How to reduce discomfort from ants sting in toddler?

Julianna,

Hi there. One thing I would suggest is to keep Benadryll with you all the time so if this happens again you can immediately give her a dose. My daughter is very allergic to mosquitos and has had to go on oral steroids for it before. The dr. had suggested that if she gets bit to immediately give her a dose of Benadryll and it's such a life saver. She never ends up swelling up and it goes away faster. Benadryll has a histamine in it so it stops the reaction from happening. I keep chewables with me and it works. I hope she's feeling better now. My son and niece both have peanut alleriges also so we carry epi pens, benadryll and albuterol inhalers (for their asthma) 24/7 with us. Good luck.

We use Aveeno oatmeal bath as a soak, some of the "powder" doesn't desolve and forms oatmeal balls in the bath, we play a game to see how many she can catch and rub on her itchy spots as a paste. After the bath cover itches in Calmine lotion.
Good Luck
J.

You may want to try a mixture of water and baking soda....make a paste out of it and dab on. I have never tried it with Fire ant bites but it works with bee stings. And its all natural and safe. Hope this helps.

Topical benadryl will help - if the witch hazel does not - to take away the histamine reaction. Witch hazel is usually a great way to soothe away the pain of sunburns and general itchies.

Calamine lotion is another universal topical application that is tolerated well by kids. Most schools use it as ants seem to be anywhere kids are!

There is always a nice soak in warm water and epsom salt to soothe away hurts!

Witch hazel is the BEST for ant and mosquito bites. We use Tucks pads since they're portable. Just keep a container in the glovebox of the car, etc. Just wipe the bite with either Witch Hazel on a cotton ball or with a Tuck's pad. The sting subsides, the bites shrink.
If the bites are big or especially itchy, we'll give them a little Benadryl too.
Good luck!

Try Bactine...it seems to work on bug bites of all kinds. My mom used it when I was a kid and now I use it for my little ones when needed. It works for my daughter (a little over 2 yo) on fire ant bites, and she too has a low pain threshold...

A soak with baking soda and warm water is natural and will help draw out the puss. Benadryl cream may help as well.

I am sorry to hear about her bites. I am allergic and the area around the bite really swells up when I am stung. The last time I got hit was while I was doing yard work and helping my friend to powerwash her pool surround. when it got bad -the pain- I would put my foot in the then chilly pool. So cold seemed to help me. I also have a salve that I have been getting from the net that really helps itching of all sorts. It was developed for Poison Ivy but works great on all "itchy spots" as my kids say.
Here is the site good luck
http://store.altnature.com/poivre1.html

This may sound crazy but I'd try diaper rash cream. I use it for mosquito bites and it works great.

There is a product called Afterbite that they sell in the drugstore that works great. One of the parenting magazines actually said it a the best anti-itch out there for kids. There is an adult version as well as a kids version (the adult is based with ammonia, so I would really try the kids one)...I am pretty sure that they also have it at Baby's R Us.

Vicks VapoRub (or generic) is excellent! If you apply it immediately, it takes the sting away & disinfects it; it also seems to diminish the duration of the itch/pain from the bite.

Baking soda mixed with a little water to make a paste. Messy but it works instantly to remove the pain for my kids when ever they had any kind of bug sting.
I keep a bag of baking soda in my car glove box.

Please visit a health food store and discuss with them because there are lots of choices in natural remedies. Hope you find her some relief soon. Best of luck with your Journey to Complete Health, K.

I can completely relate! My daughter is also 3, she will be 4 in September. She actually STOOD in an ant pile and unfortunately for her, she IS allergic to the bites, has been since she was born. I took her into the house immediatley and put a cold compress alternated with heat on it, which helped with the swelling, also giving her some Benadryl will assist. It has been almost 3 weeks since my daughter did this, and she still has the marks on her foot and some swelling, but not too bad anymore. Good luck!!!

L.

Maybe try some good 'ol fashioned rubbing alcohol. Grandmother used it all the time on us kids :)

You may want to try spray solarcaine...it has a numbing agent in it that might make the bites feel better for a while.

Good luck!

Hi, my son is 2 and I have had the same problem. Have you tried witchazel? It is an old wives tale but it really seemed to dry up the bites, as a matter of fact, I use it for all bites, scrapes etc. It doen't burn and you can find it by the rubbing alcohol in Publix, Walgreens or Target. Good luck! I hope this helps!
J.

I always use rubbing alcohol on them when first bitten and then several times a day. Works great.

My father was a Beekeeper and was stung quite often. Fire ants have the same poisen just in smaller doses. He found that making a paste of baking soda and water, and applying it to the skin where the sting occured was a great help in reducing the pain. I don't know how it would work the next day, but it is safe and worth a try.
Also if the area is raised and has a little infection that may be the cause of the pain & itching. It is when i get an ant sting. After i get the infection out, i put Neosporin on the area and a band-aide for 24 hours.

Hope this helps.
T.

Try rhuli gel. It's at most drug stores and it's a little pricey, but it works wonders for ant bites!

Try putting sunscreen on it. I don't know why it helps but it does. I have only tried it right after it happened to ease the immediate pain but i might still work now. It is worth a try.
Good Luck

Try pouring Listerine(mouth wash) on the bites it really works! I always have some around and when someone gets bit I just pour it on. I also use Ivy-Dry Super, its a spray that relieves itching, its in a brown bottle. I believe I bought it at CVS or Walgreens. Good Luck! I hope it helps.

Family of 5 and we've all been through it. My advice is ice. Ice numbs the burning pain of ant bites, helps with swelling. Either put ice in a baggie, cause kids love that or fill a bucket of ice and water and let her soak her feet. And then there is the anti-itch cream from walgreens, not sure if it actually helps physically, but mentally kids respond well to it. hope this helps.