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Ronald Musto, MD
Winter is over! The flowers are blooming, the birds are singing – and the bugs are biting! Bug bites are more than a nuisance. Lyme disease from ticks and West Nile from mosquitoes are just two of the diseases looking for human hosts. To minimize your chance of becoming a blood meal, take a few simple precautions.
Avoid outdoor activities between dusk and dawn. This is when mosquitoes are most active.
Mosquitoes breed rapidly in as little standing, stagnant water as you might find in soup can or in an old tire. Eliminate pools of standing water where mosquitoes breed outside your home.
Wear light colored, breathable clothing with long sleeves and long pants tucked into your socks or boots. Add a hat in wooded areas. Clothing protects you not only from insects but also from harmful sun exposure.
Avoid wearing fragrances outdoors. You’ll smell like a flower and attract bees and other stinging insects. If you are stung, apply ice to the area immediately and, with your doctor’s permission, take a dose of antihistamine (diphenhydramine or chlorpheniramine). If you have a severe reaction to an insect sting (with hives or difficulty breathing) seek emergency medical care and, afterward, see your primary care doctor about having an emergency allergy kit with you at all times.
Apply insect repellant containing DEET to exposed skin areas. Despite concerns about its safety, DEET has a long record of safe, effective use when properly applied. The higher the DEET concentration, the more the protection is provided from insects, but the greater the risk of skin irritation. Products containing 23-35% DEET are a good compromise and are available in long acting, sustained release formulations lasting up to twelve hours. Use sparingly on infants and young children or if you are pregnant, and do not apply to children’s hands where they may ingest it.
Spray permethrin on outdoor clothing. Permethrin is not for use on skin surfaces but it is a good insect repellant when sprayed on clothing, netting or other materials. It lasts through several washings.
When you have been out of doors, do a complete body check to examine your skin daily. Remove any ticks by applying firm traction with tweezers. Ticks that are removed within 24 hours of attachment are very unlikely to transmit disease. When doing your body check, be watchful for moles or other skin markings that are growing or changing. Remember the ABCD’s that identify skin markings for which you should see your doctor: Asymmetry (irregular shape), Border (uneven or indistinct), Color (variegated – especially shades of blue or black), and Diameter (larger than 6mm or the size of a pencil eraser).
If you’re concerned about a bite or a skin blemish see your primary care physician or, if it’s after hours, visit the Community Care Urgent Visit Center in Latham.
Protect yourself and your family. Don’t get bugged by bites.
Listen to the Healthy Minute
To make an appointment with an adult medicine provider at
Capital Healthcare Associates, please contact us.
Ronald Musto MD, MPH, CIME, is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Preventive Medicine in Occupational Health and by the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners.
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