Укусы блох: как определить и лечить их?

In our time, there is an opinion that fleas cannot bite a person, unlike the dense medieval times, when the concept of hygiene did not exist, and powdered ladies in wigs had a special dog under their dress to catch these little parasites … But is it so?

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Do flesh bite people?

We will answer right away: yes, they bite, this is not uncommon. By and large, fleas do not care whose blood to drink – dogs, cats or yours. And when a person determines that the red spots on his body are flea bites, he first of all sins on his pets, who “gave” him small biting bugs. This is partly true: usually people are bitten by fleas that live on warm-blooded animals: cats, dogs, less often rats or rabbits.

But there is also a separate type of “human flea”, which, like other types of fleas, is unpretentious and bites both animals and people. It is larger than its relatives, and is easier to recognize if you know that ordinary fleas are very small in size – literally 1 mm. Usually fleas try to drink as much blood as possible, for future use – as a result, it does not even have time to be digested.

Oddly enough, hunters often suffer from fleas, since fleas live on rabbits, foxes, birds and many other warm-blooded creatures that live in the forest. They easily jump onto their bipedal prey, doing it discreetly, as always – and hunters notice severe itching and red spots a little later – scientists say that the reaction may appear after a few minutes. Therefore, many confuse flea bites with mosquito bites, but we will talk about this below.

So, to the question “Can fleas bite people?” you can answer positively, but to say that some person has fleas would be wrong. Unlike lice, which settle in hair and fur, most fleas bite the victim and immediately jump away, this is their natural behavior. For this, they are given by nature strong legs, allowing them to jump over distances 100-200 times their body length. Some types of fleas are really attached to their owners and live for a long time on the surface of their bodies, but this does not apply to the most common fleas of pets, from which humans most often suffer.

Symptoms of flea bites and allergies to them: how to determine?

So, you can get bites in 2 ways:

• or fleas will jump on you from wild or domestic animals;
• or you accidentally bring flea eggs from somewhere with you (for example, from infested premises or with street dirt on your shoes).

Symptoms of flea bites can be called special – you definitely do not miss them. Flea bites are very painful and you will feel when this nasty insect pierces your skin. But you are unlikely to have time to catch a flea – they jump very quickly.

We decided to get the opinions of real people and asked one of our acquaintances, who was once bitten by several fleas from her cat: “Do these bites itch? “. To which they received this answer: “Flea bites are very itchy at first, but this passes quickly enough, faster than itching from mosquito bites. Also, red spots with a hole in the center remain at the site of the bites. I didn’t do anything with them, and after a couple of days they were already gone .” She also added that if you still catch a flea and squeeze it between your nails, then it “clicks” – an unusual way to identify this unpleasant insect!

We took the information into service, but upon further study of the issue, we found out that our friend with several bites on her leg was LUCKY! According to information from scientists, often bites form tracks of 3 pieces; they itch and hurt, can be located in the armpit or bend of the elbow, knee or ankle, as well as in the folds of the skin. By piercing the victim’s skin with a piercing-sucking mouthpart, the flea not only causes pain, but also releases its saliva containing hemolytic toxins into the wound. And it is impossible to predict how the human body will react to them. If everything is limited to the standard rash and itching, a simple local treatment will help.

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But complications are also possible, since fleas are often carriers of many diseases, such as: plague, typhoid (rat), pseudotuberculosis, listeriosis; tularemia; typhoid infections; rickettsiosis. Of course, not every flea bite will reward you with a similar illness, like a tick bite, for example. But you should always be aware of the potential danger of infected insects.

Also, hemolytic toxins that enter the human blood can cause diseases of a different nature. Separately, it is worth noting an allergic reaction to flea bites. As you know, anything can be an allergen: from food to insect bites, including fleas. It is very common to find bites from these parasites on children who play a lot on the floor and with pets – unfortunately, many of them are prone to such allergies. And all because they have not yet fully developed immunity. But adults are no exception: any flea bite is a kind of lottery that can pass without a trace or end with an allergic reaction.

Common symptoms of flea bite allergy are:

• rashes on the body in the area of ​​the bites themselves;
• increased excitability of the nervous system: anxiety, general arousal;
• headache;
• temperature rise;
• diarrhea;
• shortness of breath (this is a particularly dangerous sign, anaphylactic shock is possible).

In addition to allergies, flea bites are sometimes the causative agent of a skin reaction called pulicosis – it occurs as a result of an individual reaction of the human body to all the same toxins that enter the bloodstream as a result of bites. And it is considered an exacerbated allergic reaction of a particular person to fleas. This skin lesion is characterized by severe rashes and itching – and all this does not appear immediately, but several hours or days after the bites.

Among the main symptoms of pulicosis:

• swelling of bite areas;
• the appearance of a red rash, blisters;
• the occurrence of mouth and throat ulcers,
• swollen lymph nodes;

If you do not pay attention to these symptoms, then it is possible that the harmful effects of toxins will reach the central nervous system and they will begin to affect its work, which is fraught with dangerous consequences. Consult a doctor!

Pulicosis is most often localized in the area of ​​the legs (from the ankles to the knees); less often – hips, shoulders, forearms, lower torso, lower back. There are no rashes in the armpits, perineum and genitals.

