How concerned should I be about this big bite/sting?

[Yellowdaff25]

I was walking in the park yesterday (path not grass) and something has either bitten or stung me. At first it was just very itchy but over night has gotten very swollen and red and feels warm to touch. The skin feels tight and hard and it’s quite painful to walk and throbbing.

It’s a Sunday so not many pharmacies I can go to nearby that are open. Would you wait till tomorrow or should I try and see someone today? I feel well otherwise so not sure if it’s maybe okay just to keep applying a cold compress.

Picture doesn’t really show the swelling. It’s just to the right below my knee.

I would go to the pharmacy see if they will give you anti histamine cream,

My bites do that. Antihistamine cream or steroid cream.
If the bite starts to track with a red line and you feel unwell I think pharmacists are allowed to prescribe antibiotics now for bites.

Ooh that’s nasty. I’d give 111 a ring and let them advise you.

I always react like that.
Take an antihistamine tablet and use antihistamine cream or steroid cream.

ABs only necessary if it becomes infected - red line tracking, you feel unwell and/or have a temperature.

Yeah I think you need anti b's from the hot/toght description. Pharmacy usually do them for insect bites but as it's a Sunday. I'd ring 111. If you develope a fever/feel achey/shivery go to a walk in/A and E

Horsefly. They are utter bastards. If the middle bit looks like a little tear or a few gashes rather than a single hole then that is another clue. Clean the middle bit with tcp.

Mine go up like that, if not more, and last 3 or more days. I am on day 3 of one now!

I have been taking 2 Piriton every few hours and also getting antisan cream on it the whole time. Also if it gets too swollen and it all hurts, take ibuprofen and maybe some 1% hydrocortisone cream from the chemist for a day. Avoid alcohol and coffee and other histamine producing foods. It will still feel utterly crap for a couple of days. Sounds like you're doing the right thing by icing it. Also raise it up to reduce swelling.

If it is very red and hard and if you start to feel more generally ill then you should go to a walk in as it might be cellulitis.

I react like that.

draw a line around it with a biro so you can see how much it is growing.

take antihistamine tablets.

put antihistamine cream on and I also put a bandage over the top to keep the antihistamine cream in contact with it.

lanacaine also helps

Antihistamines-fexofenadine was the one the pharmacist recommended for my reaction which looked like that.

Mine did start to track with red lines so I ended up on antibiotics.

Does your local supermarket have a pharmacy?

Thanks for all the speedy replies! It is very hard and has started to go a bit yellow. There is a pharmacy at my local supermarket so will definitely pop in today. Thanks all!

Good call! Best of luck

Treat like any other swelling. Ibuprofen, ice and elevation. I learnt this when i went to A&E with one many years ago and it really makes a difgerence.

But I also agree a chat with the pharmicist is a good move.