This blog explains Homeopathy for Bites and Stings, its causes, symptoms, risk factors, management & best medicines.
Bites and stings are not a disease, but they are venom effects of bees, flies, mosquitoes, Scorpio, and snakes.
Sting produces different reactions in the human body depending on the property of the venom. Bees, bugs, lice, or ant stings produce allergic reactions on the skin. Snake bites produce lethal effects if not treated on time.
It is a misconception that only farmers or wildlife workers can face bites and stings problems. But if you go out for tracking, working in your home garden, or playing any outdoor game, you may encounter different insects.
Snakes, scorpions and wild spiders are indeed found in the field, and wild areas but we can notice red ants, bees, flies, bugs, and mosquitoes in our homes daily.
Bites are not always dangerous. We can treat them at home also.
In homeopathy, there are some remedies like Lachesis, cantharis, and Apis which are prepared from animal poison.
Types of Bites and Stings:
Insect bites are different from the snake, scorpion, and spider bites.
1. Insect stings:
Insects include flies, bugs, bees, wasps, ants, and lice. These creatures live with us inside our homes if we neglect cleanliness. They attack our skin with formic acid.
Swelling and red skin with itching are characteristic of insect stings. Pruritic or urticarial rashes we can see where it stings. Sometimes wasp bite produces anaphylactic reactions.
2. Mosquito bite:
Mosquitos live in gardens, bushes, and unhealthy mushy places like lakes, and ponds. They gathered near the gutter, standing water places, birdbath, and pool.
Mosquito sting produces red, swelling skin and itching. Children have a more severe reaction than an adult. Different species of mosquitoes are responsible for dengue, and malaria.
3. Snakebite:
Snakebite is a scary one. Snakes are present near farms, in the wild, jungle, and in gardens also. In small towns, you can see snakes near your house.
Not every snake is poisonous, but cobra and python are dangerous in the Indian region. Snake venom affects the nervous system, muscle system, and finally central brain system.
4. Scorpio stings:
Scorpio is found in dark, damp places or near the stony area.
Scorpio sting is painful but not lethal. Sting gives you redness and severe pain, and weakness.
5. Spider bite:
The spider lives with us in our cupboard, at corners of our home, and in our garden area. Spider stings are harmless but affect the skin. The Sting area shows redness and swelling.
Bites and Stings Causes:
Uncleaned, dirty, damp, mushy areas are home to Insects, snakes, spiders, and scorpions. Therefore, people who cleaned these areas are more prone to bed bugs, mosquitos, flies, and spider bites.
Snakes, scorpions and bees are present in farm and garden areas. Farmers, gardeners, and forest workers are prone to snake bites and bees stung.
Cleanliness of the house and personal hygiene is the most important part to keep us safe from insect bites. Lice, mosquitoes, flies, and spiders are attracted to untidy, dirty places or unhygienic humans.
Bite and stings symptoms depend on the venom secretion of insects. Venom is a mixture of different compounds which affect the human body. Different venoms act on different systems of the human body.
1. Neurotoxins:
Some snakes, scorpions, jellyfish, and ticks have neurotoxin properties in their venom. Neurotoxins act on the nervous system and thus produce flaccid paralysis and pulmonary edema.
It affects the Cranial nerve first; ptosis is the first sign of neurotoxic venom. Its effects extend to limbs, deep muscles, tendons, and lastly the respiratory system.
2. Myotoxins:
Some snake venom has myotoxic effects. It acts on muscular tissue. A patient complains of generalized muscle pain and tenderness. Their lab test shows a high rise in serum creatinine kinase.
3. Cardiotoxins:
Some snakes, spiders, and scorpion venom affect heart tissue and cells. A patient complains of cardiac problems after insect bites.
4. Hemostasis system toxins:
The Venom of many snakes and a few wild scorpions affects the blood system of the human body.
Coagulopathy, bleeding to thrombosis are common symptoms after a snake bite. These symptoms lead to DVT and pulmonary thrombosis if not treated on time.
5. Nephrotoxins:
Some snakes affect the renal system of the human body because of nephrotoxins present in their venom. A patient complains of a change in urinary output either increased or decreased and increased urea and creatinine.
6. Necro toxins:
Some snakes, spiders, jellyfish, and a few scorpion bites produce local tissue injury or necrosis at the bite site.
7. Allergic toxin:
Insects have allergic toxins in their secretion therefore insect bites induce an allergic response in humans.
