The Sand Fly Prevention Mini Guide
Who would’ve thought that a tiny little sand fly would become an obstruction in the fantastic days of your holiday! Its small but you can’t ignore it especially if you’re travelling to some sandy areas. It’s like saying nasty things sometimes come in small packages and this is especially true for the sand flies. This article is to get you aware of sand flies and how their bites could be insignificant or cause an allergy making you itch for the rest of your vacation days and how you can cure or prevent them from biting you.
Source: Flipnomad.com
Where Are They Found?
Sand flies are usually found in countries where there are lots of sandy areas. Usually, this counts for tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is very common in Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Australasia, Cuba and Southeast Asia. If your travel involves a lot of outdoor activities between dusk and dawn like trekking on mountains, hiking, going for trails in the forest etc, then you could be bitten by sand flies over there.
Preventing Sand flies from Coming Near You
There’s no vaccination for sand fly bites, you can however prevent them from biting you by:
• Applying local insect repellent and avoid going outdoors between dusk and dawn. Local repellent might work better than what you bring from your hometown, because each area has a different formula of getting rid of its sandflies.
• It’s better to wear full sleeved shirt and pant instead of sleeveless or shorts in sand fly infested regions. Remember, the less body exposed, the lesser you are at risk of getting bitten
• Make sure your hotel room is properly air-conditioned and has a screen. Sleep under a good bed net to avoid sandflies from getting near you.
Getting Rid of Itching Caused by Sand-fly Bites
• Don’t Scratch!
One more thing which you need to remember is that never scratch when it starts itching on the sand-fly bite. It’ll start spreading on your body and will take more time to heal. Plus it’ll leave small scars on your body. So be a little patient, I know it’s hard, but it’ll save you from a lot of unpleasant stuff.
• Applying Creams
Apply an antiseptic cream like hydrocortisone cream or anything which the local pharmacist advices. Besides Hydrocortisone cream, tea tree oil and eucalyptus oil are also good natural remedies to get rid of the itching.
• Icepacks for Swelling
If your skin swells after a sand-fly bite, keep an ice pack on it for a few minutes, and do this several times of the day, it should come back to normal after a while.
If your sand fly problem becomes severe, it can develop into a disease called Leishmaniasis in which the skin becomes sore and develops an infection. You will however see its symptoms weeks after the sand fly bite. It’s best then to see a doctor when your sand fly problem worsens after you come back from your trip. This microscopic pale brownish creature can become an itching nightmare if you don’t know how to prevent it from coming near you and if you don’t know how to cure it. It’s best to apply insect repellent with high deet content at all times and not become a meal to this insect.
Note: Before you use any cream or insect repellant spray, consult your doctor to avoid possible allergic reaction.
