There are many kinds of insects that bite and sting human beings. It is a common problem for most human beings to be bitten by a certain insect and they will not be able to know what type of insect bit them. This can be costly in that some types of insect bites will require immediate treatment either at home or through the help of medically trained personnel. A perfect example is poisonous ant bites. Some species of ants are known to inject poisonous substances into the human body when they bite. These poisons, has the possibility of causing serious health problems to the affected persons if urgent treatment is not given. For these reasons, it is of crucial importance for one to know how ant bites look like so that one can take the necessary steps to avoid causing unnecessary damages to the body. So, how can one know whether the spots on their skin has been caused by ant bites? This article is going to help you in doing this; show you how ant bites look like using picture illustrations and detailed descriptions.
How Ant Bites Look Like
Different insects will bite differently and the spots they leave on the human skin will have major or slight differences. As this article is focusing on the spots left by ant bites, let us look at some major signs that you can look out for and identify whether the bite was indeed caused by an ant. Below are some signs:
- Grouped spots on the human skin – Ants come out of their nests in search of food to take back to the Queen and back in the colony. For this reason, the ants usually move in large groups. It is important to note that the worker ants do not feed on human blood or flesh. It is only after they are disturbed by humans when they are provoked to bite. Because the insects bite for their own security, they usually bite one area on the human skin at once. This causes the spots to be grouped in one area on the human skin. Having clustered marks on your skin would most likely be as a result of ant bites.
- Red spots – To add to the grouped spots on the human skin, the spots caused by ant bites will be red in color. The bumpy spots, that will have a major resemblance to hives, will also develop into blisters on the top. The blisters will, in most cases, continue developing and reach a point where they start forming pus inside them. When such symptoms are present after one has been bitten by an insect, it is a clear indication that the insect responsible of the bite was an ant. The reddening of the skin will also be different depending on the skin of the specific person affected by the ant bite. Small children, for example, will experience more reddening of the skin as opposed to adults. People with different skin complexion will also experience different degrees of skin reddening.
- Swelling on some parts of the body – When ants bite a person, they will cause great irritation on the area that has been bitten. The itchiness and irritation will start almost immediately after the skin bite and will be so great that one can’t stop but scratch the affected area. This, plus the venom that the irritating insect will inject into the human body, will cause swelling on the throat and the tongue. Depending on the species of the biting ant and the health condition of the person affected by the bite, the severity of the swelling will differ from one person to another. In some instances, the swelling will be severe. This might be an indication of great infection and the person affected should seek medical help as fast as possible to prevent worsening of the situation.
- Wounds on the affected area – As it has been mentioned many times in this article, ant bites may cause great irritation and itchiness. Due to this, the temptation to scratch the affected area will be so great for one to resist. Scratching the skin area severely, plus the fact that this area has already been bitten and injected with venom, the possibility of developing a wound will be high.
Apart from the above-mentioned signs of ant bites, it is important to note that there are many other ways to identify whether one was affected by an ant bite other than observing the spots they leave on the human skin. When ants inject their venom into the human body, which they do most of the times, the body will start responding almost immediately. Some common symptoms to look out for when one wants to know whether the bite was caused by ants include; dizziness, breathing complications and swelling among others. However, if proper caution is taken in eliminating the presence of these irritating insects in your home, having to know how their bites look like would not be necessary in the first place.
Conclusion
Having read this article, you now know how an ant bite looks like. This is an important thing to know so that you can understand how to deal with the bite and when it is time to seek medical help. As it has been mentioned, most types of insect bites will result in the introduction of harmful substances into the human nervous system. These substances can cause serious health problems and should be given top priority as far as seeking medical help is concerned. Being able to identify whether a spot on your skin was caused by ants will greatly help you in protecting yourself from the health problems associated with bites from these irritating and annoying insects. Identifying the insect bite by look will also help you learn what cause of action to take in seeking treatment; whether a simple home remedy will do or if the bite is so bad that it will need the intervention of medical experts. If in doubt, always contact your doctor.
