### Bug Bites vs. Stings: How to Tell the Difference **Bug Bites** - **What Happens:** A non-venomous bug pierces your skin and feeds on your blood. - **Symptoms:** You may notice a bump, known as a papule, which is often accompanied by intense itching. Some bites can cause swelling, itching, burning, numbness, or tingling. - **Common Biting Insects:** Mosquitoes, fleas, bedbugs, and lice. Ticks and some spiders also bite, but they are technically arachnids, not insects. Ticks feed on your blood, but spiders do not. Some spiders have venom. - **Risks:** Bites can cause allergic reactions and can transmit diseases like Lyme disease (ticks) and malaria or Zika virus (mosquitoes). **Stings** - **What Happens:** An insect injects venom into your skin through its stinger. - **Symptoms:** You’ll feel pain, and the skin may turn red or swell at the site of the sting. In some cases, people who are allergic to the venom can have a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. - **Common Stinging Insects:** Bees, wasps, hornets, and some ants. - **Risks:** Stings can cause severe allergic reactions, known as anaphylaxis, which can be fatal. Rarely, a spider bite can cause an allergic reaction called anaphylactic shock. **When to Seek Help** - **Emergency Symptoms:** If you experience difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, a rapid heartbeat, or dizziness, call 911 immediately. These could be signs of anaphylaxis. - **Using Epinephrine:** If you have an epinephrine auto-injector, use it immediately if you suspect an allergic reaction, even if you’re not sure. It’s better to be safe. Knowing the difference between a bite and a sting can help you take the right steps for treatment and when to seek medical help.