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How to treat and prevent gnat bites at home

The bites can be more uncomfortable than mosquito bites!

HOUSTON – As Texas is starting to reopen and we’re stepping outside more, gnats are also coming out, leaving uncomfortable bites for some people.

Dr. Sherry Ingraham, dermatologist with Advanced Dermatology, is seeing patients with these pesky bites and she shared treatment tips you should know and simple ways to prevent getting attack by these midges.

“With gnats you want to wear tight fitting clothes, maybe a good sun shirt even. If you’re out gardening a lot, get one of those hats with a fine mesh. And wearing clothes that are lighter colors and doing this a different time of day, just like mosquitoes, they tend to bite more in the morning and at dusk,” said Ingraham.

courtesy: (iStock)

“The good thing is in the United States, for the most part, as far as we know, the ones that bites us here are not vectors for disease. All we have to worry about is these pesky critters biting us and causing us to have itching and sometimes an allergic reaction,” said Ingraham, who recommends that if you get a bite, the first thing you should do is wash it with soap and water.

“You want to get any possible infection source off there, and then you can apply ice. Ice will often time mitigate that inflammatory response and kind of makes you feel better,” said Ingraham, who also mentioned some over-the-counter products you can use at home to alleviate the inflammations.

Source: (Dori OConnell)

“A product that has Neosporin and cortisone on it, and from the grocery store you should get Cortaid. Everyone should get Cortaid and keep a tube on their drawer. Put it on your bite or you kid’s bite and then give them a Zyrtec or a Benadryl or take one yourself. That will really shut down that inflammatory response,” said Ingraham, who suggests that if you do all these steps and your bite still looks infected or swollen, then it’s the time to call your dermatologist to get checked.

To see Ingraham’s complete interview, watch the video above.


About the Author
Beatriz Oliveros headshot

Beatriz is a producer for Houston life. She’s a dog mom who enjoys traveling and eating her way through new cities and cultures.

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