Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of Bug BitesCausesTreatmentComplications
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types of Bug Bites
Causes
Treatment
Complications
A bug bite that looks like a bruise can come from spiders, hornets, wasps, mosquitos, and ticks. While red marks, welts, and itching are the most common symptoms of insect bites, bruising can also happen under certain circumstances.
Usually simple treatments, like over-the-counter pain relievers, anti-itch creams, and antihistamines, as well as applying an icepack to reduce swelling, will do the trick. In some severe cases, though, medical help may be necessary.
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How to Identify a Bug Bite That Looks Like a Bruise
Various insects can leave behind a bruise after they bite. Sometimes, this reaction is from the injury; other times, it merely appears bruised as the bug bite darkens.
1. Spiders
In addition to a bruised appearance, other symptoms of a venomous spider bite include:
Venomousspider bitesrequire immediate medical attention.
2. Wasp Stings
Stings from wasps (including hornets) are painful. While not a primary symptom of a sting, a bruise may occur around the sting due to the injury.
Other symptoms of hornet and wasp stings include:
Allergic ReactionsSigns of anallergic reactioninclude flushing,hives, dizziness, trouble breathing, and loss of consciousness.
Allergic Reactions
Signs of anallergic reactioninclude flushing,hives, dizziness, trouble breathing, and loss of consciousness.
3. Mosquitos
Mosquitosare well known for their red welts and itching. But, bruising can also occur, especially in people with a mosquito allergy, known as “skeeter syndrome." Skeeter syndrome is not typically a life-threatening allergy.
Other symptoms include:
Skeeter syndrome lasts 3 to 10 days. If your symptoms worsen or last longer, seek medical attention for a possible skin infection.
4. Ticks
Tick bitesare painless, which is why it’s essential to check your body after time outdoors in tick-infested areas. When a tick embeds in your skin, the site may appear red or purple.
After the bite, a skin rash is common, especially in the case of atick-borne illness. The rash can look like a bullseye and is often pink or red, but it can be darker in color, too.
Other symptoms of a tick-borne illness include:
Be aware that tick-borne illness symptoms can take up to a few weeks to develop. If you experience any of the above symptoms after you’ve spent time outdoors, speak to a healthcare provider.
If you live in an area where Lyme disease is prevalent, notify a healthcare provider if you have a bite from a deer tick that has been attached for 36 hours or more. You can receive medication to reduce the risk of Lyme disease if it can be given within 72 hours of removal of the tick.
What Is Anaphylaxis?Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that requires immediate medical attention. Symptoms include:ItchingWheezingShortness of breathConfusion
What Is Anaphylaxis?
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that requires immediate medical attention. Symptoms include:ItchingWheezingShortness of breathConfusion
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that requires immediate medical attention. Symptoms include:
Causes of Bug Bite Bruises
Often the cause of purple skin around a bug bite is your body’s reaction to the saliva or venom from the insect. For example, when amosquitosucks your blood, it injects saliva into your skin. This fluid exchange produces an itchy rash in most people, and it can also lead to a bruised appearance.
Other times, like with a wasp sting or spider bite, when the venom releases into the skin and surrounding tissue, it causes pain and inflammation.These reactions can sometimes lead to bruising.
Some tick-borne diseases may cause rashes, such as the purple rash related to Rocky Mountain spotted fever, or the bulls-eye rash (erythema migrans) related to Lyme disease.
Usually, bug bites are a minor nuisance, but sometimes they can be more concerning. Therefore, the first step intreating a bug biteis identifying the culprit since this may determine the actions you take.
If you have a bite that’s not venomous, allergic, or infectious, the following is recommended:
Serious Complications to Watch For
Complications from bug bites include allergic reactions, skin infections, insect-borne diseases, poisoning, andnecrosis(skin and tissue death).
Allergies
Around 15% of fatalities fromanaphylaxis(severe allergic reaction) are from venom allergies.
Allergies to stingsand bug bites require immediate medical attention. Signs of an allergic reaction include:
Skin Infections
Since bug bites break the skin, they can lead to aninfection. Symptoms of askin infectioninclude:
Necrosis
Venom Injury
Not all spider bites can make you sick, but some can. Symptoms of a venomous bite include:
Seek medical attention immediately if you experience the above symptoms following a spider bite.
Insect-Borne Diseases
Summary
Some bug bites can cause a bruise or a bruised-like appearance. Insects that may cause bruising include mosquitos, ticks, bees, and spiders. Often a bruise isn’t a cause for alarm, but keep an eye out for allergy symptoms, skin infections, necrosis, and other symptoms of a possible complication.
If any of these warning symptoms accompany your bug bite bruise, seek medical attention right away.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of venomous spider bites.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Insect stings.Dhami S, Zaman H, Varga E, et al.Allergen immunotherapy for insect venom allergy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Allergy. 2017;72(3):342-365. doi:10.1111/all.13077The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Skeeter syndrome defined.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of tick-borne illness.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mosquito bite symptoms and treatment.Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Bee and wasp stings.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Tips to prevent and treat bug bites.Jerschow E, Lin RY, Scaperotti MM, McGinn AP.Fatal anaphylaxis in the United States, 1999-2010: temporal patterns and demographic associations.J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;134(6):1318-1328.e7. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2014.08.018National Library of Medicine.Skin infections.Johns Hopkins Medical.What is necrotizing soft tissue infection?Rahmani F, Banan Khojasteh SM, Ebrahimi Bakhtavar H, Rahmani F, Shahsavari Nia K, Faridaalaee G.Poisonous spiders: bites, symptoms, and treatment; an educational review.Emerg (Tehran). 2014;2(2):54-58.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of venomous spider bites.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Insect stings.Dhami S, Zaman H, Varga E, et al.Allergen immunotherapy for insect venom allergy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Allergy. 2017;72(3):342-365. doi:10.1111/all.13077The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.Skeeter syndrome defined.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of tick-borne illness.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mosquito bite symptoms and treatment.Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Bee and wasp stings.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Tips to prevent and treat bug bites.Jerschow E, Lin RY, Scaperotti MM, McGinn AP.Fatal anaphylaxis in the United States, 1999-2010: temporal patterns and demographic associations.J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;134(6):1318-1328.e7. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2014.08.018National Library of Medicine.Skin infections.Johns Hopkins Medical.What is necrotizing soft tissue infection?Rahmani F, Banan Khojasteh SM, Ebrahimi Bakhtavar H, Rahmani F, Shahsavari Nia K, Faridaalaee G.Poisonous spiders: bites, symptoms, and treatment; an educational review.Emerg (Tehran). 2014;2(2):54-58.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of venomous spider bites.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Insect stings.
Dhami S, Zaman H, Varga E, et al.Allergen immunotherapy for insect venom allergy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Allergy. 2017;72(3):342-365. doi:10.1111/all.13077
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of tick-borne illness.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mosquito bite symptoms and treatment.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Bee and wasp stings.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Tips to prevent and treat bug bites.
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National Library of Medicine.Skin infections.
Johns Hopkins Medical.What is necrotizing soft tissue infection?
Rahmani F, Banan Khojasteh SM, Ebrahimi Bakhtavar H, Rahmani F, Shahsavari Nia K, Faridaalaee G.Poisonous spiders: bites, symptoms, and treatment; an educational review.Emerg (Tehran). 2014;2(2):54-58.
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