BOZEMAN – In the summer months, more bugs are out buzzing around and that means there are higher chances of getting bit. That is exactly what staff at Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital have been seeing.
“We were receiving very few if not zero calls, and about within hour we received five calls regarding bug bites and the swelling associated with them,” said Bozeman Health Pediatric Clinic Manager Teri Lumsden.
These bites can be red, itchy, swollen and most definitely irritating. Bozeman Health Pediatrician Michael Blake says you should start to worry if the bite doesn’t go away after a couple of days or starts to become infected.
“It should never really have puss or drainage or anything like that. If you saw anything like that you would definitely be concerned,” said Dr. Blake.
Even if the bite site starts to heal it is important to make sure you aren’t experiencing any other side effects.
“I don’t know that I would be concerned about the seriousness of the bite because the bite isn’t going away, but if you are developing secondary symptoms after having a fever, malaise, joint aches and pains, rashes that look kind of unusual. Those would be the more concerning things,” said Blake.
Blake says the best way to treat bug bites is to not get them in the first place. He advises applying bug spray when outside.
