How dangerous are gadfly bites, what are the symptoms and methods of treatment. What to do if bitten by a horsefly A child bitten by a gadfly what to apply

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Horseflies are most active in the warm season; they can be found near water bodies or in the forest. Only females bite, just like mosquitoes or midges, a horsefly bite cannot be ignored, as these insects can be carriers of dangerous infections. There is also a risk of developing an allergic reaction after a bite, so you should consult a doctor to get qualified help.

Danger of bites to human life and health

The bite of a horsefly is very painful, so it is advisable to avoid close contact with these insects. In addition to the appearance of unpleasant symptoms on the skin, a horsefly bite can lead to infection with the following infectious diseases:

trypanosomiasis;
filariasis;
tularemia,
anthrax.

Treatment of the above diseases is very difficult, so before relaxing in nature, take care of means of protection against various blood-sucking insects. Also, if possible, it is advisable to deliver the insect to the laboratory for analysis and to exclude the presence of infectious agents. It is important to remember that a horsefly bite can become infected. dangerous disease, so you should consult a doctor in time. In some cases, after you have been bitten by an insect, a severe allergic reaction (even angioedema) may develop, so at the first sign of an allergy you need to call an ambulance or immediately go to the doctor.

Main clinical symptoms

The place on the skin where the horsefly has bitten takes on a characteristic appearance.

Swelling from the bite is accompanied by severe pain, itching and burning sensation.

The skin becomes bright red, and blood may bleed from the wound for a long time due to the presence of toxins and anticoagulants in the insect’s saliva. If you fail to apply in a timely manner medical care or if hygienic care of the wound is not observed, a secondary infection may occur. The tumor may increase in size and fester, which is accompanied by a deterioration in the patient’s general well-being.

How to give first aid

To quickly and effectively neutralize negative impact on the human body after being bitten by a horsefly, the pain should first be reduced. This can be achieved by applying ice or a cold compress to the swelling; under the influence of cold, the blood vessels narrow and this reduces the intensity pain. It is also important to prevent the spread of toxins through the bloodstream; to do this, the bite site must be pressed with some hard object. One of the complications of a horsefly bite may be infection of the wound, so the site of swelling should be thoroughly washed under running water using regular soap.

For better effect after washing, use an antiseptic - iodine, alcohol, chlorhexidine or others.

If you don’t have any pharmaceutical antiseptics with you, then products that you often take on vacation in nature can come to the rescue. You can use a bandage with a solution baking soda To do this, dissolve a large spoon of soda in water (it is better to boil the water first). The bandage is applied to the wound and left until completely dry.

For a compress, you can also prepare a salt solution; this product allows you to quickly and effectively relieve swelling and reduce pain.

How to quickly and effectively eliminate swelling

For swelling after a horsefly bite, it is better to use special pharmaceutical products. Exists a large number of various ointments and gels for the treatment of insect bites, their active ingredients eliminate swelling, local inflammation, relieve itching and burning. It is advisable to have a similar product in your personal first aid kit when traveling outdoors, but these products are also effective some time after the bite and the appearance of swelling.

Also, to eliminate swelling, you can use ointments that contain hormonal components (prednisolone ointment, hydrocortisone and others).

They have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect; hormonal ointments can be used in the form of lotions for better effect.

Often a severe allergic reaction develops from the bite of a gadfly or horsefly. Swelling due to allergies can be very extensive; treatment of edema of allergic etiology has a number of features. If you suspect an allergic reaction, you should take antihistamines. These include loratadine, tavegil, suprastin and others.

Many drugs are available in both tablet and injection forms. For rapidly spreading swelling, it is better to give preference to the injection form of release. medicine. To quickly cleanse the body of toxins and eliminate swelling, you can take enterosorbents orally and drink large amounts of clean still water.

There are also means traditional medicine to treat horsefly bites and reduce swelling. Widely used:

juice from plantain leaves;
juice from dandelion stems;
onion;
aloe juice;
peppermint.

The above plants should be applied to the site of swelling to reduce it and eliminate itching and burning. In advanced cases, if the wound becomes infected, swelling can spread to nearby tissues, followed by the formation of suppuration. This complication is caused by various pathogenic microorganisms that penetrate the wound if asepsis and antisepsis are not observed.

To treat this condition, you may need the help of a surgeon and surgical intervention. Swelling after you have been bitten by a horsefly can be dealt with at home, but if your health suddenly worsens or other symptoms appear, it is better to consult a doctor.