“But the symptoms of pulicosis and allergies are still very similar!” – you say. And you will be right. Therefore, it is better not to engage in self-diagnosis, but to consult a doctor if the symptoms cause concern.

In addition, it is not always possible to be sure that it was a flea that bit you. Often these symptoms are confused with bed bug or mosquito bites. We will talk about them further.

Bites of fleas, bedbugs and mosquitoes: how not to confuse?

Do you know what a flea bite looks like? Most often they cannot be immediately identified and are confused with the bites of bed bugs and mosquitoes, because the symptoms are really very similar: red spots, itching, swelling. We decided to separate the information so that there are no more doubts.

Please note that we are describing a standard reaction to insect bites, not an allergic one!

•  Flea bites

Small deep bites, a hole in the center surrounded by a red areola, blisters. Usually they form paths of 2-3 bites, most often fleas bite the feet and shins, less often the upper body. Bites can appear at any time of the day. Itching passes relatively quickly, but is characterized by severe soreness at the very moment of the bite. The peak of insect activity occurs at the end of summer.

• Bed bug bites

The bite sites are red, swollen, hard spots of medium size, forming tracks of 3-5 bites throughout the body. Bedbugs are nocturnal insects, bites are usually noticed in the morning after sleep. Itching may or may not occur, but it does not last long. Bed bugs can be seen by brown spots on bedding, under the mattress, etc. from accidentally crushed insects. Bed bugs are active all year round.

• mosquito bites

Bites – small red swollen spots, pinpoint bites, can be on any part of the body and appear at any time of the day. The itching is strong, passes relatively quickly. Mosquitoes give out their squeak, and bites are already noticeable after the fact. The season of insect activity is summer.

So we figured out the symptoms of bites of various insects. If they indicate that it was the fleas that bit you, then it is the turn to treat the damaged skin. Often the most popular most methods help, which will not affect your wallet and help you forget about flea bites, like a bad dream.

We treat flea bites: the best recipes

First of all, you must understand that if you want to get rid of the unpleasant consequences of bites while fleas are infesting the room, this does not make sense, since new bites will follow old bites. About getting rid of fleas – in our other materials, and now let’s talk about treatment.

How to stop itching?

Indeed, when fleas bite, the most unpleasant thing is the beginning itching, which. it doesn’t seem to lead to anything good. It is difficult not to combine the wounds, but in no case should this be done, otherwise even more swelling, infection and complications may develop.

First you need to wash the bites with warm water and soap and disinfect – for this, use any antibacterial gel, alcohol lotion or even alcohol – in case the “combat wounds” caught you in nature. You can apply ice, this will reduce the swelling from a fresh bite.

Then you can use any of the safe home remedies that can be used by both children and adults for topical relief of itching and swelling:

• apple cider vinegar diluted with water;
• 1 st. a spoonful of soda + 1 glass of water;
• 1 st. a spoonful of honey + 2 cups of lemon juice – for large areas of bites;
• tea tree oil or any product with aloe verasac, gel, oil;

You can also try using the “camping” method – along with topical alcohol disinfection – by applying tea bags to the bites. Tannins contained in tea have bactericidal, astringent, anti-inflammatory and hemostatic properties. It definitely won’t get worse!

If natural methods don’t help with the itch, try commercial itch remedies like calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream.

Hydrocortisone is a mild steroid cream, while calamine lotion contains iron oxide to treat mild itching.

If you can no longer tolerate itching, and it does not weaken, but, on the contrary, intensifies, consult a doctor, an allergic reaction may occur. The specialist will select the right antihistamine for you, which will stop itching and allergy symptoms. If you already know that you are allergic to insect stings, then use those allergy pills as usual.

Please note: if someone bit you, and you feel a sharp deterioration in health, expressed both in local skin damage and a change in health for the worse, immediately call a doctor, do not waste time on self-treatment!

How to Prevent Flea Bites: Prevention

To protect yourself from flea bites, you need to eliminate all possible causes of their appearance in your home:

– treat your pets if they have fleas . Perhaps this point is the most important, since ordinary fleas from pets usually bite people: insects easily change owners and can bite you and your children;
– get rid of fleas in the house, using the most effective chemicals and products ;

– keep the house clean, do not walk around the apartment in shoes, vacuum carpets, floors and furniture more often, where fleas can start;
– to prevent the reappearance of fleas, it is also necessary to control rodents in the house as sources of rat and other fleas.

It is also necessary to observe elementary foresight:

– do not stroke stray animals on the street: they probably have fleas that can easily jump on you without you even noticing;
– do not visit premises that do not meet sanitary standards, from there it is also possible to bring flea eggs or adults;
– when going out into nature, take long-sleeved clothes and long pants with you – fleas most often bite the legs;
Wash your pets’ paws after each walk and inspect their fur so that they do not bring fleas into the house.

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As a protection, you can also use powerful repellents with a high percentage of DEET – they repel many insects, including fleas.

So, now you know how to identify and treat flea bites, but we hope that our prevention methods will help you never experience them again. Keep your house clean, protect yourself and your pets from fleas! And don’t let them sleep in the same bed with you!