Always wash the area of the sting with soap and water and keep it clean. Applying a cold pack can help relieve pain and reduce swelling. Simple pain relief medicines such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can also be used if pain continues.
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.
Fortunately, most bee stings and wasp stings are not a cause for concern and usually can be treated at home. In more extreme cases, a severe sting can result in an infection or allergic reaction, leading you to your doctor's office or urgent care.
General First Aid
Wash the area with soap and water and keep it clean and dry. Apply ice (wrapped in a thin cotton cloth) or cool running water to reduce the swelling and relieve the pain. If your child is having difficulty breathing, is unconscious or fitting, call an ambulance on 000.
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.
Symptoms of an insect sting
“But if the affected area spreads rapidly or if there are breathing problems or dizziness, it is something that needs immediate medical attention,” Dr. Afaneh says. Emergency care for a severe reaction may include the use of epinephrine, also known as adrenaline.
If you're stung by a bee, you need to get the stinger out quickly to make sure more venom is not pumped into your body. The longer the stinger is in, the more likely it is that you'll have a reaction. Once the stinger is out (or if there is no stinger), you can start treating the sting.
Step 1: Take Out the Stinger
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. If the skin around the stinger is loose, pull it tight to get a better look.
A bee sting may cause an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can vary, but may include hives, a swollen throat or tongue, flushed skin, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and more. For most people, a bee sting only produces temporary pain and irritation at the site of the sting.
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 bites and stings Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.
Severe pain or burning at the site lasts 1 to 2 hours. Normal swelling from venom can increase for 48 hours after the sting. The redness can last 3 days.
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.
Persistent swelling: 24 hours or more
If a person's symptoms are worsening or if the person is showing any signs of anaphylaxis, they should seek immediate medical attention. People can treat swelling at home by: taking OTC anti-inflammatory drugs. taking antihistamines to reduce the swelling.
The swelling and pain usually improve within a few hours. 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.
In conclusion, bee stingers do not come out by themselves. It is essential to remove the stinger as soon as possible to prevent further venom injection and complications. Remember to scrape the stinger out with a credit card or a blunt object, clean the area, and apply a cold compress.
The majority of the time, the symptoms of bee sting serum sickness will improve on their own within 48 hours. As the chemical from the bee toxin is filtered out of your body, the sickness will begin to go away.
If there's a stinger in the wound, remove it quickly — within a few seconds if possible. Scraping the stinger out rather than squeezing or pulling it out may reduce the amount of venom that is injected. However, it is more important to remove the stinger quickly than to be overly focused on technique.
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.
Seek prompt medical care if you've been swarmed by bees and have multiple stings. Make an appointment to see your doctor if: Bee sting symptoms don't go away within a few days. You've had other symptoms of an allergic response to a bee sting.
Like baking soda and toothpaste, apple cider vinegar has been known to help neutralize bee venom and ease the swelling and pain. Pour apple cider vinegar into a basin and soak the affected area for at least 15 minutes. You can also use a piece of cloth: soak it in the basin and then dab it onto the affected area.
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. Pay close attention to your body's responses and even write down what you experience.
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.
A normal reaction will result in pain, swelling and redness confined to the sting site. You can disinfect the area (washing with soap and water will do) and apply ice to reduce the swelling.