A FAMILY picnic nearly cost a mum her life after she collapsed unconscious days after being bitten by a horsefly.
Natasha Judge was enjoying a picnic with her 14-year-old son Riley at their local park on July 23 when she was unknowingly bitten by an insect on her bottom.
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The 37-year-old was in the shower later that evening when she noticed a bite mark on her left bum cheek.
The following day, the bite had developed into a rash, which Natasha attempted to control with antihistamines.
However, a few days later the mum-of-one began experiencing excruciating pains down her leg, which she described as “worse than childbirth”.
After a course of antibiotics, the student nurse’s health took a drastic turn for the worse when she collapsed on the sofa at home while watching a film.
The single mum was bluelighted to University Hospital Crosshouse in Kilmarnock where she underwent emergency surgery to remove an infected abscess on the bite.
Natasha, who lives in Glasgow, Scotland, was told the bite had been caused by a horsefly – and is now warning others about the seemingly harmless common insect.
Natasha said: “It was an absolutely glorious day in July so me and my son took a picnic to the park.
“It wasn’t until I was in the shower later that evening that I noticed a bite on my left butt cheek. I hadn’t felt anything bite me.
“It looked red and a bit bloody but I didn’t think much of it.
“The next day I noticed a rash and put on some antibacterial cream and took some antihistamine to try and calm it down but it just didn’t work.
“A few days later the pain started. The pain came on thick and fast. I couldn’t even sit down. The rash had spread right down my thigh.
“The pain was excruciating, it was worse than childbirth. I’d never felt pain like it.”
Natasha rang the out-of-hours doctors who told her she had been bitten by a horsefly – and prescribed three doses of antibiotics.
However, after taking the medicine, Natasha began feeling very unwell while watching a movie at home with her son.
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Natasha said: “My body just started to shut down. My blood sugars dropped. I was shivering.
“I was shaking uncontrollably and had a 40 degree fever. I was collapsing. The pain was unbearable.
“I went unconscious twice on the couch while we were watching a movie. My son had to ring 999.
“We weren’t sure if it was a reaction to the antibiotics but the doctor said it was due to the horsefly bite.
“I was rushed to hospital via ambulance and the doctor looked at my bite and said it’s severely infected and told me there was an abscess and I would need surgery.”
Natasha underwent an hour-long operation to drain the abscess, which contained 50ml of fluid, and remained in hospital for five days.
‘Picnic could have cost me my life’
Natasha said: “I was told I was quite lucky because the poison had started to go into my body and they were worried about me getting sepsis. My body was starting to shut down.
“It was quite a scary time. You never expect something like this to happen. I was shocked. I’ve been bitten by things before but never a horsefly.
“Living in Scotland, you’re prone to it so this was very surreal.
“The surgeon said they’d never seen anything like it. They don’t know why it got this serious. I was lucky I came in when I did.
“This picnic could’ve cost me my life. I look back and think this could’ve been so much worse.
“I’m terrified about it happening again. It’s in the back of your head all the time.”
11 of the most common but nasty bug bites
Bug bites are the scourge of British summertime.
And while a nibble from a critter is usually not a big problem, some can send you into a frenzy of itching or get pretty sore.
Everyone’s immune system responds differently to bites and stings, and some people may have more severe reactions than others – especially when it comes to stings from flying insects like bees or wasps.
Itching is common, and the area around the bite can often become tender and painful to touch.
If your symptoms persist, it’s imperative you see a doctor to check that you haven’t been infected and that you aren’t suffering from an insect-born disease.
It’s hard to know what insect decided to have you for lunch, unless you catch the culprit in the act – easier said than done when most are microscopic.
Here are 11 of the most common bites and stings to help you work out what pest bit you in the first place. You can check photos of the side effects here.
1. FLEA BITE
Flea bites are small red bumps that appear in clusters. They are small and often have little red halos around them.
They usually prefer animals but can also go for warm areas like your groin and armpits, the NHS states.
- Symptoms: They are usually itchy and will leave red marks.
- How to treat: Try not to scratch the area, keep it clean and use antiseptic creams.
2. TICK BITE
Ticks like to feed on your blood so it’s usually easy to find them, as quite often they will still be attached to the area they have bitten.
