ANT BITE TREATMENT
Getting bitten by ants every so often happens to us all and, luckily, the bites from ordinary ants don't pose much of a threat to us. There is, however, one class of ants that can cause a great deal of damage to humans as well as property. The so-called 'fire ants' are extremely aggressive and attack instantly. They are a very serious health threat and can destroy electrical systems, land, and even farm equipment.
Stings from these kinds of ants are caused by their extreme sensitivity to movement or vibration. These ants usually crawl up or down your arms and then eventually sting when they feel the smallest vibration or movement.
When stung by any ant, let alone fire ants, you should seek medical help immediately if you suffer an allergic reaction ie shortness of breath or hot flushes. If you have several stings, systemic corticosteroid is necessary to ease the allergic reactions.
Some of the many remedies for curing fire ant stings are listed below. If you want to remove ants from your life forever though, click HERE
Caution!
Mixing chlorine-containing substances like bleach or cleanser with ammonia creates a deadly poisonous gas- so use either the bleach or the window cleaner, but not both!
1. Baking Soda & Benedryl-
The venom is quite toxic. It immediately causes a temporary burning sensation, then an itchy wheal ("whelp"), and eventually forms a pustule in about 8 to 24 hours which is the result of sterile tissue breakdown from the venom and pus accumulation. They resolve in about 10 days. A late reaction consisting of a large surrounding area of red, hard, and very itchy skin is commonly seen, and can be confused with a bacterial infection (cellulitis).
Bites are treated with cool compresses, followed by application of a paste made with baking soda. Sarna® lotion (0.5%camphor + 0.5% menthol) is soothing, especially if it is refrigerated. Meat tenderizer, useful for jellyfish stings, is however of no value. Oral antihistamines such as Benadryl® (diphenhydramine) provide some relief. A short course of steroids is sometimes prescribed for severe local reactions.
Parents are sometimes tempted to prick open the characteristic little white pustules on the skin, thinking that they appear to be infected. However, the fire ant venom is toxic to bacteria as well, so the pustule that forms is sterile, and should not be opened but allowed to eventually flake off.
2. Diluted Bleach -
Dr. Barry Paull...said the fire ant's venom is an oily alkaloid mixed with a little protein, and your one chance to lessen the effect of the bite is to quickly break down the protein. He recommends dabbing the bite with diluted bleach or covering it with a paste of meat tenderizer and water. This method is not effective if more than 15 minutes have passed. Another option is to treat stings with an insect bite remedy containing benzocaine or other ingredients that deaden pain and protect against infection.
"If you are especially sensitive to fire ant stings, you should see an allergist," Paull says. He says if a sting leads to chest pains, nausea, severe sweating, loss of breath, serious swelling or slurred speech, the person should be taken to an emergency medical facility immediately.
For those suffering just pain and the development of pustules, a simple solution of half
bleach and half water applied immediately to the area can reduce the pain, itching and, perhaps, pustule formation. It is essential to apply it quickly (Vinson and Sorenson 1986).
3. Ammonia -
Fire ants have a unique venom which is an oily alkaloid mixed with a little protein and your one chance to lessen the pain from the sting is to quickly break down the protein. fire ant stings can be treated by dabbing the bite with ammonia or diluted bleach (1:1 bleach and water). However, this method doesn't work if more than 15 minutes have passed.
4. Vinegar -
Fire ants do not use formic acid in their sting, they use a cocktail of an alkaloid (a base) that is also toxic and allergenic proteins (induce an allergic effect in the body, by forcing the mass production of class E immunoglobins (IgEs). since the sting is a base, it does not make sense for ammonia or baking soda to treat a FIRE ANT sting. bases do not neutralize bases, they raise the pH. something more like white vinegar (acetic acid)or a weak acid would work(formic acid) to neutralize the sting. (Omar Fahmy)
Mentioned in the Dr's Book of Home Remedies, it kills the itch and stinging for a while, just re-apply when itching again. If you want to get rid of ants permanently.....
WHAT YOU NEED IS OUR
'GETTING RID OF ANTS EBOOK'
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