any long term effects of fire ant bites
Wash the exposed area with plenty of soap and water. Do not use alcohol to wash the area. Wash eyes with plenty of water if any toxin gets in them. For mild stings, place ice (wrapped in a washcloth or other suitable covering) on the bite area for 10 minutes and then off for 10 minutes. Repeat this process. If the patient has circulatory problems, decrease the time to prevent possible damage to the skin. Some people are allergic to fire ant venom. Individuals who are allergic to fire ant bites can even die when bitten by them. The jack jumper ant of Australia that is often referred to as jumper ant, hopper ant, or jumping jack can cause stings which can prove fatal. However, an antivenin has been developed for the treatment of such ant bites. Fire ants can make mounds that are as large as 5 feet deep, 15 inches high and 15 inches in diameter, housing thousands and thousands of ants. Red fire ants will attack any living thing that they perceive as threatening their mounds. Fire ant bites hurt from the moment the ant clenches its pinchers on you. Once the ant has a firm grip, it will sting you and inject venom. Then they move in a circle stinging you as many as 10 times before moving on. Bites from red fire ants are both painful and itchy. Etiology of Severe Reactions to Insect Stings. Only stinging insects of the Hymenoptera order cause anaphylaxis with any frequency, although cases of anaphylaxis subsequent to insect bites have been reported. Fire ants have become a public health hazard in the southeastern and south-central areas of the United States.5 Fire ant venoms contain only a small amount of protein in an unusual suspension of alkaloid toxins. These toxins cause the painful vesicles that are characteristic of fire ant stings. Stay away from fire ant nests. Be careful when you mow the lawn or work in your garden. Hire a trained exterminator to check for and get rid of fire ant nests around your home. Wear shoes and socks when you walk outside. Their bites are however not fatal for healthy humans. Fire ants are considered as one of the most deadly species of ants. Their ant bites can result in a variety of serious symptoms. The fire ants are aggressive and posses venom sacs that contain piperidine alkaloids. When this poison is injected into the human body via a fire ant bite, then it can result in symptoms like pain, swelling and extreme itchiness. Once you have had a reaction to a fire ant sting, you have a 60% chance of having a similar or worse reaction if you are stung again. Ask your doctor if allergy shots would help and if you should carry an epinephrine auto-injector. If your doctor prescribes one, carry two injections with you. 4 Ways to Avoid Fire Ants. 1  Stay away from fire ant nests. Be careful when you mow the lawn or work in your garden. 2  Hire a trained exterminator to check for and get rid of fire ant nests around your home. 3  Wear shoes and socks when you walk outside.  Wear gloves when you garden. Systemic allergic reactions to insect stings are estimated to occur in about 1 percent of children and 3 percent of adults. In children, these reactions usually are limited to cutaneous signs, with urticaria and angioedema; adults more commonly have airway obstruction or hypotension.
Pain, swelling and extreme itchiness.