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Quite big. After all, these insects live on all continents except Antarctica. Moreover, in some areas there are so many of them that any outing into nature or a walk in the park can end in an encounter with these representatives of dipterans. Usually the result is bites. At the same time, some people do not have any unpleasant consequences, but others suffer from severe swelling and pain.

After contact with these insects, an allergic reaction can indeed begin and unpleasant symptoms develop. But don't panic. The main thing is to know what to do first. Well, we will tell you about the main reasons for the deterioration of health after bites of horseflies and gadflies. We will also tell you what needs to be done to make the swelling, pain, itching and redness go away as quickly as possible.

Moreover, the first symptoms develop very quickly. Usually, after being bitten by the same horsefly, the area around the wound immediately turns red and swells. After a couple of minutes, the painful itching overcomes. If there are several bites, then the victim’s well-being noticeably worsens after 1-2 hours. Lymph nodes often enlarge, and symptoms of general intoxication of the body are observed:

headache;
chills;
nausea and vomiting attacks;
body temperature rises slightly (up to 38 degrees);
Cases of loss of consciousness (after numerous bites) have also been observed in medical practice.

If you experience at least one of the listed painful conditions in yourself, then you need to seek medical help.

After several hours, local symptoms become more pronounced. The site of the horsefly bite becomes hot. It itches a lot, a seal appears around the wound, and swelling grows.

If you think that your “offender” is a gadfly, then you should remember: this insect does not bite . But it is capable of depositing its larvae on the mucous membrane or under the skin of animals (less commonly, humans). Wherein . That is, he does not need blood to procreate, like the same horsefly.

Some people just confuse these insects. As a result, the same horsefly is often called a gadfly and vice versa.

What does the bite site look like?

The bite of a horsefly is often difficult to distinguish from the sting of some other types of flying insects - the same wasp, bumblebee or bee. Especially in the first minutes. During a bite, this bloodsucker makes a puncture in the skin, consisting of two barely noticeable holes. Through them, saliva enters the wound, and toxic substances penetrate with it.

Naturally, the body immediately reacts to them - the blood rushes, a noticeable thickening appears, the skin turns red. Moreover, swelling does not always occur and not immediately. Often only after a couple of hours.

What does a horsefly bite look like? You can recognize it by the following signs:

The very place where this large fly wounded is painted in White color, and a bright red border appears at the edges.
The skin is very itchy and itchy. This is caused by toxins that enter the body through the bite.
The tumor is growing.
A burning sensation appears.

Note that all the described unpleasant symptoms may not exist. Or they will simply appear in a mild form (slight redness and itching). In some people, the reaction to a horsefly bite is quite moderate and comparable to what happens when a mosquito drinks your blood. Much depends on the immune system, sensitivity, age, etc.

For reference! After a bite, blood oozes out of the wound for the first couple of minutes. Since the insect injects a substance to make the blood more liquid and prevent it from clotting.

Unpleasant consequences of a bite

A wound after a bite from these dangerous insects rarely heals quickly and without a trace. A small bruise, redness, lump or papule may remain for at least a week. If they were not accepted necessary measures, then an abscess often forms at the site of the bite, which gradually increases and periodically hurts. The fact is that horseflies, along with saliva, inject pathogenic bacteria under the human skin.

But it's not all that scary. There are more dangerous consequences bites. These include:

Large swelling of soft tissues. They can be so strong that most of the limb swells - from the hand to the elbow on the arm, from the shin to the knee on the leg. At the site of the bite, redness and a rash similar to hives appear. This painful condition can be eliminated by taking an antihistamine. The greatest swelling often occurs with a bite to the head, lips, neck and eyes. In this case, the larynx and tongue may begin to swell, which prevents free access of air, causing suffocation and asphyxia.
Infection with dangerous viruses.– carriers of tularemia, filariasis, anthrax, etc. Therefore, a bite and contact with these insects can potentially infect a person. What to do? Monitor your health, and if you notice strange symptoms, go to a medical facility immediately. It wouldn’t hurt to get tested to confirm whether there was an infection or whether you are completely healthy.
Anaphylactic shock. If a person is severely bitten, and a large amount of toxic substances enters the blood, then a rapidly developing allergic reaction may begin, life-threatening. You need to act quickly and clearly. First of all, we call ambulance and limit the intake of allergen. After which we carry out anti-shock measures: we lay him on his back and free him from tight clothing, ensuring the supply of oxygen. The arriving medical team must administer an antihistamine and decongestant intramuscularly. If the pressure has dropped or there is a fainting condition, then an adrenaline injection is given.

