Bugs… those little critters sure can cause big problems! Bug bites are often the culprit for itchy rashes in kids, especially in the summer time. Dermatologists have a fancy term for it… papular urticaria. Papular urticaria is a common (and annoying) disorder which shows up as little red, itchy bumps on the skin, caused by an allergic reaction to the bites of mosquitoes, fleas, bedbugs, and other insects. This happens primarily in children, usually between the ages of 2 to10. Often only one family member is affected, which makes the diagnosis a little bit challenging. Kids eventually outgrow this tendency, probably because they eventually develop a tolerance after multiple exposures.
Fleas can jump over 100 times their height, but that still is only about a foot high. For this reason, flea bites tend to be located mostly on the lower legs. While bites from different insects may cause similar lesions, flea bites are the most likely to cause blisters.
Mosquitoes aren’t much of a problem in California, but where I grew up in the Midwest they were a huge problem! If you are "allergic" to them, when a mosquito bites you, the area swells up as a response to the saliva which remains in your skin. (Gross, huh?) Eventually, the swelling goes away, but the itch remains until your immune cells break down the saliva proteins.
Bedbugs have been all over the news lately, and just the mention of the word makes my skin crawl! These little bugs, about the size of a small apple seed, hide in the crevices of beds, box springs and mattresses. When they bite humans, they tend to bite a few times in a row, causing red bumps in groups of 3 (termed “breakfast, lunch and dinner”).
What can you do to prevent the pesky pests from biting you or your children?
1) Wear protective clothing & insect repellents while outside. Insect repellants whould be applied to a child’s clothing, not directly on their skin.
2) Treat pets for fleas if they have them and use preventative treatments for fleas regularly.
3) Have your home professionally treated. If the source of bugs eludes you, consider having someone evaluate for the presence of bedbugs, bird nests (which can harbor bird mites), etcetera.
4) You can treat the itchiness of the bites with hydrocortisone cream, and you nay be able to suppress the rash and itching with an over-the-counter antihistamine such as Zyrtec or Benadryl.
The problem tends to recur in sensitive individals, so even if your child's bug bites have disappeared from this summer, don't be surprised if it happens again next summer. My best advice is to prevent as much as possible, treat the symptoms when they occur, and get some reassurance from the fact that your child will EVENTUALLY outgrow this.
Fleas can jump over 100 times their height, but that still is only about a foot high. For this reason, flea bites tend to be located mostly on the lower legs. While bites from different insects may cause similar lesions, flea bites are the most likely to cause blisters.
Mosquitoes aren’t much of a problem in California, but where I grew up in the Midwest they were a huge problem! If you are "allergic" to them, when a mosquito bites you, the area swells up as a response to the saliva which remains in your skin. (Gross, huh?) Eventually, the swelling goes away, but the itch remains until your immune cells break down the saliva proteins.
Bedbugs have been all over the news lately, and just the mention of the word makes my skin crawl! These little bugs, about the size of a small apple seed, hide in the crevices of beds, box springs and mattresses. When they bite humans, they tend to bite a few times in a row, causing red bumps in groups of 3 (termed “breakfast, lunch and dinner”).
What can you do to prevent the pesky pests from biting you or your children?
1) Wear protective clothing & insect repellents while outside. Insect repellants whould be applied to a child’s clothing, not directly on their skin.
2) Treat pets for fleas if they have them and use preventative treatments for fleas regularly.
3) Have your home professionally treated. If the source of bugs eludes you, consider having someone evaluate for the presence of bedbugs, bird nests (which can harbor bird mites), etcetera.
4) You can treat the itchiness of the bites with hydrocortisone cream, and you nay be able to suppress the rash and itching with an over-the-counter antihistamine such as Zyrtec or Benadryl.
The problem tends to recur in sensitive individals, so even if your child's bug bites have disappeared from this summer, don't be surprised if it happens again next summer. My best advice is to prevent as much as possible, treat the symptoms when they occur, and get some reassurance from the fact that your child will EVENTUALLY outgrow this.
