INSECT BITES
We all react differently to bites by insects such as fleas, mosquitoes and lice. It can range from mild irritation to a medical emergency. Mosquitoes, for example, can transmit malaria.
But if someone shows a strong reaction such as struggling to breathe after a bee sting – or an attack by any other insect – you could help them to take their medicine (antihistamine).
Try to scrape the bee sting and poison sac from the skin. Don’t press on the injured person’s skin with your fingers or tweezers because you might cause more poison to be released into the blood.
After a spider bite, clean the wound and use an ice pack to reduce pain. Keep the injured body part lower than the heart to slow down the spread of the poison. Get medical help, especially if muscle pain starts. About 12 of South Africa’s 140 snake species are poisonous so a doctor might need to inject snake antivenom.
If you encounter a person who’s been bitten by a snake, keep them in a half-sitting position and very still to prevent the poison spreading. Never suck or cut the bite wound.
Get medical help as soon as possible. It’s useful to take a picture or give a description of the snake.