How to Treat Flea Bites
Fleas are difficult to see because of their small size. You might catch one if you feel a little pinch on your body and manage to see that little dark speck before it jumps away.
Fleas can actually jump about eight inches in length and five inches in height. They feed off of a host’s blood, so that little bite is necessary to their survival.
Do you have a flea problem in your home? If you do, you might be wondering what do flea bites look like. Let’s discuss flea bites vs other insect bites and how to treat them.
The Dangers of Flea Bites
Fleas can be pretty dirty pests. Because of this, having them dine on you each day isn’t really safe. Fleas can infest animals like rodents, rabbits and even raccoons. When they land on your and bite you, they can transfer typhus to your body.
It’s a treatable disease, but typhus is also fatal in young children, the elderly and people with autoimmune conditions. If you’ve been bit, the hope is that you’ll just be dealing with an itchy spot for a little while.
Like other bug bites, there is the potential that you might have an allergic reaction to the bite. It may become inflamed, red and very irritated.
How to Treat Flea Bites
It’s important that you keep the area of the bite very clean. Swelling and inflammation can occur, but you shouldn’t be alarmed unless it starts to spread very rapidly. Something as simple as a cool washcloth or ice pack can reduce some of the irritation. You can also apply an anti-itch cream or antihistamine lotion if it’s really bothering you.
Aloe Vera
Aloe is a natural treatment that works for a number of different skin conditions. It has extreme healing powers that works for bug bites.
You can use the aloe gel that comes straight from the leaf, or you can purchase an aloe vera product that can be applied to the area of the bite. Leave it alone for a few hours to see if it’s effective.
If you haven’t been able to keep yourself from scratching, you want to make sure that you’re preventing infection from occurring. Rubbing alcohol can be applied to the area to treat and dry the wounds. Let the area air dry and cover it if you feel that you need to protect the area.
Tea tree oil can be very effective for a number of skin issues. It can the ability to decrease inflammation on the skin. It’s also a natural antibiotic.
Just make sure that you mix a little bit of tea tree oil with a carrier oil. It can be pretty strong when used alone. Also, fleas may be repelled by the smell of the tea tree oil so you can prevent future bites this way.
Witch hazel can be used to treat flea bites and reduce itching. An antibacterial remedy, you should soak a cotton ball in witch hazel and hold it on the area for a few seconds. Let the area dry and repeat the process every few hours.
Just be aware, witch hazel can bother people who have an allergy to tree nuts. Try it on a small spot if you fall into this category.
These remedies are generally mild enough that you can repeat them numerous times throughout the day until the bites heal.
In the meantime, attempt to control the flea issue that you’re having to reduce the amount of future bites that you’re experiencing.
There are a number of steps that you can take to get rid of fleas, but you can also contact a professional to help you get the problem quickly under control.