Bites and Stings Symptoms:
Bites and stings show similar effects like redness, swelling of the skin, itching at the sting place, and pain. Depending on insect venom, the reaction of the body varies.
Some people show only acute symptoms like redness, itching, and pain. More sensitive people show severe reactions like swelling, headache, nausea, and rashes all over the body. Very rare individuals show anaphylactic reactions like breathlessness, and difficulty in swallowing.
Reactions to bites and stings depend on the person and the type of insects that attacks the person. Symptoms and signs are divided according to the type of bites and stings.
1. Insect stings symptoms:
Insect stings show common redness and inflammation of the skin at the sting site. You can diagnose the insect bite on the pattern of the hive and rashes.
Bee stings:
Within some minutes you can see itching, redness, swelling, and pain with a white spot at the site of the sting.
If a person is more sensitive to an allergic reaction, he can manifest severe effects of bee stings like swelling of the throat, lips, eyes, mouth, headache, nausea, and hives all over the body.
Fly stings:
Wasp flies and horse flies are more common flies that attack humans.
A person experiences sharp pain with redness and swelling at the sting place. The swelling red spot may remain for 2 weeks at the site of the sting.
Bug bites:
Many bed bugs attack the skin at the same time. Thus, a person may have multiple small red rashes, flat or swelling hives, and severe itching.
You can see those bugs on your bed or sofa.
Flea bites:
If you have a pet, it is common to have fleas bites on your lower leg and hand regions.
Flea bite skin site shows redness surrounded by red dots and severe itching.
Lice bites:
Lice attack hairy parts of the body like the head, pubic region, underarms, beards, and eyebrows. Person experiences redness of the lice sting area and severe itching at night.
You can see white eggs of lice in the hair of an affected person.
Ants:
A person has redness, swelling, and moderate pain at the site of an ant bite.
Sensitive patients may show severe reactions like swelling of the mouth, eyes, and severe pain
2. Mosquito sting symptoms:
As soon as a mosquito bites you, you can observe reddish puffy multiple small swellings on the skin with itching.
Some mosquito species from endemic regions may lead to malaria and dengue fever.
Aedes Aegypti is a transmitting factor for Dengue. Patients complain of high-grade fever, nausea, decrease in appetite, vomiting, and red rashes on their limbs within 3-14 days after the Mosquito bite.
Anopheles mosquito is a transmitting agent responsible for malaria spread. Patients present with high-grade fever with chills, body aches, faintness, sweating, and vomiting within 10-15 days after the mosquito bite.
3. Snake bite symptoms:
Snakebite symptoms vary according to the venom of a snake. Venom has different properties like neurotoxins, mycotoxins, nephrotoxins, etc.
The snake bite site shows two puncture wounds from the snake’s fangs. The patient complains of swelling, redness, and severe pain within 1-2 hours.
Snake bites are lethal if not treated on time with anti-venom medications.
4. Scorpion bite symptoms:
A Scorpion bite is not lethal. It is like a bee sting. The patient feels severe intense pain with redness at the bite site. The patient presents with weakness, a tingling sensation of the part which is affected by scorpion venom.
A patient may show severe reactions like weakness, sweating, difficulty in breathing, and headache.
5. Spider bite symptoms:
Spider bites are harmless compared to other insect bites. Blisters with redness and swelling may appear at the spider bite site.
Some individuals show severe reactions like fever, nausea, malaise, and rash all over the body.
Risk Factors for Stings and Bites:
Going out on farms, gardens, and mushy dark areas without covering the body including legs and hands increases the chances of insect bites.
Tracking in hills, and an outing in an open natural area near ponds, and lakes are risk factors for insect stings.
Children are more prone to insect bites like bugs, lice, bees, flies, and mosquitoes than adults. They play in the garden or on the ground and therefore easily get attacked by insects.
If you have an allergic tendency, then your body may show severe reactions to stings and bites.
Diagnosis:
A patient may come with various signs and symptoms, but history and physical examination help to identify a diagnosis. As discussed above, insect bites differentiate as per the appearance of the rash, swelling, and other allergic reactions.
Bee stings appear as white dots surrounded by a red rash, pain, and swelling. Bugs attack multiple sites and produce red rashes with severe itching at night. Mosquito bites produce red fluffy rashes at the site with itching.
The patient complains of severe pain and a red-blue rash with marks of the 2 flanges at the site of the snake bite. If not treated on time, it will be lethal.
