Beating Summer's Bites And Stings

The summer months can bring many into contact with all kinds of creatures that bite, sting and irritate.

To help against insects that pose a threat, The Early Show medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay offered some advice.

She says try to avoid flying insects that inject venom when they sting such as bees and wasps. Not only do the stings hurt, about 50 people a year die from allergic reactions to stings.

The effects the stings and bites can range from a localized sore spot to a wider area of local irritation. For a localized reaction from any of these, a little insect bite remedy or cortizone cream can reduce swelling and reduce itching. It's important not to scratch because the wound can get infected. For a wider local reaction, an antihistamine cream or injection might be necessary. Immediate attention is needed if you're bitten by a black widow or a brown recluse spider.

Stings can be more serious if they cause an allergic reaction. If you're severely allergic immediate medical attention should be sought.

Some of the signs to watch out for with a full-blown allergic reaction include hives, swelling, nausea, vomiting or shock.

If you know you are allergic you can also carry an epinephrine injection kit to make sure you can fight off the allergic reaction.

Bees
Most bees are not normally aggressive, but they can deliver a painful sting if disturbed. Senay says to avoid bees' nests, because if they swarm you run the risk of getting a large number of painful stings.

If a bee does sting you, it's important to remember that a bee will leave it's stinger in you, with a venom sac attached.

Senay says you need to remove the stinger without squeezing more venom into your body by taking a credit card or other hard edge and scraping it across the stinger to pull it out without pressing on the venom sac.

Wasp
Wasps are shaped a little differently. They do not leave their stinger in you, so they can sting you repeatedly.

Fire Ants
Many states are now home to the fire ant. So, watch out where you tread because. Even one bite from a fire ant is painful, and when you disturb a nest they all come running at once.

Spiders
Watch out for spiders in dark places such as under the porch or in the woodpile. Many cause painful bites, the most severe and dangerous are the black widow and the brown recluse spider. Spiders don't normally bite unless surprised or trapped.

Jellyfish
The ocean can be home to hazards such as the jellyfish, which delivers a sting with venom-filled tentacles. So if you're headed to the beach, try to check with local officials or lifeguards about jellyfish before you go in the water.