Bug Bite Natural Remedies & Relief

Bug bites can be annoying. Especially in the summer months they just seem to swarm at you from all over. Even if you have sprayed with bug spray you come inside from being out and you find a number of new bites all over. Some people get more bites than others.

You get bug bites because these bugs are attracted to human blood. Most bug bites are harmless and just leave a small raised bump that is red and itchy.

Mosquitoes can spread some diseases such as malaria, west nile virus, yellow fever, Dengue fever, Chikuhgunya virus, encephalitis, and zika virus. Most of the time you will just get an irritating bug bite without any transfer of one of these diseases. You will want to make sure your bug bite isn’t a tick bite that looks like a bulls-eye rash.

You will also want to make sure your bite isn’t in addition to a fever, swelling, or joint pain or a rash that spreads all over your body. If your bite has symptoms along with it, you will want to reach out to your health care provider immediately.

There are lots of over the counter medications you can get to help relieve your bug bites. There are lots of things you may already have right in your home that are just as effective without having to go buy something else.

Home Relief For Bug Bites

Oatmeal

A very soothing option is oatmeal. Not only delicious for breakfast but it is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and lipids. Oatmeal can help relieve itches, restore the skin barriers, provide moisture, and reduce inflammation. You can either make an oatmeal paste or take an oatmeal bath. To make the oatmeal paste you will combine equal parts of oatmeal and water the consistency of spackle, then dab it on your bug bites. If your body is covered in bites you may think about trying an oatmeal bath so it covers more of your body. Add one cup of oatmeal to your warm water. As you are relaxing in the tub, rub the clumps of oatmeal directly onto any bites.

Baking Soda

Baking soda also known as sodium bicarbonate is found in almost everyone’s kitchen. Baking soda can help balance out the pH of the bite area to help relieve itching. To make a paste you will use one part baking soda to three parts water. Dab onto the bites, and allow to dry completely. Daily use may not be good, and baking soda can cause irritation to the skin so if that happens you will want to wash skin immediately and stop use right away.

Honey

Honey is also a good option to help alleviate itchiness. It will definitely help the urge of scratching so that you won’t have a huge sticky mess all over. Honey has many antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. One drop of honey on a bite can help reduce inflammation.

Witch Hazel

Witch hazel is a natural astringent. It is rich in polyphenols, and tannins. Polyphenols contain antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties that will help reduce inflammation as well as speed up the healing process. You can apply directly with a cotton ball or dilute into a cream with coconut or jojoba oil.

Ice

Anything frozen is your friend when it comes to bug bites. This could be ice, frozen peas, whatever you have on hand that is frozen. The cold numbs the area and will help control swelling of the bug bites.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is another option you can use. It is high in antibacterial properties.

Banana

Banana peels can also help take the itch away. Peel a banana and lay the peel on the bite for a few minutes. The banana peel is high in vitamin C, which is an antihistamine that is great at treating bug bites.

Apple Cider Vinegar

A home remedy staple for many things is apple cider vinegar. This will also help with bug bites, it can help take the stinging away as well as disinfect the area.

Onion

When cutting an onion, the juice that comes off of it can be rubbed on your bug bites to help reduce itching as well as spread of any infection. The type of onion does not matter.

Garlic

If you know that you will be outside for a long time a week beforehand you should add extra garlic to your diet. Your body will then sweat out the garlic, as well as the garlic smell. Which will repel the bugs. Bugs do not like strong smells.

Lemon

So you can also do this form of repelling with citrus. Oranges or lemons are great options. You can peel the orange or lemon and rub the peel over your exposed skin. The smell will repel the bugs.

Olive Oil & Vanilla

You can make a natural bug repellant with olive oil and clear liquid vanilla. This repellant will repel mosquitos, black flies, and ticks. You want to make sure you have pure vanilla and not imitation.

Takeaway

Bug bites can be a nuisance. They can cause itchy that sometimes feels unbearable, especially if you have multiple. Bites may not appear for hours after they happen. Usually they aren’t harmful and will go away in a week or so. If you have other symptoms accompanied by a bite, you will want to reach out to your doctor to make sure it isn’t anything more serious.

Avoiding bites can be hard to do, but most bugs are out in the evening and night time more than in the hot of the day. Covering up your skin can also help stop bites. Having home remedies readily available can help though in the case you do get any form of bug bite.