Top Health Tips on Treating Insect Bites

Insect bites occur when an insect stings the upper layer of your skin externally. They generally lead to an allergic reaction or transfer of pathogens like virus, bacteria or parasites in the human body. Insect bites can be of many types since there are numerous species of insects around us. Some of the bites that you will come across more often are by mosquitoes, spiders, bee stings, bugs, mites, ants and such others. The most common symptoms of an insect bite include redness, swelling, irritation or discomfort, itching, itchy skin, and such others.

An insect bite is most commonly treated by using allopathic medicines which can be either applied externally or consumed orally to minimize allergic reactions. But Ayurveda gives you a method to treat insect bites which are natural, harmless and free from side effects. Some of the common ways to treat insect bites following the principles of Ayurveda are:

Basil leaves and turmeric- If you take a handful of basil leaves, add turmeric to it and apply it on the insect bite, it acts as an antiseptic and prevents your wound from worsening.
Onion application- Onions are specifically used to treat bee stings. You need to take out the sting, apply onions on the affected area and hold them in position using a bandage or a tape for at least an hour to get relief.
Turmeric and sandalwood- You can use turmeric and sandalwood to soothe your wound as sandalwood has certain cooling properties, and turmeric will help in speeding up the healing process.
Banana peel- The inner skin of a banana peel is used as an anti-irritant and it helps to cut down the discomfort, pain and irritation.
Neem- Neem is a medicinal plant, which has one of the highest medicinal values among all the Ayurvedic agents. It is often applied to the wound in the form of powder mixed with water.
Coriander- The juice from coriander leaves is also used to cure wounds. Depending on the thickness, it can be used along with water to provide relief to insect wounds.
Conclusively, it is always desirable to consult an Ayurvedic medical practitioner before applying the natural agents on sensitive body parts such as the skin.

Priapism is a disorder where the blood flow to the male reproductive organ is severely disrupted, which results in blood being trapped inside it. This will result in a prolonged erection even after sexual arousal has diminished which is not only painful but, may even disrupt your normal life. It's medical emergency. If not relieved priapism well in time, it may lead to gangrene of the organ and amputation may be required!

Arousal and Blood Flow
When a man gets sexually aroused, the body supplies blood to his pelvis and penis. As soon as blood enters in the penis, it enlarges the vessels making the tissues turgid with blood and thus results in an erection. Once sexual arousal has gone down, the blood returns back and ensures that the penis returns to its flaccid state.

Problems with Blood Flow
Priapism occurs when the blood inside the penis is trapped even after sexual arousal has gone down. When blood fills the chambers of the penis known as corpora cavernosa it engorges the tissue. However, even after sexual arousal goes down the blood may remain trapped within keeping the penis erect. These erections may last for hours causing severe pain and even hamper sexual arousal later.

Types of Priapism
There are two types of Priapism which are:

Low-flow Priapism: This form of priapism has been primarily attributed to sickle-cell anaemia, blood cancer or even malaria. You need to get treatment urgently as regular occurrences of these can cause scarring and even lead to permanent erectile dysfunction.
High-flow Priapism: This type of priapism is comparatively rare and is less painful. This usually occurs due to an injury to the penis, scrotum or anus. It may hamper normal blood flow to the penis due to the rupture of an artery in the scrotum or the groin area in general. Correcting the underlying injury or the problems can usually quickly correct this form of Priapism.
Causes

Some causes of priapism may include:

Sickle cell anaemia may cause Priapism most of the time
Side effect of intrapenile injection or Medications to treat other disorders are one of the major causes of this disorder
Injuries in the genital area or spinal cord
Sometimes it can be caused by insect bites from specific insects like the scorpion or black widow spider
Minute poisoning through different gases such as carbon monoxide 6. Use of drugs like marijuana and cocaine
Symptoms

There are simple symptoms for the disease like:

Rigidity in penile shaft
Tip of the penis remains soft
Severe pain in the organ
Penis remains erect for a long time(more than two hours) without any sexual arousal
Treatments

All the treatments revolve primarily around reducing the erection so as to prevent permanent damage and thus prevent erectile dysfunction. It's medical emergency. Contact your doctor immediately. Some treatments, which are used to cure Priapism are:

Ice packs
Needle therapy to drain the blood from the penis and reduce the erection
Sometimes, your doctor might suggest blocking the problematic artery to prevent blood flow causing an erection
If you have low-flow priapism then the doctor might suggest surgery to drain the blood if all other means and options fail

How to naturally treat and prevent insect bites using Ayurveda

Insect bites occur when an insect stings the upper layer of your skin externally. They generally lead to an allergic reaction or transfer of pathogens like virus, bacteria or parasites in the human body. Insect bites can be of many types since there are numerous species of insects around us. Some of the bites that you will come across more often are by mosquitoes, spiders, bee stings, bugs, mites, ants and such others. The most common symptoms of an insect bite include redness, swelling, irritation or discomfort, itching, itchy skin, and such others.

