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Insect (probaby ant) bite on finger a few days ago. What to do?

her209

her209

No Lifer
I noticed I received an insect bite a few days ago on my right ring finger. I didn't think anything of it at the time since we have a problem with (red) ants in the house. I assumed it was an ant bite. Anyways, I kept scratching it and squeezing the clear liquid stuff that usually builds up like I normally do.

Well, this morning, my finger is all swollen all the way around where the ring would sit if I wore one. If I make my hand into a fist, the clear liquid comes out where the bite wound is. When make any movement with the finger, the knuckle hurts like a bitch (burning sensation). The color of the finger is a little more pinkish compared to the other ones.

Am I supposed to run my finger under hot water to break down the enzymes or something? As long as its still clear liquid that is coming out, I should be okay right? This is never like anything I've ever experienced with an ant bite so I'm wondering if it was a spider or something that got me in the middle of the night.

Ack.
 
If it gets hot and starts streaking, definitely go to urgent care. I'd say you're right at the cusp of a nasty infection that you won't be able to kick on your own without antibiotics.

And stop fucking with it. You're likely spreading the infection.
 
scott916 said:
If it gets hot and starts streaking, definitely go to urgent care. I'd say you're right at the cusp of a nasty infection that you won't be able to kick on your own without antibiotics.

And stop fucking with it. You're likely spreading the infection.
Click to expand...
What do you mean by "streaking"?
 
her209 said:
What do you mean by "streaking"?
Click to expand...

You'll see red streaks on your skin radiating away from the infection site. If you see that, you need to go in right away. It's a sign of a severe infection. If you go in now, you can probably get away with oral antibiotics.

Don't wait too long like a buddy did once, he had to have an IV shunt installed into his arm and inject himself with antibiotics because he didn't have health insurance and let a badly infected spider bite go too long without treatment.
 
scott916 said:
You'll see red streaks on your skin radiating away from the infection site. If you see that, you need to go in right away. It's a sign of a severe infection. If you go in now, you can probably get away with oral antibiotics.

Don't wait too long like a buddy did once, he had to have an IV shunt installed into his arm and inject himself with antibiotics because he didn't have health insurance and let a badly infected spider bite go too long without treatment.
Click to expand...
Will they look like scratch marks?
 
OP,

If it gets ANY worse go get help. In March I contracted MRSA ... on my FACE!!! Look it up.

If you have this you need dome pretty strong bug juice ... immediately.
 
dud said:
OP,

If it gets ANY worse go get help. In March I contracted MRSA ... on my FACE!!! Look it up.

If you have this you need dome pretty strong bug juice ... immediately.
Click to expand...
Just Googled it. Nasty stuff. Hopefully that's not what I have since I haven't been near a hospital in over a month.
 
If you have health insurance, just go to urgent care. They'll just give you a quick script for keflex or something. Call the advice nurse at least.
 
scott916 said:
If you have health insurance, just go to urgent care. They'll just give you a quick script for keflex or something. Call the advice nurse at least.
Click to expand...
I don't. Probably going to wait to see what happens in a couple hours. If its getting worse, will probably head to the clinic.
 
her209 said:
Will they look like scratch marks?
Click to expand...

I take it you have what looks like scratch marks on the area?

Yeah, time to go in and get yourself some antibiotics. Hopefully that's all you'll need.

Most likely a local staph infection. That's the problem with little nicks and cuts on your skin: your skin is often crawling with staph that lives on the surface, among other little critters your skin plays host to... though most often these critters never directly harm us.

Sounds like that bite most likely let some staph crawl in and the local defenses weren't able to dispose of the uninvited guest before it colonized.

Hopefully it's just a simple staph or strep strain, and not MSRA - that shit can be nasty.
 
her209 said:
Just Googled it. Nasty stuff. Hopefully that's not what I have since I haven't been near a hospital in over a month.
Click to expand...

MSRA can now be acquired through the community, and the community-acquired strains are actually worse.
Also, you can acquire it and never have anything happen for months or years, and then bam - it gets all bitchy.
 
you are being desolved slowly from the inside out, you should have just enough time to make your final preparations.
 
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