When it comes to ant bites, it’s a double whammy of sorts; you deal not just with a bite, but also with a sting. This is because when an ant bites you, it takes off a chunk of skin with its mandibles and then leaves a sting lodged into your skin that can cause irritation, and sometimes even pain (especially when it comes to fire ants). It may not be a serious health hazard, but it can cause you to scratch yourself for days till your skin gets swollen and red, and may sometimes even bleed. It’s definitely something you’d like to cure quickly, if not avoid altogether.
Therefore, a list of home remedies that help soothe and treat ant bites is something that we could all find useful.
10 Effective Home Remedies For Treating Ant Bites
Here are a few handy home remedies that make use of common kitchen ingredients and household items that you are sure to have lying around on any given day.
1. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice helps to bring down the irritation and pain you to reduce the pain that’s caused by an ant bite. All you have to do is squeeze the juice out of a lemon and apply it on the bite. Very soon, the itching will vanish and the pain will have gone down drastically.
2. Vinegar
Vinegar doesn’t just soothe the affected area of your skin, but will also bring down your chances of infection that could possibly be caused by the ant bite. Dilute just enough vinegar in some water and apply it on areas of your skin that have been bitten.
3. Ice
The cooling sensation brought about by applying ice on your skin helps treat any form of irritation caused by an ant bite. Along with this, it will also help bring down the swelling to a large extent. To treat your bite quickly, apply ice packs to the bitten areas of your skin repeatedly.
4. Honey
Honey will work to reduce the swelling and itching caused by an ant bite. Because it is so effective in soothing the skin, it will prevent you from scratching and making the bite worse. Apply some honey on the affected areas of your skin. Make sure to leave it on for a while before rinsing it off.
5. Herbal Tea
Herbal tea is a potent antioxidant that helps cure inflammation and bring down the swelling. Rub wet herbal tea bags on the bitten areas of your skin, and it will almost immediately bring down the pain and irritation caused by the bite.
6. Cucumber
Like ice, cucumber also has a cooling sensation on the skin that helps reduce swelling, pain, and any form of irritation caused by ant bites. Simply cut up a cucumber and rub a slice on the affected area of your skin using gentle, circular motions.
7. Baking Soda
Baking soda can work wonders to soothe the pain and irritation caused by ant bites, and can also help keep chances of infection at bay. Add a few drop of water to a little bit of baking soda and mix well till it forms a paste. Apply this on the bite and wait till it dries before rinsing it off.
8. Salt
Salt is another effective solution to bring down the swelling and pain caused by an ant bite. Mix a few drops of water with some salt to prepare a solution and rub this gently on the bitten areas of your skin for instant relief.
9. Toothpaste
Toothpaste has a cooling sensation that provides almost immediate relief from an ant bite. It will also stop your skin from swelling up any further. Dab on a little toothpaste from the tube and leave it on for a while before washing it off.
10. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is another cooling agent that brings your inflamed skin instant relief. If you have access to an aloe vera plant, slice one of its leaves down the middle and pull apart the thick outer coating to get access to the gel. Scoop out this gel and apply it directly on your skin to cure your pain and irritation.
If you don’t have an aloe vera plant, you will find it in jars at the local chemist’s or at beauty and skin care retailers. You could even find it at organic markets or online.
