Bitten by small insect in the garden

Over a week ago I was doing some weeding and tidying up of my flowers in the back garden and I was bitten by some small insect.

This is not the first time it has happened over the years but this time I ended up at A&E as my leg swelled up to well over twice its size and the area of the bite was very hard and very hot.

I was told I have blood poisoning and given a course of antibiotics and have to keep my leg elevated.

Wont stop me gardening but be a bit more wary.

Re: Bitten by small insect in the garden

Hi Shirley if you have a bad reaction to some insect bites you would be wise to buy some antihistamine tablets from the chemist and take as directed the moment you know you have been bitten.
That is what I do these days.

I think the biting insects have been particularly bad this year, I dare not walk down the lane under the trees in the late evening or I am eaten alive .

I hope you have fully recovered now

Re: Bitten by small insect in the garden

It must be this extremely hot weather has brought them out Meg

My leg is still a bit swollen but not as bad thank you for asking. I had been putting antihistamine cream on the bite but this did not work. Will definitely see about getting the tablets.

Re: Bitten by small insect in the garden

Hope you're on the mend Shirley, these horrid little blighters are a real nuisance.
A few years ago, I was bitten on my arm and it came up exactly like you said. My arm throbbed and throbbed and was terribly painful. You could fry an egg on the hard swelling, it was that hot!
I had to go doc's in the end because the heat and redness was travelling
further up my arm. Like you, he gave me anti-biotics and it started calming down then.
Then blow me a few weeks later, the same happened again. I never felt or saw anything on me, so couldn't tell them what it was that had bitten me.
Then I had a third on got me during the night on the side of my face. I looked like I'd done a few rounds with Mike Tyson! I don't know what little blighter is doing it though, as I never feel anything on me.

I bought a sort of 'pen' thing with a spongy dabber bit on the end, it's called "Bite & Sting Relief" made by Boots. Or there is another one called "After Bite". It works best if you dab it on immediately you have been bitten. Stings a bit for a few seconds, but I find it helps it stop developing further.
Good luck.

Re: Bitten by small insect in the garden

I was in hospital a few weeks back and the lady in the bed opposite me had been admitted for an insect bite to her face it was under her eye, and it was all swollen ,She had been bitten during the night when she was a sleep and woke up to not being able to open her eye ..She was on anti biotics and kept under observation , there was concerns for her Eye..

Re: Bitten by small insect in the garden

Mups that is terrible they obviously like the taste of you.
Seriously the little blighters can cause such damage. I did not even know I had been bitten until I scratched my leg, I was getting worried because the redness was travelling all the way round my leg and it feels bruised to the touch.

Thank you for the advice about the pen will look out for that. Better to have a number of options for if it happens again.

Elisa that was terrible I am not surprised she was admitted to hospital. Hope you are better after your hospital visit.

Re: Bitten by small insect in the garden

It might be a good idea to spray insect repellent on yourself before working in the garden.

That's what I'm going to do.

Re: Bitten by small insect in the garden

That's a good solution Carol. I do it too. Horse flies are one of the worst offenders and their bites can be really nasty.

Re: Bitten by small insect in the garden

This was mine from a couple of years ago, very painful and antibiotics plus cream managed to clear it up but took a while. This happened in the garden and I never felt a thing.

Re: Bitten by small insect in the garden

Oooh cranberry...that looks nasty!

Get well soon, Shirley

Carol, that is good advice that I always forget to take myself. I often go to the allotment in the evening when biters are about, and I remember one year I had quite a few nasty ones. My problem, as with others, is the wearing of shorts and baring arms when working. I hate wearing trousers and sleeves when it's hot, but it does help protect.