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Bites and stings can often be treated at home, but here’s when you need to see a doctor.
Bug bites and bee stings are usually just a small annoyance. You might have some minor pain, as well as redness, itching or mild swelling that usually goes away in a few days. But occasionally, bites and stings can lead to more serious health problems. That’s why it’s helpful to know when to treat them at home and when to see a doctor.
Most minor bites or stings just need some basic care and people typically feel better in a day or two, if not immediately. If you see a stinger left behind, gently scrape it out with a fingernail or a card. Don’t squeeze it by pulling it with your fingers or grabbing it with tweezers or you may release more venom. If you find a tick on your body, gently pull it out with tweezers, grabbing it as close to the skin as possible. Clean the area with soap and water. A cold compress can ease pain or swelling. An over-the-counter (OTC) cream like hydrocortisone helps with itching. OTC pain relievers can also be used if you experience discomfort.
But not every bite or sting is harmless. Getting stung by a bee or wasp can cause an allergic reaction in some people that requires emergency care. Call 911 right away if someone is having trouble breathing, has chest pain, feels faint, breaks out in hives or has swelling on their face, lips or throat. These are signs of a serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening. If you’ve had this type of allergic reaction in the past, you should carry an EpiPen at all times and use it at the first sign of a severe reaction.
Another complication of bites and stings is infection. This can happen if the area was not initially cleaned well or if you’ve been scratching or picking at it. A bite or sting that gets more painful, hot, red or swollen after a few days might be infected. Red streaks on your skin or pus coming from the wound are other signs of infection. See a doctor if infection is suspected because you may need an antibiotic.
In some cases, you may experience symptoms after you get a bug bite and might not even realize the symptoms are related to the bite. Insects such as ticks and mosquitoes sometimes carry diseases that can make you sick after getting bitten, either soon after the bite or even some time later.
Ticks can carry Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other illnesses. Call your doctor if you develop a rash (especially a bull’s-eye pattern), fever, headache or joint pain in the weeks after getting bitten.
Mosquito bites can spread viruses such as West Nile, Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya or Yellow fever, depending on where they’re from. Although uncommon, if you get a mosquito bite and then feel sick with fever, fatigue or muscle aches within a week or two, it’s worth calling your doctor to rule out something more serious.
Bug bites and bee stings are common during the summer, but thankfully, they usually amount to nothing more than a minor annoyance. However, if you have signs of infection or suspect that a bite transmitted an illness such as Lyme disease or West Nile virus, see a doctor. If you have any symptoms of an allergic reaction, get emergency medical attention right away.
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Date Last Reviewed: May 20, 2025
Editorial Review: Andrea Cohen, Editorial Director, Baldwin Publishing, Inc. Contact Editor
Medical Review: Perry Pitkow, MD
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