Dangers of Centipede Bite & Its Treatement

Centipede is a very ticklish pest yet can be very deadly if bitten. A centipede bite must be treated as soon as possible to avoid any unwanted events. But the question is how do we treat it if we are at home?

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A Very Dangerous Arthropod

Centipede or its scientific name Chilopada is an insect from the deadly Arthropod family similar to tarantulas and scorpions. Its bite is believed to have caused many negative implications.

But in reality, this insect is not known to be aggressive or in any way attack, humans once threaten. Nevertheless, that does not mean that it does not pose a threat as centipedes will bite their victim and release their toxin to the individual.

Commonly this long-legged creature is measured at 3-20 centimeters in length and loved to stay in dark, damp places such as in your kitchen, toilet, pipes or even the lawn. As some of you might know, centipede bites can cause very dreadful pain besides the negative impacts on one's health including death.

The toxin produced by the centipede is capable of paralyzing its victims which are 15 times its size which also includes humans.

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Effects Of Centipede Bites On Humans

For your information, there has been a hypothesis visualizing this situation that goes; the bigger the size of the centipede, the worst of an effect the bite will be. Unfortunately, this is true.

A centipede bite can be categorized into two, minor and worst.

Effect of Minor Bites

• Pain in the bite area
• Rashes
• Redness
• Swelling
• Bleeding that can be stopped

The implication of the insect's bite is believed to be almost similar to spiders. The symptoms as stated above will last for several hours to days and resolve on their own.

Effects of Worst Bites

• Bad fever
• Cold sweat
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Rapid heartbeat
• Anaphylaxis

In the worst-case scenario of a centipede bite, death awaits you. Due to that, if the symptoms do not resolve on their own, then immediately seek a doctor's help by getting the proper treatment.

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How To Treat It At Home?

Imagine getting bit by these squirmy insects whilst you are all alone at home without any help. Not to worry as it can simply be treated at home with ease.

Generally speaking, the way to treat centipede bites is almost similar to any regular wounds.

1. Clean the bite wound with flowing water and soap to prevent any risk of infection in the area
2. Submerge the wound area in warm water to clean out the toxin
3. Compress the bite area with ice to reduce the pain
4. Apply creams to reduce the itchiness and swelling which contains hydrocortisone
5. If there were any pain then taking OTC medications like paracetamol or ibuprofen is sufficient enough
6. If there were any ongoing allergies then an antihistamine medication like loratadine or chlorpheniramine should be taken.
7. Seek the doctor's help if any of the above did not help in resolving the problem.

Source:

• Science

• Poison Control

• Mount Sinai

Also read: Signs Showing That Your Body Is Dehydrated