Moreover, the most severe consequences of an attack by these flying insects occur in children under the age of 5 years. Their the immune system is still being formed, and the permeability of blood vessels is higher than in an adult. Toxins from the gadfly's saliva quickly spread throughout the body, causing severe intoxication. Therefore, many experts recommend showing children to a doctor after a bite.

What to do if you are bitten by a horsefly or gadfly?

Very important to know possible options first aid after a bite. After all, an unpleasant encounter with insects can await you while fishing, walking, having a picnic, or relaxing in the country. And even the use of repellents cannot protect you 100%. So it’s best to remember the algorithm of actions and follow it if necessary:

Press down on the bite site with a hard object (coin, a plastic card and other things that are at hand). This will reduce the rate of spread harmful substances from insect saliva throughout the body and relieve pain.
Refrigerate. For example, apply an ice cube or a piece of meat from freezer. Like compression, cooling aims to localize toxins. The cold at the site of the bite will not allow the wound to swell and turn red.
Wash the bitten area with soap and water (liquid is better, but household soap will do). Another option is to apply a compress. To do this, a damp cloth or gauze napkin is moistened in water and generously rubbed with soap, after which it is placed on the bite site. Don't have a cloth with you? Then just lather the affected area of the body and wait a couple of minutes.
Treat the skin with any antiseptic. For example, you can anoint it with iodine.
Take an antihistamine.

Will folk remedies help with horsefly and gadfly bites?

But if you find yourself not at home, but in nature, where do horsefly and other pest bites most often occur? Here it is not always possible to act according to the algorithm described above. Of course, prudent people take with them a first aid kit that has everything they need, but there are not many of them. Everyone else will have to come up with something and make do with what they find. By the way, they will help you treat the wound:

Juice from plantain leaf. The picked plant is rubbed until the liquid comes out and applied to the bite site.
Dandelion stem juice. It is processed in a similar way to plantain.
Bulb onions. It is allowed to apply the cut slice directly to the bite site. Although it is better to use chopped onion or juice.
Saline solution. There is always salt and water. We even take them with us on a picnic or fishing trip. Preparing the solution is simple - just dilute 1-2 tablespoons of salt in a glass of water. Then a compress is made from it and applied to the bitten area.
Alcohol lotions. Alcohol is the most common antiseptic. A good option is when a little salt is dissolved in vodka.

Is it possible to treat swelling from a horsefly bite with folk remedies? Let's just say that our great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers used to turn to herbal medicine. At the same time, they chose plants with anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effects:

plantain;
dandelion;
yarrow;
mint, etc.

The herbs were kneaded until the juice appeared and applied to the bitten area. You can try herbal medicine too. But only on condition that there are no dangerous symptoms - headache, vomiting, nausea, fever, severe swelling. Otherwise, folk remedies will not help.

Treatment after a bite

You need to understand that if you do not provide the right help to the victim of these insects, the tumor can greatly increase in size. A harmful insect often injects pathogenic bacteria under the human skin along with saliva. If you do not treat the bite site and do not take action necessary actions, then after a few days an abscess will form, which will gradually increase and cause severe pain at rest and with pressure.

But I want to reassure you. Special treatment measures are not always necessary. After a bite, most people feel well, they do not swell and there are no manifestations of allergic reactions (severe redness, swelling, etc.). All therapy consists of rinsing and treating the wound with an antiseptic:

alcohol;
greenery;
iodine;
peroxide;
chlorhexidine, etc.

Then, until complete recovery, it will be enough to treat the bite site with an anti-inflammatory and healing ointment a couple of times a day to relieve swelling. When will the damaged area of the skin completely heal, and when will the redness and swelling go away? IN best case scenario it will take 4-6 days. Without proper treatment, the process may be delayed.

Children, people with impaired immunity, the elderly and people with allergies suffer much more severely from horsefly bites. Usage folk remedies and simply treating the wound is not enough. It is recommended to seek qualified medical help.

The treatment of horsefly bites itself consists of the use of local therapy with ointments, compresses and medicinal lotions .

Sometimes this is supplemented by taking antihistamines (suprastin, Tavegil, Zyrtec, etc.). If there are symptoms of general intoxication (chills, fever, pain), anti-inflammatory drugs are used:

adults can take a tablet or capsule of Nise, Nimesulide;
It is better to give the baby syrup or suspension of Ibuprofen, Nurofen according to the instructions.