Specific tests are not available but to understand the toxicity of venoms some blood tests are recommended: Complete blood count, ESR, platelets, clotting time of blood, urea, creatinine, ECG, Lung function test, and arterial blood gasses.
Bites and Stings Management:
For proper treatment and management, finding diagnosis and risk are important. As per bite and stings, it can be divided into insect bites and snake bites.
1. INSECT BITES AND STINGS
Bee Stings:
It is painful with a red rash. Clean with cold water and apply some coconut oil is beneficial.
Lice Bites:
Wash hair with arnica shampoo, apply warm coconut oil, and comb properly.
Mosquito Bites:
Wash with soap and warm water. Apply ice to reduce the itch. Keep nails short in children to avoid scratching injury.
Bug Stings:
Wash with soap and water. Apply ice over the itching site. Clean your house and throw out bug-contaminated clothes or furniture.
Ant Bite:
Wash with water. Apply coconut oil or calendula cream.
2. SPIDER BITE:
Clean with water and soap. Apply a cold damp cloth for swelling and rash. Apply coconut oil or antiseptic cream.
3. SCORPION BITE:
Scorpion bites are harmless. Wash with water and soap and apply oil over the bite area.
If a patient complains of muscle pain, or tenderness then refers to the nearest clinic for antivenom treatment.
4. SNAKE BITE:
Snake bite treatment has 2 stages:
First-Aid:
Immobilization bitten part.
Apply bandage at the bite site, mostly above the bite area.
Pour hot water on it. (Temperature of water is near 45C).
Take the person to the hospital as soon as possible.
Hospital Treatment:
Administration of antivenom. The hospital provides supportive management for specific complaints like decreased urinary output, paralysis of extremities, muscular pain, and cardiac effects.
Homeopathy for Bites and Stings – Best Medicines
Homeopathy remedies, lotions, creams, hair oils, and shampoo are effective for insect bites and stings symptoms. Some homeopathy medicines are prepared from animal venom that can be used as an antidote for the side effects of insect stings.
In cases of snake bites, hospital antivenom treatments are necessary and homeopathy remedies reduce its side effects of it.
The most useful remedies for bites and stings are:
Anthracinum
Apis mel
Arnica
Arsenic alb
Caladium
Calendula
Cantharis
Cedr
Hypericum
Ledum
Olnd
Rhus tox
Sulphur
Urt-urens
1. Antim crud: – As an antidote to insect stings.
Antim crud is good for urticaria. Urticaria is characteristic of white spots with a red areola. A patient complains of severe itching. It is indicated for pimples and vesicles on the face and joints after insect stings.
Dose and Potency:
Antim crud is useful in lower potency like 6C, 30C. 4 globules three times per day for 3-4 days.
2. Apis mellifica: – for swelling, burning pain after bee stings.
Apis is indicated for sore sensitive skin, which shows swelling and burning pain after insect bites.
A patient complains of urticarial rash- sudden puffiness, white spots, deep red rash, and intolerance of itching at night after bee stings.
It is useful for the severe reaction of bee stings like swelling of the face, eyes, lips, tongue, and larynx.
Dose and Potency:
Apis mellifica is useful in lower potency like mother tincture, 30C.
Mother tincture (Q), 5 drops in 1 cup of water, 3 times a day for 4 days for swelling, puffiness, and urticarial rash.
3. Arnica: – Oil and shampoo for lice bite.
Arnica is indicated in hard, hot, and swelling of the skin after an insect bite. A patient complains of black and blue spots.
Oil and shampoo are useful for lice infection of hair on the head.
Dose and Potency:
Arnica 30 or mother tincture is useful for insect bites and lice infection, respectively.
Arnica 30- 4 globules 2 hourly for 1 day for an insect sting. Apply oil or mother tincture mixed with coconut oil to hair for lice infection.
4. Arsenic album: – for severe urticarial rash and itching after insect stings
Arsenic alba is indicated for severe itching without rashes after an insect bite. It is best for urticarial rash- fluffy small rashes after a mosquito bite.
Arsenic alba is helpful for hives.
Dose and Potency:
Arsenic album is useful in 30C potency. 4 globules 3 times a day for 2 days.
5. Caladium: – for burning pain and itching after insect bites
Caladium is indicated for burning pain and severe itching after an insect bite. A patient complains of itching which relieves with touch.
It is useful for voluptuous itching of genital organs after lice infection.
Dose and Potency:
Caladium is useful in 3x and 6x potency forms. Take 4 globules 4 times a day for 2-3 days. It is available in cream form also, which you can apply over the rash area.
