7 Ways to Treat Ant Bites at Home

Ants come in many shapes, colors and sizes and unless you observe them from a distance, they can cause you a lot of pain, itchiness, blisters and even powerful allergic reactions through their bites.

You will be aware of an ant bite right away, due to the sting, but the produced bump will transform over the course of 24 hours into blisters that accumulate fluid.

The worst incident would be to be attacked by fire ants. They combine their forces and attack as a single organism, each ant inserting a quantity of venom which can cause a severe allergic reaction and demand specialized medical care.

Symptoms of an allergic reaction

Nausea, diarrhea, hives, dizziness, swelling of the throat and tongue or tightness in the chest may be signs that you need to go to a hospital.

First steps to treat an ant bite

• To avoid infections, wash the stings with soap and water.
• Try to keep the bitten hand or leg in an elevated position.
• Apply cold water compresses to the affected area.
• Dab the bites with a cotton ball on which you applied hydrogen peroxide.

Home remedies for bites

Here are a few remedies that can alleviate the pain and the itchiness

• Use ice

Due to histamines, the bites will proceed to swell and itch, so hold an ice pack on the affected area to minimize the discomfort.

• Apply toothpaste

A peppermint toothpaste will have a numbing effect against a histamine reaction. Apply it on each sting, wait for it to dry and repeat the process. This will lower the burning sensation.

• Vinegar helps

Administer a generous quantity of vinegar on the bites. This will help you stop an infection due to the acidic nature of the ingredient. Dab a clean cloth or makeup pad in vinegar and apply it every 15 minutes, then rinse it with water.

• Get aspirin

Mix a few crushed aspirin tablets with a little bit of water until the combination results in a thick paste.

Aspirin will fight the inflammatory process, reduce the swelling and itching. Apply the paste and let it work overnight.

• Use tea bags

Pour hot water over a tea bag, leave it for a few minutes, then take it out and let it cool off. Apply the tea bags over the bitten area. The tannic acid from the tea will reduce the swelling and soothe the sting. Leave it on for up to 15 minutes and repeat as often as needed.

• Put salt

It will lower the risk of infection by having antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and alleviating the burning sensation.

Combine one tablespoon of salt (preferably Himalayan salt) with a few drops of water. Mix the ingredients until they form a thick paste. Apply it on the bites and leave it on for up to 15 minutes.

• Apply Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera gel will form a protective layer over the traumatized area and reduce the inflammation process, itchiness, and pain.

You can just squeeze the gel from a thick leaf of Aloe Vera and apply it immediately. Let it act until it dries out and then cleanse the area with water.

Besides these natural remedies, you can choose to take oral antihistamines, use corticosteroid cream, calamine solutions or epinephrine. Keep the area clean, disinfected and remember that it is not advised to pop the blisters because the risk of infection will increase.