Worried about your symptoms?
Start the Insect Bite test with our free AI Symptom Checker.
This will help us personalize your assessment.
By starting the symptom checker, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Insect bites
Swelling
Itchy skin
Red spots on skin
Skin rashes
Itchy bumps on skin
Skin painful to touch
Sudden sting on skin
Unexplained burning sensation on skin
Bug bites that blister
Itchy skin at night
Erythema
Not seeing your symptoms? No worries!
Irritation and inflammation of the skin caused by mosquito bites, bee stings, and other insects.
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
This condition is typically mild and improves on its own. However, medications may help relieve pain and itching. Rarely, some patients may develop a severe allergy, requiring emergency medical care.
Reviewed By:
Unnati Patel, MD, MSc (Family Medicine)
Dr.Patel serves as Center Medical Director and a Primary Care Physician at Oak Street Health in Arizona. She graduated from the Zhejiang University School of Medicine prior to working in clinical research focused on preventive medicine at the University of Illinois and the University of Nevada. Dr. Patel earned her MSc in Global Health from Georgetown University, during which she worked with the WHO in Sierra Leone and Save the Children in Washington, D.C. She went on to complete her Family Medicine residency in Chicago at Norwegian American Hospital before completing a fellowship in Leadership in Value-based Care in conjunction with the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, where she earned her MBA. Dr. Patel’s interests include health tech and teaching medical students and she currently serves as Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Arizona School of Medicine.
Yukiko Ueda, MD (Dermatology)
Dr. Ueda graduated from the Niigata University School of Medicine and trained at the University of Tokyo Medical School. She is currently a clinical assistant professor at the Department of Dermatology, Jichi Medical University, and holds several posts in the dermatology departments at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Komagome Hospital, University of Tokyo, and the Medical Center of Japan Red Cross Society.
Content updated on Mar 27, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
Was this page helpful?
We would love to help them too.
With a free 3-min Insect Bite quiz, powered by Ubie's AI and doctors, find possible causes of your symptoms.
This questionnaire is customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
Your symptoms

Our AI

Your report

Your personal report will tell you
✔ When to see a doctor
✔︎ What causes your symptoms
✔︎ Treatment information etc.
See full list
Q.
Brown Recluse Bite? Why Skin Necroses and Medically Approved Next Steps
A.
Brown recluse bites can cause skin necrosis from a venom enzyme that injures blood vessels, usually appearing over 2 to 5 days; most suspected bites are mild or due to other causes, but watch for a growing dark center, blistering, severe pain, fever, or dark urine. There are several factors to consider, and medically approved next steps include gentle cleaning, cool compresses, elevation, not cutting or applying heat, and seeking prompt care if symptoms worsen or become systemic; there is no widely available antivenom in the U.S., treatment is supportive, and surgery is typically delayed until the wound stabilizes. See below to understand more.
References:
* pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29882297/
* pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30458661/
* pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21677242/
* pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23642323/
* pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15309071/
Q.
Midnight Welts? Why Your Skin is Inflamed + Medical Bed Bug Bite Relief
A.
Itchy midnight welts in lines or clusters on exposed skin often point to bed bug bites, an immune reaction to their saliva that causes red, swollen, very itchy bumps and is not known to transmit disease, though scratching can lead to infection. There are several factors to consider, from medical relief like washing, hydrocortisone 1 percent, antihistamines, and cool compresses to warning signs that need urgent care and steps to eliminate an infestation; see below for complete guidance, prevention tips, and when to seek medical help.
References:
* Doggett SL, Lee CY, Lee LCK, Beshir E. Advances in the biology and management of bed bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae). J Med Entomol. 2021 Jul 1;58(4):1501-1522. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjaa250. PMID: 33499140.
* Hwang SW, Ryoo EN, Lee YW. Cutaneous manifestations of bed bug bites: a systematic review. J Dermatolog Treat. 2023 Dec;34(1):2191593. doi: 10.1080/09546634.2023.2191593. PMID: 36987799.
* Akhoundi M, Kieu S, Gbaguidi-Haore H, Gouriet F, Parola P, Louni M, Almasoud A. Bed Bugs: An Update. Microorganisms. 2023 Oct 12;11(10):2526. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11102526. PMID: 37893976.
* Del Pesco E, Caccia A, Giai M, et al. Immune response to bed bug bites. J Med Entomol. 2023 Feb 1;60(1):15-21. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjac193. PMID: 36562541.
* Goddard J. Bed Bug Bites: Current Updates on the Effects of the Bites and Treatment. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2020 Apr;10(2):207-210. doi: 10.1007/s13555-020-00366-4. Epub 2020 Feb 21. PMID: 32080802; PMCID: PMC7075736.
Our symptom checker AI is continuously refined with input from experienced physicians, empowering them to make more accurate diagnoses.

“World’s Best Digital
Health Companies”
Newsweek 2024

“Best With AI”
Google Play Best of 2023

“Best in Class”
Digital Health Awards 2023 (Quarterfinalist)

Which is the best Symptom Checker?
Ubie’s symptom checker demonstrated a Top-10 hit accuracy of 71.6%, surpassing the performance of several leading symptom checkers in the market, which averaged around 60% accuracy in similar assessments.
Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1Singh S, Mann BK. Insect bite reactions. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2013 Mar-Apr;79(2):151-64. doi: 10.4103/0378-6323.107629. PMID: 23442453.
https://ijdvl.com/insect-bite-reactions/Moore SJ, Mordue Luntz AJ, Logan JG. Insect bite prevention. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2012 Sep;26(3):655-73. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2012.07.002. PMID: 22963776.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0891552012000748?via%3DihubStibich AS, Carbonaro PA, Schwartz RA. Insect bite reactions: an update. Dermatology. 2001;202(3):193-7. doi: 10.1159/000051635. PMID: 11385222.
https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/51635Wilcock J, Etherington C, Hawthorne K, Brown G. Insect bites. BMJ. 2020 Aug 7;370:m2856. doi: 10.1136/bmj.m2856. PMID: 32769081.
https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2856