A problem with wild life gardening - multiple strange insect bites

I get bitten a lot, it's hard not to itch.

The worst I had was after a walk in a woods in Warwickshire, I got bitten by horseflies on both my hands and they started swelling. I had gone to bed hoping they'd get better but the next morning they were twice the size and looked like bear paws, and we're really hot. My husband had to call in sick for me as I couldn't actually use a phone/or my hands at all, and he had to call in sick too.

The drop-in center just said take antihistamine, and the swelling did come down. It was scary and humiliating that was all I had needed to do, but I'd never had that reaction before so didn't know. The next week I got bitten on my forehead. I didn't wait then, I went to a pharmacy during a lunch break to buy some before the swelling got too bad (still had a sizeable lumpy swollen head)

Never bitten that bad again, I think I just reacted to something they were carrying that year as normally it's just red itchy bumps, which I'm currently covered in.

Cinnabar_wing said:

red itchy bumps, which I'm currently covered in.

Yes, that's what I get and it's practically impossible not to scratch. My pharmacist prescribed some anti histamine cream with steroids but you have to use it sparingly as it thins the skin - works, though.

I use the non-steroid cream, over the counter too. I'm still considering myself lucky, but occasionally badly need it, despite being not the tastiest one.

I use the non-steroid cream, over the counter too. I'm still considering myself lucky, but occasionally badly need it, despite being not the tastiest one.