My Trips to the Hospital

If you have recently been to an allergist and gotten tested for allergies, you may have found some surprising results. If one of those surprising results is that you have a fire ant allergy, then you may find yourself wondering what you can do to deal with this stinging insect allergy. Stinging insect allergies are tricky for many people to deal with. They cannot necessarily be treated with traditional options used for seasonal or other allergies, and they can cause a great deal more stress and even fear for the allergy sufferer. Get to know some of the facts about having an allergy to fire ants. Then, you can be sure you are taking the best possible care of yourself. 

You Should Always Wear Closed-Toe Shoes and Socks Outdoors

One of the facts that you will need to get used to when you have a fire ant allergy is that you should not go outdoors in open-toe shoes. If you live in an area that has even a relatively small number of fire ants, you need to always err on the side of caution. 

Wearing socks and closed-toe shoes can help to protect you in case you come into contact with a fire ant colony. Fire ants, just like other ants, live in mounds (or anthills) but the mounds are not always easily noticeable. They can be flat rather than raised and if you are in an area with little grass coverage, they can blend in with the surrounding area.

If you are wearing protective footwear if and/or when you come into contact with a fire ant colony, you are much less likely to be stung than you would be otherwise. Such footwear will also give your more of a chance to get away from the fire ants and get them off of your clothing without being stung. 

You Should Have a Plan in Case of Stings

Even if you avoid going outdoors for extended periods of time or wear your shoes and socks as you should, there is a chance that you will be stung by fire ants. As such, it is important that you come up with a plan for what to do if you are stung. 

You should always know where there are emergency medical services nearby. If you are at home this is easier, but if you are traveling be sure that you keep track of hospitals or medical centers close to you, just in case. 

Carrying an epinephrine autoinjector like an EpiPen is also a good plan. If you are so allergic to fire ants that you suffer anaphylaxis (closing of the breathing passages), then you will need medical interventions immediately upon being stung. An epinephrine autoinjector can provide that swift care, opening up your airways enough to allow you to get to the hospital for further care and monitoring. 

Now that you know more about living with fire ant allergies, you can better manage your health and well-being going forward.