How to Identify Fire Ant Stings

Fire ants are highly aggressive ants that have a sting that burns badly. It is important to be able to identify the signs and symptoms of fire ant stings, because early identification can help you to treat it as best as possible and to seek medical attention when needed. Rarely, people can have severe allergic reactions to fire ant stings; these need to be dealt with immediately by emergency medical personnel.

Part 1 - Identifying Fire Ant Stings

1

→ Recognize the appearance and most likely location of fire ants. Fire ants are red or black colored insects containing venom (poison) that gets into your system when they bite you. They sting easily with little provocation, and you usually get multiple stings from multiple fire ants at once as they come in groups. They are quite prevalent in areas in the southeast United States, and have appeared as far west as California.

2

→ Be aware of the symptoms. There are local symptoms (localized to the area of the bite), as well as more systemic (full body) symptoms in some people who are susceptible to allergic reactions. Common local symptoms of fire ant stings include:

→ Itchiness around the bite

→ Pain and burning around the bite (hence the name "fire" ant)

→ Swelling and redness around the bite

→ The bite may blister, which typically lasts three to eight days and then scabs over as it recovers

3

→ Watch out for signs of an allergic reaction. In addition to the local symptoms of a venomous fire ant bite, you want to be especially careful if you notice any systemic (full body) symptoms indicating a potential allergic reaction. An allergic reaction can progress rapidly and, in rare occasions, be extremely serious or even fatal. Therefore, it is key to know the signs and to call Emergency Medical Services (911) for help if needed. Allergic symptoms include:

→ Rapid swelling in the areas surrounding the bite (for instance, if the bite is on your arm, your whole arm may begin to swell)

→ Difficulty breathing and/or tightness in the chest

→ Swelling of the throat and/or lips and tongue

→ A fast heart rate, accompanied by a feeling of dizziness and/or light-headedness.

Part 2 - Dealing With Fire Ant Stings

1

→ Call the Poison Control Center or Emergency Medical Services. If you suspect that you have a fire ant sting, it is always important to get professional advice on how best to proceed. This is because the complications of not properly dealing with a fire ant sting can, in rare cases, be very serious and even life-threatening. Therefore, always seek out professional advice, even if you feel that your sting is not serious; it is better to be safe than sorry.

→ The phone number for the National Poison Control Centre in the United States is 1-800-222-1222.

→ Call 911 for Emergency Medical Services, or drive to the nearest hospital or doctor's office.

2

→ Treat mild fire ant stings with home remedies. If you have seen a medical professional and ruled out a serious reaction to your fire ant sting, you can proceed to treatment via home remedies. This includes washing the bite gently with soap and water. Do not use alcohol to clean it. After washing your sting, you can use ice to diminish the pain and to reduce the inflammation. Ice for 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off, until you begin to feel symptom relief.

→ You can wash the stings with warm water and vinegar, which may help neutralize the venom of the ants and bring some relief.

3

→ Take an oral anti-histamine. Another option to control itchiness is to take an oral anti-histamine such as Benadryl, which is particularly good for treating a sting or reaction to a sting. These are available over-the-counter at your local pharmacy or drugstore. Follow the dosing instructions on the bottle.

4

→ Use a topical corticosteroid cream. You can purchase 1% hydrocortisone cream at your local pharmacy or drugstore, and apply this over the area of the bite. This will reduce symptoms such as swelling and inflammation, and it will also decrease the pain.

→ Do not use for a longer period than that recommended by your doctor, or, if self-administered, what is listed on the box.

5

→ Use an EpiPen and go to the hospital for severe allergic reactions. As previously mentioned, severe allergic reactions can be life-threatening if not handled immediately. If you have a history of being allergic to insect bites (such as bee stings), your likelihood of suffering a severe allergic reaction from a fire ant sting will be higher as well. Therefore, if in doubt, carry an EpiPen with you as a preventative measure.

→ Always go to the hospital if you show signs of a severe allergic reaction. In hospital, they will monitor your vital signs (such as your heart rate, your respiratory rate, and your blood pressure) to ensure that you are stable for a period of time prior to discharging you.

→ They can also administer IV fluids as needed, breathing support, and medications if your condition deteriorates for any reason.

6

→ Understand that your risk of severe allergic reaction increases after one bite. If you have been stung once, you should carry an EpiPen with you in the future in case you ever get stung again. This is the best preventative strategy, especially if you find yourself in areas of the southeast United States where fire ant stings are common.

→ Other preventative strategies include having an exterminator get rid of any fire ant nests on your property (if that is where you got stung), receiving allergy shots, and protecting yourself by wearing full-body clothing, socks and shoes if you are in an area known to have fire ants. (And remember to tuck your pant legs into socks so that they can't climb up and into your pants!)

TIPS

→ Move away from the fire ant mound to prevent more stings.

→ Never wait for allergic reactions to go away without emergency treatment.

→ It is rare to be allergic to fire ant stings.

→ call the Emergency Services and use an EpiPen pen to counteract anaphylactic shock. Even if you give yourself a shot with an EpiPen, you should follow up at the hospital. One EpiPen is not a guarantee allergic reactions will go away.