Sadly, being bitten by bugs on holiday is fairly common, however you should have a few tricks (not ticks!) up your sleeve to prevent this from spoiling your family holiday.

As in most situations, prevention is better than the cure, so we have listed some of the preventative measures you should take to minimise risk of being bitten when travelling, particularly with small children.

Bugs are around all the time but tend to be at their worst and hungriest at Dawn and Dusk so these are the times that you should take most precautions.

Wear long sleeved shirts and long trousers in a plain light colour as patterns and bright colours attract insects.

Insect repellents should be applied sparingly to clothing, shoes and exposed skin. Be very careful when applying to children as these repellents are absorbed through the skin, better to use on clothing rather than directly on the skin. When looking for repellents for use on children find ones that contain a maximum of 10% DEET and rely more on Citronella or Soybean oil based products.

Buy products at home before you travel so that you can read the instructions and the ingredient lists in your own language rather than relying on a pharmacist in a foreign country who may not appreciate you are using on a child.

If you do use insect repellents on children do not put on children’s hands as the repellent may be transferred to eyes or mouth and wash off repellents once you come indoors.

If the hotel provides mosquito nets around beds and on windows and doors check the insides and kill any insects prior to use and in plenty of time so that the room has time to ventilate prior to children sleeping. Tuck the nets under the mattress to ensure that they stay secure in the night.

Always wear shoes when outside.

Avoid using highly scented products including soaps, shampoo, perfumes and deodorant.

Avoid sitting near flowering plants or bodies of still water. Avoid contact with vegetation, especially long grass, if you have to walk in these areas then stay to the centre of the path.

Some sun creams and after suns have an insect repellent element and my recommendation is that you look at the Boots Soltan range which is trustworthy, inexpensive and effective, again look carefully at the product and check that they are suitable for use on children, if in doubt, speak to the pharmacist who will be able to give you expert advice.

Lastly, if you are unfortunate and get bitten by a bug there are some great products that you should carry with you. Try Jungle Formula Bite and Sting cream or Jungle Formula Cooling insect spray and take some piriton anti histamine tablets or liquid to ease rashes and itching, again take professional advice if your child has any health issues or allergy issues.

Please find below the latest advice on insect bites from the NHS.

Symptoms of insect bites

An insect bite often causes a small lump to develop, which is usually very itchy. A small hole (the actual bite) may also be visible. The lump may have an inflamed area around it that may be filled with fluid. This is called a weal.

Insect bites usually clear up within several days and can be safely treated at home.

Allergic reactions

Some people are particularly sensitive to certain insect bites and, when they are bitten, react badly to them.

However, severe allergic reactions to insect bites are rare. You are more likely to have an allergic reaction if you are stung by an insect. Never the less, it is still important to be aware of the symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, as it will require emergency treatment.

Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction may include:

• wheezing or difficulty breathing,
• severe itching, or a blotchy rash over many parts of your body,
• severe swelling which may be visible in your lips or tongue,
• dizziness,
• nausea, or
• chest pain.

Call for immediate emergency medical assistance if, following an insect bite, or sting, you, or someone you know, is displaying these symptoms.

Symptoms of an infected bite

Sometimes insect bites can become infected. Symptoms of an infected insect bite may include:

• pus in, or around, the bite,
• swollen glands, or
• flu-like symptoms.

Another sign of an infected insect bite can be increasing redness, swelling, and pain in, and around, the bite. Some bites will naturally be red and swollen, but for other types of bite, these symptoms may be abnormal.

If you suspect that your bite may have become infected, or you are concerned in any way about your symptoms, you should see a medical practitioner.

Sensitisation

If you are bitten by an insect, you may become 'sensitive' to its saliva. Being bitten again by the same, or a similar species, can provoke a local reaction to occur. For example, an itchy papule (lump), or an itchy weal (an inflamed, fluid-filled area) may develop, and last for several days.

The severity of the reaction will depend on your level of sensitivity. However, if you continue to be exposed to the insect's saliva (you continue to be bitten), you will eventually become immune to the saliva, and there will be no reaction at all.

Prognosis

Most insect bite reactions only last for a few hours and clear up quickly. However, occasionally, they can persist for several months. If you have a persistent infection following an insect bite, you may need to have follow-up treatment. You should seek advice from your GP about this.

In the case of tick bites, persistent reactions can occur, particularly if some of the insect's mouth parts are not removed from your skin. However, most tick bites heal within three weeks.

The symptoms that can occur from different types of insect bite are listed below.

Midges, mosquitoes, and gnats

Bites from midges, mosquitoes, and gnats often cause small papules (lumps) to form on your skin that are usually very itchy. If you are particularly sensitive to insect bites, bullae (blisters) or weals (circular, fluid-filled areas surrounding the bite) may develop.

Mosquito bites in certain areas of tropical countries can cause malaria.

Fleas

Fleabites can be grouped in lines, or clusters. If you are particularly sensitive to flea bites, they can lead to a condition known as papular urticaria (where lumps, or lesions, form). Bullae (fluid-filled blisters) may also sometimes develop. Cat and dog fleabites often occur below the knee, commonly around the ankles.

Horseflies

A bite from a horsefly can be very painful, and as well as the formation of a weal around the bite, you may experience:

• urticaria (a rash of weals),
• dizziness,
• weakness,
• wheezing, or,
• angio-oedema (itchy, pale pink, or red, swellings that often occur around the eyes and lips for short periods of time).

As horseflies cut the skin when they bite (rather than pierce it), horsefly bites can take a long time to heal, and they can cause infection.

Bedbugs

Bites from bedbugs are not usually painful, and if you have not been bitten previously, you may not have any symptoms. However, if you are sensitised, you may develop intensely irritating weals (inflamed, fluid-filled area) or papules (lumps). Bites often occur on your face, neck, hands, and arms.

Ticks

Ticks live in long grassy areas, and in forests where deer are found. Tick bites are not usually painful, and sometimes only cause a red papule (lump) to develop at the bite site.

However, ticks can carry a bacterial infection, called Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease. If Lyme disease is not treated, its effects can be serious.

Glossary

Antibiotic

Antibiotics are medicines that can be used to treat infections caused by micro-organisms, usually bacteria or fungi. For example amoxicillin, streptomycin and erythromycin.

Allergic

An allergen is a substance that reacts with the body's immune system and causes an allergic reaction.

Inflammation

Inflammation is the body's response to infection, irritation or injury, which causes redness, swelling, pain and sometimes a feeling of heat in the affected area.