An insect bite is most commonly treated by using allopathic medicines which can be either applied externally or consumed orally to minimize allergic reactions. But Ayurveda gives you a method to treat insect bites which are natural, harmless and free from side effects. Some of the common ways to treat insect bites following the principles of Ayurveda are:

Basil leaves and turmeric- If you take a handful of basil leaves, add turmeric to it and apply it on the insect bite, it acts as an antiseptic and prevents your wound from worsening.

Onion application- Onions are specifically used to treat bee stings. You need to take out the sting, apply onions on the affected area and hold them in position using a bandage or a tape for at least an hour to get relief.

Turmeric and sandalwood- You can use turmeric and sandalwood to soothe your wound as sandalwood has certain cooling properties, and turmeric will help in speeding up the healing process.

Banana peel- The inner skin of a banana peel is used as an anti-irritant and it helps to cut down the discomfort, pain and irritation.

Neem- Neem is a medicinal plant, which has one of the highest medicinal values among all the Ayurvedic agents. It is often applied to the wound in the form of powder mixed with water.

Coriander- The juice from coriander leaves is also used to cure wounds. Depending on the thickness, it can be used along with water to provide relief to insect wounds.

Conclusively, it is always desirable to consult an Ayurvedic medical practitioner before applying the natural agents on sensitive body parts such as the skin.

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Insect bites and stings ( bee, wasp, fire ant, mosquitoes, snakes ) can be painfully annoying. The stings are often accompanied by redness, swelling, pain and inflammation. Some of the stings and bites, if not treated timely, can prove to be fatal. The goodness of homeopathy is known to all.

There are excellent homeopathic medicines available for insect stings and bites:

Formica rufa: Stings from fire ants can be an awful experience. There is blistering and the affected area appears reddish. The sting results in an excruciating stinging pain. There is uncontrollable itching at the affected site. However, the sting does not result in much swelling. Formica Rufa is an effective homeopathic medicine to treat such stings.
Apis mellifica: Sometimes, insect bites or stings result in immediate swelling and inflammation at the site of the sting. The unbearable stinging pain is followed by itching. There is a burning sensation and the affected area appears red and hot. In extreme cases, there is considerable swelling of the throat and the mouth (the mucous membrane swells). Apis Mellifica is a powerful medicine providing immense relief. Since the sting site feels hot, a cold compression can be a good option.
Staphysagria: Do not lose sleep over mosquitoes and mosquito bites. Staphysagria is an excellent homeopathic option to deal with mosquito bites. The medicine serves dual purpose. It can be effectively used before (Prophylactic) as well as after the bite. Caladium Seguinum can also be used to treat mosquito and fly bites.
Ledum and lachesis: Ledum is the best homeopathic remedy against poisonous animal bites. When it comes to snake bites, nothing can be more helpful than Ledum. The area affected by the bite turns slightly bluish. The area feels cold and there is a pricking pain and inflammation. Sepsis from animal bite can also be prevented by Ledum.
Lachesis is equally helpful against snake bites and other poisonous insect bites. This medicine is recommended in case the injury site appears bluish purple. There may be a haemorrhage, with the blood appearing few shades darker (almost black in some cases).

Though Ledum and Lachesis provide great relief, getting medical assistance is still very important:

At times, an insect sting can leave a person traumatised. There may be a stinging pain with swelling and tingling. Aconitum Napellus is the best option to treat and deal with such situations.
Urtica Urens is helpful against allergic reactions resulting from insect bites and some foodstuffs (shellfish).
Histaminum is useful against insect bites and hay fever.
Cantharis provides relief from stings and bites resulting in inflammation and redness.
Most of the Homeopathic medicines provide almost instant relief from insect bites and stings.