In hot summers it is good to relax near water or in the forest. Coolness soothes and relaxes. Thoughts flow lazily and slowly. Everything is so peaceful, but in this calmness there is often danger hidden. Blood-sucking insects do not sleep and patiently wait for their victims. The greatest danger is the bite of a gadfly or horsefly.

general characteristics

People often call all the large gray flies that attack a person, painfully biting the skin and sucking blood, as gadflies. Horseflies actually do this. is not a bloodsucker. This insect lives off those nutrients, which it accumulated in the larval phase. Their mouthparts are not developed, and they do not feed during their lives. They are more like .

Interesting!

There are about 150 species of these insects in the world, but only one attacks humans - the human skin gadfly. Luckily, it is only found in Central America.

General information about horseflies

Horseflies are popularly called gadflies. Only fertilized females, who need blood for the development of eggs, bite humans and animals. Males are smaller in size and feed on plant nectar. Females have oral apparatus a proboscis with which they cut the victim’s skin and inject substances into the wound that prevent blood clotting.

The length of the insect ranges from 6 to 30 mm. The color of the wings is gray, marbled, or it can be variegated. Bloodsuckers fly in good weather without rain or wind. The air temperature should not be lower than +15, but not higher than +32 degrees. Outside these temperature limits, bloodsuckers are inactive.

On a note!
The most common representatives in our country are rainflies, lacewings and horseflies. They show noticeable activity before the rain, but in wet weather you will not see them. Only rainflies can attack humans even during light precipitation.

What happens if a gadfly bites

If a gadfly has bitten a person, it is impossible not to notice, since a strong burning sensation and pain are immediately felt, redness appears on the skin, and allergic reactions may occur. A photo of a gadfly bite clearly demonstrates the consequences of an insect attack. The blood in the wound does not clot for a long time, so it is necessary to avoid being attacked again. Gadflies find their prey with their eyes, which means they can escape from the bloodsucker.

Induration, swelling and redness immediately appear after a gadfly bite. The skin begins to itch and itch. A person with allergies may experience dizziness, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, swelling and severe redness in the bite area. If no complications occur in the form of allergic reactions (insect saliva is an allergen), then all these unpleasant phenomena disappear after a few days.

The gadfly's bite is very itchy. A person scratching the skin around a wound can introduce an additional infection that will require further treatment. But an allergy to a gadfly sting is quite rare. Cases of poisoning of the human body due to a horsefly bite Photos of a gadfly bite or severe allergic reactions in real life practically not observed. But sometimes Quincke's edema can even occur.

The gadfly can be dangerous because it is a carrier of diseases such as:

tularemia;
anthrax;
filariasis.

These diseases are transmitted through blood, which the insect can receive from sick people or animals.

It is difficult to treat such diseases, so when going into nature, you should think about protective equipment in advance. If possible, it is advisable to take the insect to a laboratory, where it will be determined whether it is the causative agent of the infection.

A bite can cause serious illness, so do not delay visiting a doctor.

If you look at the photo of the symptoms of a gadfly bite in a person, you will notice that they are very similar to wasp sting, namely:

pain;
burning;
edema;
skin redness;
poor blood clotting;
the bite site on the skin acquires a certain character, a tumor similar to a neoplasm appears.

On a note!
The consequences of a gadfly bite, including an allergic reaction, may go away in a couple of days if the wound does not get infected and purulent inflammation does not develop as a result.

What to do if you are bitten by a gadfly

Not all people have encountered these insects, so they have no idea how to treat a tumor from a gadfly bite. If a person is bitten by a gadfly while on vacation, then appropriate measures must be taken immediately. Delay can lead to unpleasant consequences. You should always have the necessary medications on hand that could be used as first aid for a gadfly bite.

Not many people know what to do when their hand is swollen, their temperature rises, or they experience nausea. There is no basic knowledge about how to relieve the itching from an insect bite. Many mothers do not know which remedy for horsefly and gadfly bites is designed to protect babies. Children's skin is very delicate, which is why it is so attractive to all blood suckers.

If it happens that a gadfly has bitten a child, regardless of whether the leg or arm is swollen, the following actions should be taken immediately:

You should consult a doctor for help if a large number of insects have bitten a person, or he or she has developed a severe allergy in response to a toxin that has entered the blood along with the bloodsucker’s saliva. If no complications are observed, then the insect bite can be treated at home.

