If a midge has bitten in the eye, how to quickly remove the swelling?
The content of the article:
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A midge bit in the eyelid: how to relieve swelling
- First aid
- Treatment
- Folk remedies
- Symptoms
- Prevention
- Video
In the warm season, the question is relevant: how to quickly remove the swelling if a midge has bitten in the eye? Swelling after an insect bite is a fairly common phenomenon, despite the fact that more often midges bite the upper and lower extremities, the scalp also often suffers.
If puffiness appears around the eye, it is necessary to consult a doctor (ophthalmologist) and undergo an examination, especially when it comes to a small child or a person with weakened immunity. In some cases, you may need to undergo a course of treatment.
Midge bites in the eye area can cause not only swelling, but also other unpleasant consequences.
Insect bites often cause allergic reactions, including Quincke's edema, which is a life-threatening condition that must be treated in a hospital setting, and can also contribute to infection of the eye or the whole body.
A midge bit in the eyelid: how to relieve swelling
First aid
It is advisable to apply ice or any cold object to the affected area, after wrapping it with a clean napkin or towel.
Then it is recommended to rinse the affected area with clean cold running water and dry with gentle blotting movements (rubbing will increase itching and burning), treat with an antiseptic solution. It is important to ensure that the antiseptic does not get on the cornea of the eye. Can be used:
- baking soda solution (1 teaspoon per glass of water);
- boric alcohol.
The solution is applied to the affected area every few hours.
Avoid rubbing or scratching the bite site as this increases irritation.
Even if a person does not have allergies after a bite, an antihistamine tablet should be taken after an insect bite.
Treatment
The table shows some preparations in the form of an ointment that can be used to eliminate swelling of the tissues around the eye after an insect bite.
| Medicine | Explanation |
| Antihistamine ointment | Apply to the affected eyelid to quickly relieve puffiness, reduce itching and burning |
| Anti-inflammatory ointment | In case of pain, apply to the affected area |
| Hormone ointment | Do not apply directly to the wound at the site of injury, as this can slow down its healing, and avoid contact with eyelashes. If necessary (severe inflammation), the ointment is applied to the skin next to the wound |
The patient is advised to consume plenty of fluids to accelerate the elimination of toxins from the body.
Folk remedies
If the midge has bitten the eye, or rather, the eyelid, you can use folk methods:
- Parsley. A piece of gauze moistened with parsley juice is applied to the eyelid for several minutes. The remedy can remove puffiness and reduce itching.
- Dandelion and plantain. To alleviate the first symptoms of edema, you can use a dandelion or plantain leaf, which must be washed well, wrinkled a little in your hands to release juice, applied to the affected area and left for a while. The sheet can be fixed with a plaster or bandage. You can also use peppermint or bird cherry leaf juice.
- Pharmaceutical camomile. A decoction or infusion of chamomile officinalis can also remove swelling and itching.
- Onion. If the eyelid is affected, you can apply a compress with onions, making sure that the juice does not get into the eye and cause a chemical burn. You can use fresh cucumber instead of onions.
- Potatoes. Potato juice can also help with itching after an insect attack. To do this, rub the washed and peeled potatoes on a grater, squeeze the juice and make compresses with it on the affected area. You can simply attach a slice of raw potato to the bitten area.
- Laundry soap. In case of severe itching, a cotton swab, lathered with dark laundry soap (containing more than 70% fatty acids), can be applied to the affected skin of the eyelid. After the solution has dried, it must be washed off with clean water.
Essential oils can be used to repel insects. For this purpose, vanilla, clove, and tea tree oil is used. When using oils to protect children from insects, they can be added to baby cream, put a few drops on the stroller.
Symptoms
A person may not feel the moment of the bite and learn about it only when the eye begins to swell and discomfort arises. On the eyelid, a punctate wound may be found in the center of the edema. If the bite falls on the mucous membrane of the eye, in addition to edema and redness, there is increased lacrimation, painful pulsation in the eye area. The consequence of this is a temporary decrease in vision.
Rinse the affected eye with cold water
Risk factors for developing an allergic reaction can be:
- genetic predisposition;
- weakened immunity;
- helminthic invasions;
- chronic liver and / or kidney disease.
An allergic reaction can manifest itself in the form of severe redness, skin rash, angioedema, and it can also be generalized and spread to the respiratory tract. In this case, the swelling takes over the airways, and the person begins to choke. In such cases, you should immediately seek medical attention.
With the development of an allergic reaction in a patient, the following can also be observed:
- difficulty breathing;
- nausea and vomiting;
- dizziness;
- increased heart rate;
- lowering blood pressure;
- weakness;
- anxiety, anxiety.
Children, especially preschool children, often scratch the affected area hard, traumatizing it and opening the gate of infection. More often it causes local inflammation, but it can also provoke a general infectious and inflammatory process, with a deterioration in the general condition, an increase in temperature.
In most cases, swelling after an insect attack goes away quickly, and burning and itching in the affected area can persist for several more days. However, it is difficult to say exactly how long the swelling will last - it depends on the person's propensity for allergies, the presence of certain diseases, the type of midges, the number of bites.
Prevention
To prevent insect bites and eye puffiness, a number of measures should be followed:
- provide all windows in the house with mosquito nets, do not open windows without them;
- when walking with a small child, use a mosquito net for the stroller;
- before going outside, treat open areas of the body with special insect repellents;
- when visiting places with a large concentration of insects, wear a special hat with a protective mesh;
- to get rid of midges in the house or outdoors and to prevent their bites, use fumigators.
When planning outdoor activities, it should be borne in mind that midges often bite in hot sunny weather in the daytime and can attack a person en masse. It is recommended to avoid the habitats of midges (tall plants near water bodies, shrubs).
When choosing drugs for protection against blood-sucking insects, you need to pay attention to what age groups it is intended for, since not all such products are suitable for children.
Video
We offer for viewing a video on the topic of the article.
Anna Aksenova Medical journalist About the author
Education: 2004-2007 "First Kiev Medical College" specialty "Laboratory Diagnostics".
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