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Complications From Insect Bites?

B

Brekkybic

Member
Hello everyone. Been registered here for a few months but this is my first post.

Was bitten by an insect last night and a small, roundish, red rash has appeared on my finger where the bite occurred. Recently diagnosed as an insulin-dependent diabetic (still type unspecified due to the sudden nature of onset) so my question is:

Are diabetics any more prone to complications from insect bites than anyone else?
 
Brekkybic said:
Hello everyone. Been registered here for a few months but this is my first post.

Was bitten by an insect last night and a small, roundish, red rash has appeared on my finger where the bite occurred. Recently diagnosed as an insulin-dependent diabetic (still type unspecified due to the sudden nature of onset) so my question is:

Are diabetics any more prone to complications from insect bites than anyone else?
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All I can say is that I am always bitten and my husband who is not diabetic is not ever. Don`t know if there is any medical opinion on this but bites take several days to stop itching and yes I too come out in red blisters.
 
Quite the other way round here. I'm not diabetic, but am bitten lots and can react quite badly to bites with considerable swelling and several days of itching. As for the other half, who is/was diabetic, very rarely gets a bite and then it's insignificant, so my conclusion is that it doesn't make any difference.
Sally
 
I think it might relate to the state of your immune system. Mine is over active and I generally have a severe reaction.
Also the fact that we have diabetes is a reflection of the immune system.
 
Brekkybic said:
Hello everyone. Been registered here for a few months but this is my first post.

Was bitten by an insect last night and a small, roundish, red rash has appeared on my finger where the bite occurred. Recently diagnosed as an insulin-dependent diabetic (still type unspecified due to the sudden nature of onset) so my question is:

Are diabetics any more prone to complications from insect bites than anyone else?
Click to expand...
I had a bite on the back of my calf. Overnight it turned to cellulitis, an infection under the skin. This wasn't treated with the urgency it deserved. Now I have lymphoedema in both my lower legs. First sign of infection seek help immediately.
 
Interesting question. I am now living one year in Thailand and am being bitten to death by mosquitos. However the 5 years prior I lived in Cambodia and NEVER got bitten, ever. When I moved to Thailand it co-incided with finding this and other forums and so have been on the LCHF diet for about 9 months (Type 2 for 8 years+). I am now 20 kg lighter, have come off statins and soon will have weaned myself off Metformin having reduced 1500 - 1000 - 500, one more week will be to zero. My blood sugars are normal and my HbA1c has gone from 11.0 to 5.7.

So apart from being constantly bitten I feel good. I therefore have been wondering if now my blood is not so 'sweet' bugs love me more. I'd always thought it was the opposite that they were attracted to a sweet odour.
 
tom_r_orr said:
Interesting question. I am now living one year in Thailand and am being bitten to death by mosquitos. However the 5 years prior I lived in Cambodia and NEVER got bitten, ever. When I moved to Thailand it co-incided with finding this and other forums and so have been on the LCHF diet for about 9 months (Type 2 for 8 years+). I am now 20 kg lighter, have come off statins and soon will have weaned myself off Metformin having reduced 1500 - 1000 - 500, one more week will be to zero. My blood sugars are normal and my HbA1c has gone from 11.0 to 5.7.

So apart from being constantly bitten I feel good. I therefore have been wondering if now my blood is not so 'sweet' bugs love me more. I'd always thought it was the opposite that they were attracted to a sweet odour.
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It seems I reacted in the opposite way to you Tom. After diagnosis the bugs like me less. That said, I was also spending far more time in tropical climes after diagnosis, so my skin got a lot darker (and probably tougher!), and the bugs seem to like paler, softer skins more.
 
I have been sitting in the "garden" for hours every day insects buzzing all around me as far as I can tell I have not been bitten once rest of the family got bites galore.

Lady a few doors down got a bite from iether a mosquito or a horse fly bite became infected had to have quite strong antibiotic treatment for it.

She has been told that a good idea is to take a little lemon juice in a teaspoon or so of water every morning and that it alters the blood chemistry after a while in a way the insects don't like. Have no idea if it works but she is trying it.
 
In the tropics, we use a simple concoction of citronella oil, a little tea trea oil (in case of any existing bites), a little E45 lotion, plus water, in a pump spray bottle. Costs next to nothing. No nasty chemicals, although we sometimes use some polysorbate 20/60 or 80 as an emulsifier, although giving the bottle a good shake before spraying works well too.

There is no way I want to apply insecticide near my face.
 
Tipetoo said:
We use Bushman's to keep the biters away, sprayed it on my face just make sure you have your eyes shut while spraying.

We have a mosquitoe called a Scotch Grey here that are big enough to throw a saddle on.

http://www.bushman-repellent.com/
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If one is sure it is not an insect infected with borelia or bacterias it usually is not dangerous , but always ask a doctor if the infection Seems very swollen or spreads , lately I read that some scientists have had some success in treating borellia with the stevia plant or an extract of it

My experience is that mosquitos have a different taste in different countries I Greece they totally like in Denmark not
 
Mozzies in Australia are something else ... we're better off without them as they are the deadliest insect on earth. Hundreds of thousands of people globally each year are killed and a twist to the tale? Only the females can bite
 
Mike D said:
Mozzies in Australia are something else ... we're better off without them as they are the deadliest insect on earth.
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They certainly spread some nice named diseases here in Australia, such as Ross River Virus, Barmah Forest Virus, Murray Valley Encephalitis, Dengue Fever, and one must not forget our old friend Malaria, which is rampant a few nautical miles north of Bamaga in PNG.
 
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