Is a red ring around a bug bite always bad?

[kaimon]

DS reacts bad to mosquito bites. The area swells up huge, gets red and eventually the bite blisters with clear puss, pops and then scabs. Reaction tends to be bad 24hours after being bitten and slowly heals. We try to prevent bites but it's not easy!

We were at my parents' place in the country on Friday. I saw the bite that day (but not the bug that bit him). I tried putting afterbite on it - which we have never used before but I was hoping it would prevent a big reaction. The weekend before he had been bitten a couple of time on his arm and his elbow was swollen for a couple of days.

Yesterday I noticed the bite was swollen and red, as usually happens with his bites.

Today it has a red ring... sort of a bullseye around it. It's not a rash. There's not bumpy or roughness to it. Just a red ring around a red spot. Or even pink around pink - it's not super dark. We saw no tick.

Pic is not great - taken from my phone.



What do you think? Given his history of reacting big to mosquito bites. There's no way to see his ped or go to a clinic today. By this time they are full for the day. I could call the nurse line or go to the ER.

[ralenth]

Bullseye to me says Lyme disease, and I wouldn't mess around with the potential of that. I would be very wary, and get him seen ASAP. I've heard so many horror stories about Lyme disease, and the ticks in this area (not sure about where you are) are really, really bad this year.

[HeatherlovesCDs]

Originally Posted by ralenth Bullseye to me says Lyme disease, and I wouldn't mess around with the potential of that. I would be very wary, and get him seen ASAP. I've heard so many horror stories about Lyme disease, and the ticks in this area (not sure about where you are) are really, really bad this year.

This was my first thought as well. I'm not sure it warrants a visit to the ER, but I would call the nurse to find out and either way go in first thing in the morning.

[kaimon]

Right. I of course thought of Lyme too. But he did not have a tick on him. We were in the country only for the day, and I saw the bite within an hour or two of it happening. The bite is definitely not tick.

[lilly12]

I get this when I get bit by a mosquito , and so does my 15 month old DD.
Our bites get HUGE & so red on our body, if you're breastfeeding, put breastmilk on it for a day and see if it's less the next day.

Does your child have a fever at all? Acting different? Eating good? etc etc.

[kaimon]

Originally Posted by lilly12 I get this when I get bit by a mosquito , and so does my 15 month old DD. Our bites get HUGE & so red on our body, if you're breastfeeding, put breastmilk on it for a day and see if it's less the next day. Does your child have a fever at all? Acting different? Eating good? etc etc.

He's perfectly fine in every other way. no fever, no loss of appetite, doesn't even seem to itch him (but he did say yes when I asked if it was itchy, no when I asked if it hurt).

His bug bites always react big, and I always panic for one reason or another. This is the first time I've seen it coloured like this though. But it seems to be fading a bit as the day goes on.

[isabelsmummy]

If you're certain it's not a tick (and I wouldn't know), I think that looks like what happens to me often from a mosquito.

I think it warrants a visit to the doc just to find out if his reactions to a mosquito bite could ever be anything more than bothersome.

[Brooke789]

I'm allergic to mosquitos and this is what happens to me. If I get a bite it gets huge huge huge. DS is the same way (not test, but I assume he is allergic too). We were camping this week and he got 4 bites. 2 on one leg, 1 on another and 1 on his arm. The one on his arm is so bad. it is just below his elbow and his whole arm is swollen and the 'bite' area is about the size of a silver dollar (on his 2 year old arm). All of the other 3 already broke open and let out the pus so they aren't as big, but that one is so bad that I actually gave him Benadryl before bed tonight.

[kaimon]

Originally Posted by Brooke789 I'm allergic to mosquitos and this is what happens to me. If I get a bite it gets huge huge huge. DS is the same way (not test, but I assume he is allergic too). We were camping this week and he got 4 bites. 2 on one leg, 1 on another and 1 on his arm. The one on his arm is so bad. it is just below his elbow and his whole arm is swollen and the 'bite' area is about the size of a silver dollar (on his 2 year old arm). All of the other 3 already broke open and let out the pus so they aren't as big, but that one is so bad that I actually gave him Benadryl before bed tonight.

I do think he is allergic to mosquito bites. This is exactly what happens to him too. I haven't bothered getting him tested. Maybe I should at this point. I always have benadryl and an epipen on hand because dd has food allergies. Maybe I should ask about getting a rx for him as well.

[mamashhon]

My DS reacts the same way to mosquitos. They look identical to the picture and are just like you describe. Keep us updated. They always worry me but we've never gone to the Pedi. We live in FL though and mosquitos are unavoidable.