A fire ant sting is due to a fire ant which have strong venom that can be quite irritating and annoying for most people. Fire ants can sting numerous times and occasionally attack in swarms which may lead to multiple stings.
To identify a fire ant sting, they look like a group of swollen red spots on your skin that may develop a blister. The stings can be painful, itchy and can last for a week.
Some people can have a serious allergic response to the fire ant stings and may lead to anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening condition caused by an allergic reaction which will require them immediate medical treatment.
Management of a fire ant sting
The treatment for mild fire ant stings involves washing the area of the bite with water and soap. Make sure to cover the site with a clean bandage. Apply cold compression using an ice pack to help reduce pain and swelling if it causes any discomfort. Use over-the-counter treatments such as painkillers and antihistamines to ease the pain and itching.
The area where the sting took place may be itchy and tempt you to scratch it, but do not scratch the area as it can cause the affected area to become infected and the sting last longer than expected.
Anyone can develop an allergic reaction from a fire ant sting but if you’ve been stung by one previously, your chances of having a more severe allergic reaction increases. What’s dangerous about an allergic reaction to fire ant stings is that it can be life-threatening.
Signs of a severe allergic reaction
- Sudden difficulty in breathing
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness
These symptoms may quickly develop after the sting occurs and, in that case, immediate medical attention is required otherwise it will become fatal.
If you have a severe allergy to fire ant stings, your doctor may suggest a treatment specifically immunotherapy where the doctor injects ant extracts and venom into your skin to develop immunity. Over time, your sensitivity to the extracts and venom should reduce.
For prevention of fire ant stings, the most common and best method is to avoid fire ants completely. If you see the presence of fire ants or a nest, do not disturb them. You can also wear socks and shoes while you’re playing or working outside.
If you are attacked by fire ants, immediately move away from the site where the fire ants are and brush them off with a piece of cloth or with some hand protection such as gloves so that they don’t sting your hand.
Other methods of prevention also include the use of pesticides. You can also use poisonous baits to get rid of fire ant nests, but fire ant colonies are hard to destroy.
You can also douse an ant hill with boiling water, this is an effective method for killing ants, but it can cause surviving ants to attack.
FACT CHECK
https://www.healthline.com/health/fire-ant-bites