A bee sting should gradually improve, but it can get worse due to a large local reaction (more swelling/pain for days) or a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), requiring medical help if you have trouble breathing, dizziness, hives, or worsening swelling/pain, as the body can become more sensitive over time. While some worsening over 24-48 hours is normal, significant or spreading symptoms, or systemic signs like nausea/vomiting, signal a need for urgent care.
In most people, the swelling and pain go away within a few hours. Moderate reaction. Some people who get stung by a bee or other insect have a stronger reaction, with burning pain, a welt, itching, flushing and swelling that gets worse over the next day or two. The symptoms can last up to seven days.
You should be concerned about a bee sting and seek immediate emergency care if you experience signs of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), like trouble breathing, throat/tongue swelling, dizziness, hives spreading rapidly, or vomiting; also get urgent help for stings in the mouth, throat, or near the eyes, or for multiple stings (over 5 in kids, 10 in adults). For less severe reactions, watch for worsening symptoms like persistent pain, increasing swelling, or signs of infection.
Bee stings can cause pain, swelling, and, in some cases, allergic reactions. The sting site can swell for 48 hours after the sting, and swellings can vary in size. Symptoms should resolve in around a week.
See a pharmacist if:
skin around it feels hot when you touch it or looks red – redness can be harder to see on brown and black skin. it's painful. the area looks swollen. there's pus or fluid coming out of the bite or sting.
Epinephrine is a medication that can help to reduce bee sting allergy symptoms. You may also need to be treated with antihistamines and cortisone through an IV. Your doctor will likely prescribe an epinephrine auto-injector to carry with you at all times.
In most people, over the next several days after a sting, the venom is broken down, and the body begins repairing the tissue damage. Swelling and redness last for a day or so. In some people, however, the sting can trigger one of two types of allergic reactions.
When to Call for Bee or Yellow Jacket Sting
The first few minutes after a bee or wasp sting is all about safety. Once you are inside and calm, consider any first aid you may need. The most common symptoms are burning, slight swelling, and a red welt at the sting site.
Some symptoms include: Skin rashes, itching, or hives. Swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat. Shortness of breath, trouble breathing, or wheezing (whistling sound during breathing)
Severe allergic reactions to bee stings can cause anaphylactic shock — a potentially life-threatening emergency if not treated immediately. If you have a known allergy to bees and have been stung, use your prescribed emergency epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen) as directed by your medical care provider.
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.
The label "delayed toxic reaction" refers to a patient who is asymptomatic after a massive bee envenomation, with normal initial laboratory results, but later demonstrates laboratory evidence of hemolysis, coagulopathy, thrombocytopenia, rhabdomyolysis, liver dysfunction, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.
Skin reactions, including hives and itching and flushed or pale skin. Low blood pressure (hypotension) Constriction of the airways and a swollen tongue or throat, which can cause wheezing and trouble breathing. A weak and rapid pulse.
The signs and symptoms are identical to those of systemic reactions. Fatal toxic reactions from Africanized honeybees are not uncommon. Delayed reactions usually present as progressive swelling and redness at the sting site but may be followed by flu-like symptoms 8 to 24 hours after the sting.
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.
Monitor your injury. Visit the emergency room immediately if swelling spreads beyond the site of the sting and you develop symptoms of an allergic reaction. Take an antihistamine or pain medication. Bee stings are painful and can cause itchiness.
If the sting area itches, take an anti-itch medicine by mouth. This type of medicine is also called an antihistamine. Examples are diphenhydramine (Benadryl), chlorpheniramine, loratadine (Alavert, Claritin, others), cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy) and fexofenadine (Allegra Allergy).
There are a wide range of reactions to honey bee venom. A normal healthy reaction may include swelling or redness in the general area where stung, and a feeling of heat or itchiness. Swelling can sometimes be severe. For instance, if stung on the finger, the arm may be swollen even up to the elbow.
Bee venom typically leaves your system within a few hours to a day. The body gradually breaks it down, but the symptoms, like pain or swelling, may last longer depending on the severity of the sting.
The body typically starts to break down histamine within a few hours, which is why the itchiness from a bee sting usually goes away within a day or two. However, in some cases, the body does not break down histamine as quickly. This can cause the itchiness to last for days or even weeks.
The "3 feet, 3 miles rule" is a beekeeping guideline for moving hives: move them less than 3 feet (so they find the new spot easily using landmarks and scent) or more than 3 miles (so they're forced to reorient to a completely new landscape). Moving them an intermediate distance (e.g., 50 feet to 2 miles) confuses forager bees, causing them to return to the old, empty location and get lost.
What draws out a wasp sting? While wasps usually don't leave their stingers behind, treating the sting site with a paste of baking soda and water can help neutralize the venom and reduce itching. Applying a cold pack can also help reduce swelling and draw out the venom.