What To Take To Reduce Swelling From Bug Bite

Topical lotions and ointments that contain calamine can be used to relieve itching and irritation. Over-the-counter hydrocortisone solutions are usually effective at relieving itching and irritation for most types of insect bites.

Unsurprisingly, Dr. Gilbert suggests nixing those luxury, small-batch lotions for a heavy-duty drugstore hand cream, as larger companies “have invested a lot in research and development, and they work.”