Bug Bites

Itchy, red swollen bumps on the skin are an all-too-familiar summer sign that bugs – and bug bites – are flourishing. That annoying itch may be a good sign, however.

"Itchy is normal; tender is not," when it comes to bug bites, says Dr. Robin Carder, assistant professor of dermatology and pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Tenderness, she cautions, may be a sign the bug bite is becoming infected and deserves more medical attention.

"The main thing to watch for would be whether the bite is secondarily infected," says Dr. Carder. "It is normal for a bug bite to be a little red or swollen, and it may even blister. But the lesion should be more itchy than sore. If it becomes tender, that may be a sign of infection."

Other signs of possible infection are redness extending beyond the immediate bug bite, drainage of pus, or worsening, rather than improvement, of the site over time.