Use of pharmaceutical drugs

It happens that an inadequate response of the body to the action of the gadfly allergen occurs. In this case, you need to relieve swelling from the bite with more effective means:

Suprastin, Tavegil, Claritin will quickly relieve allergies;
compress from ammonia, soda solution, any mint toothpaste cope with itching;
It is worth anointing the bite with an ointment containing corticosteroids (hydrocortisone, Sinaflan, Advantan) so that the wound does not become inflamed;
You can use an ointment for bloodsucker bites based on herbal components or chemical components.

If it is impossible to use the services of a pharmacy, it is recommended to use Natural resources, such as:

plantain;
mint;
dandelion in any part of it;
yarrow;
parsley.

You can name many more plants that stop bleeding and have an astringent and anti-inflammatory effect. It is recommended to treat swelling with lemon, onion or garlic, rubbing the inflamed area with a slice.

Precautionary measures

To prevent gadflies from biting while on vacation or while working outdoors, certain conditions must be observed:

do not wear clothes that are too bright, as insects react to color;
It is better not to use sweetish perfumes; gadflies are attracted to this smell;
stay away from water, grass and thickets - the favorite habitats of insects;
after bathing, dry your body and change into dry underwear;
in the forest, wear light clothing that covers the body and limbs;
use chemical or natural repellents;
have Mosquito nets on the windows and doors of the house, in tents, so that you will never know how the gadfly and horsefly bite a defenseless person;
protect the locations of children's beds, cover strollers with special covers that insects cannot penetrate through.

A gadfly bite on the human body always causes pain and swelling of the tissues adjacent to the wound. In the first minutes after the skin is punctured by a bloodsucker, the gadfly’s bite looks like a papule. Later the tumor spreads to neighboring tissues. Sometimes the papule does not turn into a large swelling, but becomes a lump at the point of the bite. To ensure that no trace of the insect bite remains, the resulting lump can be surgically removed.

In the warm season, anyone can be bitten by a horsefly. These insects live on all continents of the Earth except Antarctica. The most aggressive are female horse flies, which annoy people and animals. In some cases it is impossible to avoid their attacks. Therefore, it will be useful for all people to know how to treat swelling from a horsefly bite. This information will effectively solve the problem and prevent complications.

Horseflies are large blood-sucking insects. There are more than 4000 varieties in total. Externally, the insect looks like a fly large sizes. Its wings can be variegated or marbled.

The largest population of these insects is in forests and taiga zones. In regions with arid climates, they settle along rivers and lakes. Males are smaller than females, and their eyes touch. Unlike males, the eyes of females are separated by a chitinous stripe, and they also have a proboscis.

The wounds after a bite hurt and bleed for a long time. Only females bite. Males feed on sap flowering plants and nectar. Horsefly activity increases in hot weather and before rain. But at temperatures above 32°C their activity decreases. They are attracted to the dark, large and moist body. Females lay eggs near bodies of water on the leaves of plants. The larvae that hatch from them live in a humid environment.

Why is a horsefly bite dangerous?

Horsefly bites are very painful. It is very difficult to drive away insects because they are very intrusive. But you can escape from them. After a bite, thickening and redness of the skin appears. Swelling also develops after a horsefly bite. In severe cases, after a horsefly attack, angioedema develops.

Insects release saliva into the wound, which contains substances that slow down blood clotting, which is why the wound bleeds for a long time. The person feels burning and itching. If dangerous infections do not get into the wound, then the symptoms go away on their own after a few days.

In rare cases, severe allergic reactions may develop. Pathology is caused by allergens that enter the wound. People with increased sensitivity after a horsefly bite may experience mild swelling, itching, redness, rash, increased body temperature and poor health. Lymph nodes may also become enlarged.

Horseflies can carry dangerous diseases such as:

anthrax;
trypanosomiasis;
filariasis;
tularemia.

If the wound is infected, a dense and painful tumor forms at the site of the bite. In some cases, diseases of the genitourinary system develop, and then defecation and involuntary urination are observed.

Symptoms

Horsefly bites can have serious consequences. Swelling appears at the wound site. Insect saliva contains toxic substances and anticoagulants. Therefore, when at the site of the bite it enters the blood of a person or animal, unpleasant symptoms of a horsefly bite appear.

After an insect attack, the following symptoms appear:

itching and burning;
pain;
hyperemia and redness;
swelling of tissues.

