How to Relieve a Bee Sting

Bee stings hurt, but they’re more annoying and painful than anything else, and won’t cause additional complications unless you’re allergic to them. If you’re allergic to bee stings, immediate medical attention is necessary. Otherwise, you can follow a few basic steps to relieve yourself of the pain.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• EpiPen
• Soothing lotion
• Meat tenderizer
• Tweezers
• Cold compress
• Oatmeal
• Soap and water or medicinal alcohol
• Baking soda

Relieve a Bee Sting

1. Pull the bee’s stinger out as soon as possible with your fingers, or use a pair of tweezers if it’s too hard to get out with your fingers.

2. Clean the wound site with soap and warm water or alcohol.

3. Cool down the area to prevent inflammation and swelling. Apply ice cubes, an ice pack or a cold, wet compress to the bite.

4. Apply aloe vera gel or lotion, lanolin or calamine lotion to the infected area to reduce inflammation and pain, and to relieve mild to moderate burning and itching.

Try a Home Remedy

5. Make a paste out of some meat tenderizer and a few drops of water. Rub it onto the bite area. Leave it on for around five minutes. Wash off.

6. Make a paste out of baking soda and water. Rub it onto the sting mark, leave for about five minutes, and wash off.

7. Apply aloe vera or calamine lotion.

8. Take an oatmeal bath to reduce inflammation, itching and burning. Pour half a cup of oatmeal into your bath, or use an over-the-counter oatmeal bath packet.

Tips & Warnings

• Prevent bee stings from occurring in the first place by avoiding overly sweet-swelling body products (perfumes, lotions, hairspray), ignoring bees when you see them, and avoiding trash cans and food stands when outdoors. Avoid going barefoot to prevent stepping on bees.
• Take Benadryl if you start to swell.
• Do not bandage the wound. Keep it clean and open for faster healing and to prevent infection.
• Invest in a bee sting kit complete with an EpiPen if you’re allergic to bee stings.
• Seek emergency medical attention if you have a known or suspected bee sting allergy, if the swelling is persistent and covers a large area, or if you experience other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, hives, coughing and wheezing, light-headedness or dizziness.
• Do not use this information instead of medical advice or treatment.

Resources

• For more information on insect bite allergies, bee stings, wasp stings and insect bites, visit eMedicine’s page on bee and wasp stings.

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[auntbsmom]

on 7/14/2009 Abigail has it right about wound washing. NEVER use alcohol and H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) is almost just as bad.

The alcohol not only kills the good bacteria, it damages the sensitive tissue directly at the would site. Not to mention how PAINFUL it is.

H2O2 isn't as painful but is just as damaging to the healthy skin around the wound. Those bubbles, they are just a chemical reaction, they are not telling you how many germs it's killing.

[pwayman]

on 6/4/2008 The absoulute fastest and best way I have found to stop the pain is by using Oragel (for mouth pain). It numbs the spot almost immediately. You can use it on almost any sting, bite, or surface of the skin irritant. It works great on wasp stings also. The swelling is still there though.

[2435marlene]

on 5/23/2008 if you put a penny on a bee sting it will take away the pain.

[mommyvargas]

on 5/18/2007 Also I keep a jar of meat tenderizer in my cabnit just for that reason. Follow your instructions all the way up to washing with alcohol, then make a paste of, you got, meat tenderizer, I have used it many times being a mother of 5, yes that's right five.

[abigail]

on 5/16/2007 Actually, I saw a doctor speak recently and he said you should never clean a wound with something you wouldn't pour into your eye. According to him, you should never clean a wound with alcohol or peroxide because while you are killing the few bad bugs in the vicinity, you're also killing the thousands that are from your immune system and busy fighting off any potential infections, etc. For what it's worth... :)