, household chemicals, medications, herbs, etc. Therefore, it is very important to tell the doctor not only where the victim was resting at the time of the bite, but also what foods or medications he consumed, especially if this happened for the first time. After all, 2 situations can simply overlap.

In case of allergic reactions and suspected wound infection, the patient is prescribed a blood test, which helps to determine the increase in the number of lymphocytes, indicating an inflammatory reaction, and to name the pathogens of the infectious process, which is necessary for prescribing effective treatment.

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In principle, not only a medical specialist can diagnose a trace of an insect bite. Even though a midge is a microscopic insect that can go unnoticed. But the very fact that midges rarely attack alone speaks in favor of the fact that the victim will most likely figure out his tormentor.

Read this article to find out what to do and how to treat swelling after a midge bite.

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Prevention

It is difficult to predict how the body will react to a midge bite, because even people who have not previously complained of allergies may at some point experience sensitization of the body. To avoid the unpleasant consequences of unsafe allergic reactions, you need to follow preventive measures that will help you avoid insect bites:

• When going for a walk in the forest, to a pond or to fields with tall and thick grass, you need to wear clothes that cover the skin of your arms and legs as much as possible. Light clothes made of natural fabrics, despite long sleeves and trousers, will not be burdensome even in hot weather. Plus, such a measure can protect against skin scratches from plants and active sun rays.
• On particularly hot days, a walk near the water seems attractive. In reality, such walks carry the risk of being bitten by insects, languishing from heat, thirst and hunger. It is better to postpone your outdoor recreation to another time.
• The most difficult part of protecting yourself from insects is your face, and bites in this area are the most painful and severe (with bites in the eye, you sometimes even have to seek help from an ophthalmologist). To protect your face and body, use special means - repellents. Electric devices - repellents (electric fumigators) will help you protect yourself from insects at home, and when you go outdoors, you can take special sprays that are sprayed on your clothes, body, and tents. Such sprays usually provide protection from insects for 3-8 hours.
• In household chemical stores you can also buy such products as coils or candles, which are designed to repel insects in open areas.
• Fishermen can use special mosquito nets to protect their faces, similar to those used by beekeepers.
• If you still cannot avoid a midge bite, you should try not to scratch the bite site, which will worsen the situation by increasing the wound surface and introducing infection into the wound. Lightly stroking the bite site through a cloth is allowed.

As we can see, you don't need any special tricks to protect yourself and your child from biting insects during your outdoor recreation. However, such simple measures will help make your vacation more enjoyable and safe, because swelling from a midge bite and other manifestations of an allergic reaction to insect saliva pose a real danger to humans. So is it worth tempting fate?

Forecast

The prognosis of the patient's condition with swelling from a midge bite depends on the reaction of his body to the allergen introduced into the body with the saliva of the insect. With single bites, the situation most often does not pose a particular danger, but with multiple bites, manifestations of intoxication may join the symptoms of allergy and the victim's health noticeably worsens.

But the worst prognosis is still observed in the case of instant reactions of intolerance to the components of insect saliva, because such situations are fraught with the development of anaphylactic reactions. And in this case, even timely assistance does not guarantee a favorable outcome. The only good thing is that such situations are rare.

It should be said that the need to seek medical help for midge bites does not always arise. Often, folk remedies and homeopathic remedies are sufficient. But if the patient's condition worsens within 1-2 days, and the area and severity of the swelling increases, for your own safety it is better to seek help from specialists.