For some people common occurrence- allergic reaction. In such cases, the affected limb becomes completely swollen or covered with pimples. If purulent inflammation has formed, a lump appears filled with pus. To prevent such a situation, you should use special repellents against horseflies. When it was not possible to avoid a horsefly attack, and a limb or foot is swollen after being bitten by a gadfly, you need to visit a doctor. He will conduct an examination and tell you how to treat the affected area.

Horsefly bite how to treat swelling

An important aspect in the fight against the consequences is how correctly the therapeutic methods were selected. First of all, it is necessary to treat the affected areas of the body and rinse them with water. To remove dirt from the wound, use a solution of hydrogen peroxide, Miramistin and Chlorhexidine. After treating the wound, you need to carefully squeeze out the liquid from it. Such manipulations will prevent the spread of insect saliva under the skin. The bite site should be covered with a band-aid.

In order to prevent allergies, patients need to take antihistamines (Cetrin, Loratadine). If the wound hurts for a long time, then painkillers and antipyretic drugs (Paracetamol, Ibuprofen) will help.

Therapy for horsefly bites is carried out using pharmaceutical and folk remedies.

Medications

The correctness of therapy has direct influence on the patient's recovery rate. Therefore, therapy should be started as early as possible. Insect bites are treated with medications. At the first symptoms of a problem, you can start using local wound healing agents: Rescuer, Bepanten and Panthenol. If unpleasant symptoms such as suppuration appear, heat, fever and fever, you should consult an infectious disease specialist. Because such symptoms indicate infection of the body.

For children, horsefly attacks are the most dangerous, so if a child is bitten by a horsefly, emergency measures must be taken to eliminate the swelling.

Help with a horsefly bite involves the following activities:

To prevent the spread of horsefly saliva throughout the body, apply pressure to the bite site.
A piece of ice applied to the wound will eliminate swelling and itching.
The wound is washed with clean water.
The bite site is burned with brilliant green, iodine or alcohol.

Therapy is carried out using glucocorticoids. Anti-inflammatory ointments (Advantan, Sinaflan) effectively relieve inflammation. The patient's condition should improve within one to two days.

Folk remedies

It is not always possible to take advantage medications when bitten by a horsefly. In such cases, you can relieve swelling of the finger or other parts of the body using home remedies. To effectively relieve swelling, which constantly itches and itching becomes a constant companion, you can wipe it with Corvalol, soda solution, tomato juice, sour cream or grated potato mass. After treating the wound, your hands should be washed well with soap to prevent the milky juice from getting onto other parts of the body.

Outdoor recreation is a pleasure for many people. But how many times has it happened that some insect attacked a person and stung him, ruining his entire vacation? Such troubles may include a horsefly bite. It causes burning pain with further consequences. Why is horsefly dangerous? How to treat after his attack? And how to protect yourself from its bite?

What are horseflies and their bites?

The horsefly insect is a large fly with two wings and a voluminous proboscis. Inside the latter there are cutting teeth. It is they who help female horseflies bite into the flesh of their prey. After all, only females feed on the blood of warm-blooded creatures, while males prefer plant nectar. They can be distinguished by appearance. Females have a stripe between their large eyes, but males do not have it. The male's body is more pointed.

They choose forests, deserts, and steppes as their habitats. Although more of them can be found near freshwater bodies of water, where females lay their larvae. More than 200 species of horseflies are known in the CIS countries. There are approximately 4,400 varieties of them in the world. Botanists consider the following species to be the most common:

raincoats - they can reach 12 mm in size,
bullflies are the largest, can grow up to 20 mm,
lacewings also reach 12 mm.

How does a horsefly bite occur? For humans, as well as for animals, this process is very painful. Having bitten through the skin with a fleshy proboscis, the insect begins to suck blood. At the same time, his saliva, saturated with toxins and a substance that prevents blood from clotting, is released into the wound. Due to the toxins, a horsefly bite leads to an inflammatory skin reaction. Due to contact with anticoagulants, blood oozes for a long time, and the wound does not heal well. You may also be allergic to the bite of this fly. If in a short period a person has been subjected to many bites, then his body reacts to this with manifestations of intoxication.

Females need blood in order to continue their race. Usually, after the mating process, fertilized eggs need those substances that are found in the blood of humans and animals. This need pushes the female to bite. At the same time, puffballs and lacewings begin to attack their prey immediately. And before “meal,” bullflies also make several circles around their “prey.” An adult horsefly can absorb about 20 ml of blood. This is ten times more than mosquitoes.