They will usually leave a red spot, but not all people will have this reaction.
Ticks like warm blood so they will look to feast on the warmer parts of the body like armpits, behind the knees and the groin.
- Symptoms: If you have been bitten by a tick, then it can usually be quite itchy. The reaction you have will depend on the type of tick that decided to feast on you. Lyme disease is one signal as well as other tick-borne illnesses, including tularemia and anaplasmosis.
- How to treat: Try not to itch the bite. If it gets uncomfortable, you can use an ice pack or apply calamine lotion or antiseptic creams to stop the itching.
3. SPIDER BITE
If you see a spider scurrying away or you have two tiny puncture wounds on your skin, then it’s most likely a spider bite.
Most spiders only bite when they are provoked and their bites will usually leave your skin red and a bit swollen.
- Symptoms: Mild pain is to be expected but if you have been bitten by a black widow or brown recluses, then you could experience tremors and nausea. If you think you’ve been bitten by one of these spiders then you should seek help from a professional.
- How to treat: Using an ice pack will help the swelling and if you have been bit on your leg it’s a good idea to keep it elevated.
4. FLY BITE
Fly bites are common if you spend a lot of time outside and even more so if you spend time around horses. They can be pretty painful.
- Symptoms: They are often raised and will be a little bit itchy but more are innocuous.
- How to treat: To help soothe the bite, you can apply ice and keep the area clean.
5. MOSQUITO BITE
Mosquito bites are a common – and unwanted – summer souvenir.
The little pests like to go for the ankles, knees and neck. Their bites form bumps that usually go red.
- Symptoms: You won’t feel much pain at first but these bites can become very itchy. If you’re experiencing cold or flu symptoms then you may have contracted a disease, as some mosquitoes carry dengue, Zika and West Nile viruses.
- How to treat: You can take an over counter antihistamines and make sure you keep the area clean.
6. BEE STING
Bee stings can be fatal to some and there will usually be a white spot where they have stung.
Sometimes the barbed stinger is left attached and you need to pull this out.
- Symptoms: You will have moderate pain which should go away within a few hours.
- How to treat: You can use a cold compress to quell the swelling but if you think you’re having an allergic reaction then it’s best to go to A&E.
7. BED BUG BITE
These can sometimes look like mosquito bites and appear as small, red, puffy lumps in a cluster of three or more.
They appear on skin that is exposed to your bed covers at night. Bed bugs often linger in your mattress in the corners.
- Symptoms: The bites can become itchy and swollen but they don’t spread disease.
- How to treat: First you need to get rid of the bed bugs in your home. To do this you need to make sure you wash your bedding often and vacuum any areas around the bed. You can also scrub the mattress seams to remove their eggs. You can use over-the-counter pain relief and antihistamines to stop the itching.
8. ANT BITE OR STING
These can be a double whammy as some ants can bite and sting. Most will cause pimple-like spots.
- Symptoms: If a fire ant has bitten you then it will be painful as they have strong venom, and this can take weeks to go away.
- How to treat: Ice the sting on and off and elevate the area. You can also take antihistamines.
9. SANDFLY BITE
Sandfly bites can transmit parasite infections that cause skin lesions and ulcers.
- Symptoms: Bites will appear in small red clusters and can also cause blisters. They will be painful and itchy.
- How to treat: Antihistamines usually help.
10. CHIGGER BITE
These bites are usually invisible to the naked eye and will create tiny little bumps.
- Symptoms: You will feel severe discomfort but the mites don’t spread disease and do not burrow in your skin.
- How to treat: They usually get better without treatment but if you’re struggling, you can use antiseptic creams or calamine lotion.
11. HEAD LICE BITE
Head lice leave patches of red, abraded spots on the scalp. The bites are small but the reaction your body has to them makes them grow. You can also develop sores due to scratching.
- Symptoms: First you might see some eggs that then hatch into lice. If you feel like something is moving your hair then it’s likely lice crawling.
- How to treat: After washing the hair with shampoo and conditioner, you need to comb through with a fine comb to remove lice and eggs. Lice lotion can also be used to prevent them from returning.
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