How to Treat Venom From Bee Stings

Bee stings occur when you unintentionally threaten a bee or colony. Honeybees lose the stinger, while wasps and yellow jackets keep the stinger. Venom is more than likely harmless for people who are not allergic to bees. Even though the sting can be a nuisance, this is not a life-threatening ordeal unless an allergic reaction occurs. Treat venom from a bee sting with household ingredients as soon as the bee strikes. It is important to watch the sting victim for 24 hours after administrating the home treatments, to make sure no allergic reaction occurs.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Needle
• Hand sanitizer
• Ice pack
• Cloth
• Baking soda
• Water

1. Examine the sting area. If you notice a black spot, the stinger is still in the skin. Remove immediately before beginning the treatments. Use a clean needle to scrape the head of the stinger and skin. A pair of tweezers or long fingernails can also remove the stinger. Never directly pull the stinger out as extra venom can enter your skin as you remove the stinger from the victim.

2. Apply hand sanitizer to the affected area. Cleaning the wound will pull out venom from bee stings as well as prevent infections. Allow the sanitizer to stay on the sting area for about seven minutes before washing away.

3. Reduce the swelling and redness by apply an ice pack. If an ice pack is unavailable, use frozen vegetables or frozen fruit. Wrap the ice pack in a towel or washcloth before applying to the skin. Keep on the bee sting for roughly 25 minutes.

4. Mix a teaspoon of baking soda with two drops of warm water to form a paste. Add another drop of water if necessary to gain the desired consistency. Spread the paste over the bee sting to relieve the itching.

Tips & Warnings

• If the pain persists, take over-the-counter pain medication. If there is itching around the sting site, take an antihistamine, such as Benadryl.
• If you are allergic to bee stings, always carry your epinephrine autoinjector with you. Try to avoid high bee population areas such as forests or gardens. If a sting occurs, obtain medical attention right away. With more than 10 bee stings or if the bee attacked the facial region, go to the hospital immediately. Treating venom requires medical aid when the bee stings you in the nose, mouth or ears.

References

• Treating Bee Stings---Dr. Greene

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