Bug Bite ID
January 6, 2010 9:02 AM Subscribe
Bug bite identification: is it dangerous? (more/photo inside)
A little less than two weeks ago my girlfriend got bitten by something while sleeping in a hotel in Salt Lake City. She had maybe half a dozen bites on her arm, then another four or five on her neck. It wasn't so bad at first, but since then they've continued to itch and swell on and off (but have not expanded in area and no pain).
Currently, most of the bites are raised and flat on the top (like a plateau) with a small depression in the middle where the center of the bite is. The edges of the plateau are red, while the inside seems a little yellowish. Here is a photo of the bites on her arm.
Is it bed bugs? Ticks? Spiders? Something else? Basically, should we be worried about it enough to go see a doctor?
A little less than two weeks ago my girlfriend got bitten by something while sleeping in a hotel in Salt Lake City. She had maybe half a dozen bites on her arm, then another four or five on her neck. It wasn't so bad at first, but since then they've continued to itch and swell on and off (but have not expanded in area and no pain).
Currently, most of the bites are raised and flat on the top (like a plateau) with a small depression in the middle where the center of the bite is. The edges of the plateau are red, while the inside seems a little yellowish. Here is a photo of the bites on her arm.
Is it bed bugs? Ticks? Spiders? Something else? Basically, should we be worried about it enough to go see a doctor?
Ringworm
Pretty common, rather nasty, very very contagious. But, as plep said, just go see a doctor now.
posted by nursegracer at 9:32 AM on January 6, 2010
Pretty common, rather nasty, very very contagious. But, as plep said, just go see a doctor now.
posted by nursegracer at 9:32 AM on January 6, 2010
Ringworm sounds about right, or maybe Impetigo. (Ringworm is actually a fungal infection, and Impetigo is bacterial).
As far as getting bitten by something, it seems unlikely - I live in Salt Lake and two weeks ago it was very, very cold. We have almost no bugs or spiders this time of year. Bedbugs aren't common here at all. Pretty much the only thing that bites people on a regular basis here is mosquitos, and they're dormant right now.
Anyway, if it's been two weeks without improvement, it's no ordinary bug bite. Go to a doctor.
posted by mmoncur at 7:43 PM on January 6, 2010
As far as getting bitten by something, it seems unlikely - I live in Salt Lake and two weeks ago it was very, very cold. We have almost no bugs or spiders this time of year. Bedbugs aren't common here at all. Pretty much the only thing that bites people on a regular basis here is mosquitos, and they're dormant right now.
Anyway, if it's been two weeks without improvement, it's no ordinary bug bite. Go to a doctor.
posted by mmoncur at 7:43 PM on January 6, 2010
Response by poster: The funny thing was that we stayed at this hotel for three days in the same room and it was only on the third day that these bites appeared, and I was never bitten either.
However, before the raised plateaus showed up, they were bumps that you might see from mosquito bites, and there still is a clear central point where the bite seems to have occurred now, which is why we weren't so sure that it was ringworm.
Some of the bumps seem to be disappearing now, so we will see what happens in the next couple days.
Thanks for the input!
posted by hgcrpd at 9:05 PM on January 6, 2010
However, before the raised plateaus showed up, they were bumps that you might see from mosquito bites, and there still is a clear central point where the bite seems to have occurred now, which is why we weren't so sure that it was ringworm.
Some of the bumps seem to be disappearing now, so we will see what happens in the next couple days.
Thanks for the input!
posted by hgcrpd at 9:05 PM on January 6, 2010
Had the same kind of thing 2 years ago on my legs. Same INCREDIBLY ITCHY bumps with bite center and yellow ooze. My skin took forever to heal. After scratching the bumps turned into huge bruises. After I bought some flea stuff for the dogs it stopped. The best I can figure is that it was either fleas or some other bug that was snuffed out by the flea treatment (I used Frontline Plus). However, we had just returned from a trip where we had used a hot tub so who knows. I wondered if the hot tub was at fault. I shaved my legs either right before or right after using the hot tub so it could have easily been some type of allergic reaction or infection. I should have gone to the doctor.
posted by wherever, whatever at 2:44 PM on January 7, 2010
posted by wherever, whatever at 2:44 PM on January 7, 2010
Best answer: Doctor's diagnosis: Erythema multiforme.
It went away by itself after a while. Case solved.
posted by hgcrpd at 8:10 PM on February 5, 2010
It went away by itself after a while. Case solved.
posted by hgcrpd at 8:10 PM on February 5, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by plep at 9:16 AM on January 6, 2010