Insect Bites and Stings This Summer: When You Need a Pharmacist, Not a GP

First aid for bites and stings

The good news is that the vast majority of insect bites and stings in the UK need nothing more than simple self-care. If you have been bitten or stung, here is what actually helps:

• Remove the sting quickly. If a bee has left its sting behind, scrape it out sideways with a fingernail or bank card rather than pinching, which can squeeze in more venom.
• Wash the area with soap and water, then apply a cold compress or an ice pack wrapped in a cloth for around 10 minutes to bring down swelling.
• Raise the affected limb if it starts to swell, to help the swelling settle.
• Treat the itch. An antihistamine tablet, or a pharmacy cream containing hydrocortisone or crotamiton, calms itching and swelling. Your pharmacist can recommend the right one for your age and any other medicines you take.
• Try not to scratch. It is the hardest part, but scratching breaks the skin and is the single most common reason a harmless bite turns into an infected one.

How long should a bite last?

A normal reaction is redness, itching, and a small raised lump that appears within minutes to hours and fades over a few days. Some people get a larger local reaction — more swelling around the bite — which looks alarming but is not an infection and still settles on its own. The key is the pattern over time: a normal bite gradually improves, while an infected one gets worse.

When a bite is infected

A small number of bites become infected, usually a couple of days after the bite. Watch for these signs:

• redness that spreads outward and feels warm to the touch
• increasing pain, swelling, or a build-up of pus
• a high temperature, chills, or swollen glands
• the bite getting noticeably worse rather than better after 48 hours

These can be signs of a skin infection such as cellulitis, which needs treatment. This is exactly the kind of problem your pharmacist can now deal with directly.

Pharmacy First: get treated without a GP

Infected insect bites are one of the seven conditions covered by the NHS Pharmacy First service. That means a pharmacist can assess your bite in a private consultation room and, where it is clinically appropriate, supply treatment including antibiotics — without you needing a GP appointment. It is free on the NHS, there is no prescription charge for the consultation itself, and you can usually walk in on the same day. If you want the full picture of what else is covered, see our guide to what NHS Pharmacy First is.

Medway Pharmacy on Canterbury Street in Gillingham usually offers Pharmacy First seven days a week, from 7:30am to 10pm, excluding bank holidays — handy if a bite flares up in the evening or at the weekend when your GP surgery is closed.

Severe allergic reactions — when it's an emergency

Very rarely, a bite or sting triggers a severe, whole-body allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. This is a medical emergency. Call 999 immediately if, soon after a bite or sting, someone develops:

• swelling of the face, mouth, throat, or tongue
• difficulty breathing, wheezing, or a tight chest
• feeling faint, dizzy, or losing consciousness

If the person has an adrenaline auto-injector (such as an EpiPen), use it straight away while waiting for the ambulance. Anaphylaxis is not something to wait and see on.

Preventing bites this summer

A few simple habits cut your chances of being bitten in the first place:

• use an insect repellent containing DEET on exposed skin
• cover up with long sleeves and trousers around dawn and dusk, when midges and mosquitoes are most active
• keep food and sugary drinks covered outdoors to avoid attracting wasps

Heading abroad? Some mosquito-borne illnesses need more than repellent. If your trip involves a malaria risk area, our travel vaccination and antimalarial service can advise on bite avoidance and preventive tablets before you fly.