Daughter with insect bites in neck

[ParamedFlorena]

Hi,

I don't know whether it is insect bites or lice, but my daughter was outside playing Saturday with her hair hanging loose. When she came inside she looked hot and sweaty so I decided to tie it up in her neck. When I had done that, I went back to cooking dinner but apparently she was bleeding from a tiny bite. I checked her later and she had two bumps, whereof one was open and bleeding. I didn't do much about it, thought it might be just a regular bite.

Tonight (tuesday), when I was to dry her hair after a shower, I noticed that it was several more bumps. They're wobbly and seem to be filled with water. I have checked her for lice but I can't see anything - eggs nor other traces. I'll talk with the school nurse tomorrow, but is there anyhing I can do now and does anyone have a clue what it could be? It obviously itches incredibly much. My daughter is going on 6 of age.

Florena

[ParamedFlorena]

Hi Melinda,

The nature here is very beneficial for creatures like that. There were no evidence for ticks though so thank goodness for that! It's a lot in nature. Some can be scary too. I do believe this was just a regular bite with allergical reactions and a worried mom :-p  Now when I think about it, it is only a reminder to keep antihistamines ready just in case there should be worse reactions than this. She hasn't been stung by wasps yet and I hope she'll never be! I know a mom that would probably freak out....

It's almost no sign of the rashes now and she's not itchy at all. The Daktacort with the aid of time has helped a great deal.

Florena

[medicmommy]

Hiya!
Hey, I saw this post...is there any chance it could be a tick causing these bites? They don't always burrow in right away, sometimes they travel, taking a chomp here and there...Especially near the hair line...Look for a tiny spider-like critter...Comb carefully through her hair, and examine coat collars, bedding, and pillows...and any other areas you can think of that her head may come in contact with...this sounds exactly like something my sister-in-law experienced after going camping and sitting against a tree...Hope this helps!                                          ~Melinda

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

It was nice of you to keep us psoted and do let us know about the progress.

Glad that the psot was of some help to you.

Let us know if you need any further information.

Regards.

[ParamedFlorena]

Thank you for a helpful answer. The school nurse helped us rule out lice and a fungal infection. She asked the physician to take a look at it and I guess we all ended up taking a guess on infection. We were prescribed a cream to help reduce the infection and linger the itch (dactacort). We're going to have to convince my daughter to keep her hair up in a ponytail to not aggravate the sweating too much on hot days. She's a warm-blood girl that easily sweats in the hair. Hopefully when she's growing older it will be other ways for her to sweat too.
Nothing was said on the use of shampoo but I think we're going to use something milder. It's so many chemicals in those things!

Thank you for much info!
Florena

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

This sounds like a heat rash or milaria , though nothing can be said with surety without having a look at the lesions.

'Miliaria (miliaria rubra, sweat rash or prickly heat) is a skin disease marked by small and itchy rashes. Miliaria is a common ailment in hot and humid conditions, such as in the tropics and during the summer season. '

'The prevention and treatment of miliaria primarily consists of controlling heat and humidity so that sweating is not stimulated. Measures may involve treating a febrile illness; removing occlusive clothing; limiting activity; providing air conditioning; or, as a last resort, having the patient move to a cooler climate.'

You could read more about the condition at the following links -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miliaria

and

http://www.emedicine.com/DERM/topic266.htm

You need to wash the areas several times with fresh water. Do not use any cosmetic products at the sites.

Apply calamine lotion at the site of the lesions and see if it helps. You could take some oral antihistamine medications like cetrizine or loratadine. You need to maintain a good personal hygiene .

Anti-itch drugs, often antihistamine, may reduce the itch during a flare up of eczema, and the reduced scratching in turn reduces damage and irritation to the skin.

Let us know if you need any other information and post us about how you are doing.

Regards.

[ParamedFlorena]

I didn't think ringworm would bleed either so that's why it didn't strike my mind right away but looking at images it seems like it could be... Her rash does get worse when she's sweating and lately her hair has been extremely lifeless and dry. I'm still waiting to talk to the nurse so I don't know anything yet. I've never seen ringworm in the scalp! It looked much better today but it was a little more spread. Pending diagnose, but if it is tinea - does anyone have any ideas of remedies that might help prevent it? Mild shampoo, gel, anything?

Bumping my own thread up :-)

Florena