6. Calendula: – for severe urticarial rash and itching after insect stings
Calendula indicated a severe reaction after a sting bite-like ulcer, inflammation of the skin with pain.
It is a homeopathy antiseptic. It is useful for local application on wounds.
Dose and Potency:
Calendula is useful in lower potency like 3X and mother tincture. Use externally and internally for better results. Take 4 globules of 3X, three times a day for 2 days with the use of Calendula lotion externally.
7. Cantharis: – for burning pain and renal disfunction after snake bite.
Cantharis is indicated for aftereffects of snake bite. A patient complains of burning and itching with eruption. A patient has intolerable urging and pain for urination.
Dose and Potency:
Cantharis is useful in lower potencies like 3x, 6x, and 30C. Repeat the dose of 4 globules 3 hourly for 4 days. Cantharis is available in lotion or cream form, it is best for external use
8. Cedron: – Useful as an antidote for snakebite and insect stings.
Cedron is indicated in malaria infection, especially for pain in nerves. This acts as an antidote for snake bites and insect stings also.
A patient complains of radiating pain.
Dose and Potency:
Cedron is useful in lower potency like mother tincture and 3X. Apply mother tincture on a wound of snake bite and insect sting for better results. Take 4 globules 4 times a day for 4 days.
9. Hypericum: – for nerve injury after insect or snake bite
Hypericum is indicated for neuralgic pain after snake bite and insect sting. A patient complains of intolerable, violent, shooting, lancinating nerve pain.
Dose and Potency:
Hypericum is useful in 3X and mother tincture form. Apply mother tincture or lotion externally and take 4 globules 4 times per day for 4 days.
10. Lachesis: – for adverse effects of poisonous wound after snake, scorpion bites, and insect stings.
Lachesis is indicated for poisonous bites. A patient complains of the blueness of the affected part with neuralgic pain.
Dose and Potency:
Lachesis is useful in 6C and 30C. Take 4 globules 3 hourly for 2 days.
11. Ledum pal: – for puncture wound after insect stings.
Ledum pal is indicated for puncture wounds that are cold to touch after insect bites. It antidotes insect wound poison.
A patient complains of red rashes, burning, and itching after insect bites. Itching aggravates in the evening and night.
Dose and Potency:
Ledum is useful in 3X and 30C potency. Take 4 globules 3-4 times per day for 2-3 days. Ledum pal mother tincture can be used externally for wounds.
12. Oleander (Olnd): – for severe itching after bug, lice bite.
Olnd is indicated for burning rash and itching after an insect bite. Itching aggravates after scratching and at night.
A patient complains of numbness of skin and burning after scratching.
Dose and Potency:
Oleander is useful in mother tincture, 3X, and 30C. Take 4 globules 3-4 times per day for 3-4 days and apply mother tincture mixed with oil externally.
13. Rhus tox: – for itching and eruption in hairy parts after lice bites.
Rhus tox is indicated for Baker’s itch. A patient complains of red rashes with swelling, itching on the head, beard region, eyebrows, and pubis region after lice or mite bites.
Application of hot water relieves itching.
Dose and Potency:
Rhus tox is useful in higher potency like 200C, 1M to antidote insect bite. Apply Rhus tox mother tincture mixed with the oil on affected parts.
14. Sulphur: – for dry, burning, itching eruptions after insect stings.
Sulphur is indicated for dry, burning eruptions after insect bites. Severe itching aggravates at night.
A patient complains of pustules and pimple-like eruptions.
Dose and Potency:
Sulphur is useful in 6C, 12C, 30C, and lotion. Take 4 globules 3 times per day for 4 days and apply lotion on the affected parts.
15. Urtica Urens: – for severe urticarial rash with itching after bee stings
Urtica Urens is indicated for urticarial rashes and burning pain with itching. Burning is aggravated at night.
Dose and Potency:
Urtica urens are useful in mother tincture form. Apply mother tincture on wounds.Â
In case of snake bite, scorpion bite hospital antivenom treatments are necessary.
Remember that homeopathic remedies should be prescribed based on individual symptoms and characteristics. It’s crucial to consult with a qualified homeopath for proper evaluation and personalized treatment. Homeopathy focuses on treating the whole person, so a detailed case study is necessary to select the most appropriate remedy.
Homeopathic medicines should be taken only when prescribed by a homeopathic physician. Self-medication may aggravate the original conditions.