Stings generally clear up within two days (48 hours) although the area may be tender for a few days after this. CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the
After removing the stinger, your symptoms will start to reduce. You may notice symptoms lessen as soon as a couple of hours after the bee sting. Swelling and skin discoloration usually go away in two to three days. In some cases, it can take seven to 10 days for your skin to clear up.
Redness, pain, and swelling can last up to seven days after the incident. This is for someone not allergic to bee stings. If the symptoms seem to get worse after several days, see a doctor. Anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting can start within two hours of the incident and rapidly progress.
Clean the affected area with soap and warm water. Use a cold pack to reduce swelling and pain. Use pain-relieving medication and creams. If there is significant pain and swelling, over-the-counter pain medication (such as paracetamol) or an antihistamine may give some relief.
Large Local Reactions and Bee Sting Swelling Days Later
A local reaction can produce very uncomfortable pain, itching, and swelling. Some of this swelling can be delayed, increasing over 24 to 48 hours. It may take 3 to 10 days for these symptoms to resolve.
Apply hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion to ease redness, itching or swelling. If itching or swelling is bothersome, take an oral antihistamine that contains diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or chlorpheniramine. Avoid scratching the sting area. This will worsen itching and swelling and increase your risk of infection.
Normal swelling from venom can increase for 48 hours after the sting. The redness can last 3 days. The swelling can last 7 days.
Severe allergic reaction
Signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis include: Skin reactions, including hives and itching and flushed or pale skin. Difficulty breathing. Swelling of the throat and tongue.
For those with bee allergies, or some who are stung multiple times, stings can cause serious illness and sometimes can be fatal. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 100 people in the United States die each year as a result of anaphylactic shock caused by stings.
Sometimes, swelling lasts more than 24 hours. Although it can be uncomfortable, it is normal for swelling to last for up to 7 days. Most people have a bee sting at some point in their lives. In most cases, they experience swelling and pain that go away on their own.
Mild bee sting reactions usually involve localized pain and swelling and subside relatively quickly. For example, you may notice that the area around the sting swells and becomes red. A bee sting typically feels like a sharp burning pain that worsens over time.
Approximately 10 percent of people develop severe redness and swelling after a sting. This is called a large local reaction. The area may become large (4 inches [10 cm] or more) over 1 to 2 days and then slowly resolve over 5 to 10 days.
First, look at the stung area closely. You'll likely see a red bump. If a stinger was left behind, you'll also see a small black filament sticking out of the center. It may have a bulbous end, which is the venom sac.
A less common — but still potentially very dangerous — reaction to an insect sting is bee sting serum sickness. In this instance, your immune system reacts to the foreign toxin introduced into your body by the bee sting. Typically, bee sting serum sickness occurs a few days or a week after the insect sting.
The longer the stinger stays in your skin, the more venom it releases, adding to your pain and swelling. This can also increase the chances of an allergic reaction.
As long as you're not allergic to bee venom, your immune system will react to the sting by sending fluids there to flush out the melittin, causing swelling and redness. The pain may last several days, but can be soothed with a cold compress or an antihistamine.
You probably won't have a severe allergic reaction the first time you are stung. But even if your first reaction to a sting is mild, allergic reactions can get worse with each sting. Your next reaction may be more severe or even deadly.
The symptoms of a bee sting vary from person to person, but you may see a pink or red welt or swelling of the skin around the sting site. A central white spot usually appears where the stinger punctured your skin, Hottel says. You may also feel some itching around the area.
It is possible to have a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting that is not life-threatening. Symptoms can include hives, feeling nauseous or lightheaded, stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure and swelling in areas other than the general sting site.
Venomous stinging insects include bees, wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets. Activity of these insects can occur from early spring to late fall, with the most aggressive activity occurring from August until October.
Baking Soda. Baking soda, when mixed with water, is said to help neutralize bee venom, reducing pain, itching, and swelling. Mix baking soda with enough water to make a paste, then apply a generous amount onto the affected area. Cover the area with a bandage, then leave it on for at least 15 minutes.
A stinger will look like a small brown or black dot in the middle of your sting. It will have tiny barbs on it, keeping it lodged in your skin, and perhaps even a venom sac. Don't worry about looking too closely, just try to get it out as quickly and completely as you can.