What are the consequences of a horsefly bite for a person?

These flies are truly annoying and can be difficult to get rid of. After all, the insect purposefully pursues its victim until it strikes. What happens to a person after such a bite? It leads to the following unpleasant symptoms:

intense pain at the site of the bite,
severe burning and itching,
the skin around the lesion begins to turn red,
this area swells
bleeding from the wound is observed.

These signs can cause trouble for a few days, after which they usually go away. However, if the body is sensitive, it may react with an allergy. In this case, the following signs are added to the above symptoms:

poor general health,
increased body temperature,
an increase in the size of the lymph nodes that are located near the site of the bite,
formation of a hardened nodule at the site of the bite,
pain in the formed nodule.

In medicine, it has not happened that an allergy to a horsefly bite leads to more severe consequences. The clinical picture after a bite can have serious complications if the horsefly has introduced an infection into the body. These insects are carriers of various infectious diseases. Among these ailments:

filariasis,
tularemia,
trypanosomiasis,
anthrax.

If a horsefly is infected with one of these diseases, it can cause great harm to the health of the person it bites. If an infection gets into the wound, it begins to become very inflamed and fester.

How to help someone who has been bitten by a horsefly?

First aid and further treatment measures are necessary to get rid of unpleasant symptoms and heal the bite site faster. The first measures consist of the following:

To prevent the horsefly’s saliva from expanding its effect, the bitten area must be pressed with a finger.
Apply ice to relieve itching.
It is important to wash the bite with soap and water. To do this, the water should be cool, because warm water can intensify the itching and burning. It is better to take soap without cosmetic additives.
Lubricate the bitten area with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. After this, you can apply iodine or brilliant green. It is very important to disinfect the wound to prevent inflammation from developing and to avoid infection.

A horsefly bite can be treated at home. It rarely happens that the victim needs to be hospitalized. Medical intervention is necessary if many bites have been inflicted or a person has developed severe allergic manifestations.

Traditional and home treatment methods are suitable to speed up the healing process. To do this, you can always use the tools that are at hand. Treat an insect bite in the following ways:

Bandage with soda solution or boric acid will help relieve itching.
Plantain leaf pulp is also effective in relieving the itching sensation. In order to prepare the raw material, you need to pick plantain leaves, wash and grind to form a paste. Then the resulting product is applied to the bite site, securing it with a bandage. If you don’t have fresh plantain nearby, you can use dried one. Before grinding, it is soaked in water.
Plantain juice – no less good way. A sterile napkin is soaked in it and applied to the bitten area.
Dandelion helps with a horsefly bite with its juice, which should be used to lubricate the wound, splitting the stem of the plant.
Onion juice is obtained by finely chopping the onion. It can also be used to alleviate the suffering of the patient.
Fresh wormwood juice helps relieve pain and eliminate swelling.

Besides these available funds Mint, aloe juice, yarrow, black nightshade, parsley, lemon juice, sour cream, potato gruel, propolis or calendula tincture, and garlic gruel can relieve the symptoms of a bite.

Prevention of horsefly bites

To avoid dangerous attack insects, you need to protect both yourself and your home. To do this, place mosquito nets on the windows. Special canopies are also used to protect tents located outdoors and baby strollers from insects. Keep bunches of herbs indoors that horse flies do not like: wormwood, lavender, mint, lemon balm, tansy. They are also repelled by marigolds, geraniums and tomatoes. If such plants grow near the house, the risk of getting bitten by a horsefly will be much reduced.

The juice of these plants can also be rubbed on the skin if there are no other repellents at hand. Repellents in the form of sprays, gels and creams are applied to the skin and clothing. They can be chemical in composition, or they can contain natural ingredients. Essential oils also good for protection. First of all, these are eucalyptus and cloves. They should also be added to aroma lamps to protect your home from horse flies.

When going outdoors, especially during daylight hours, when horseflies are most active, protect your body with clothing that covers as much as possible. It is better if it is light, without bright colors. Horseflies are attracted to bright colors.

Conclusion

Avoiding horsefly bites is better than treating them. Therefore, people do their best to protect themselves from annoying insects. Indeed, in addition to painful sensations, their bite can cause allergies and cause infection. Some of the diseases carried by these flies are very serious. Therefore, take care of yourself, especially when going to work or relax in nature.

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