What to do when a bee stings you – effective treatment methods!
This is an undesirable situation and needs to be tackled efficiently. While most bee stings are harmless and temporary in effect, some wasps and hornets have enough venom in one swarm to kill an adult human.
Primarily, there are two types of bee sting cases. One that involves an allergy and the other that doesn’t. The same bee species can produce dramatically different effects in different individuals. This is because in some people the venom act as allergens which triggers the immune system to take countermeasures.
The various symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, severe swelling of the face, lips etc indicate an allergy.
But if your body doesn’t react to the venom, the pain and itch will be tolerable and will fade in a short amount of time with a few home remedies.
Take These Curative Steps First
- The first step is examining whether the bee(s) has left a stinger in your flesh. Honeybees detach their stingers after an attack which also eventually kills them. The stinger contains venom and needs to be removed as soon as possible to contain the contamination. On the other hand, all the other species of bees including wasps and hornets do not shed their stings and can sting multiple times. You can use your fingernails, credit cards or other such thin yet hard films to remove the sting.
- Clean the area using cold water and soap. Cold water/Ice and soap leather are useful in removing the dirt and venom from the surface of your skin. It’s useful regardless of the involvement of an allergy.
- Determine whether you’re suffering from an allergy. The following symptoms indicate towards an allergy
- Difficulty in breathing
- Swelling of face, tongue, throat, and lips
- Dizziness, fainting,
- Hives and severe itching
- Sped up Pulse
- Nausea, and or Vomiting
- Anxiety
Take Action Immediately
In case there is only a mild swelling and itch, there’s nothing to worry about. After removing the stinger and applying ice and soap, you can take one or few of the following remedial measures.
- Apply honey to the affected area. Honey has been known to have healing properties and are effective in reducing swelling and pain.
- Apply toothpaste to the wound. Most bee venoms are acidic in nature, which can be neutralized with a basic compound. Toothpaste is basic and therefore suitable as a neutralizing agent.
- Dip a cotton ball in cider vinegar and apply on the wound surface. There will be a momentary burn, and it will relieve you from the pain to a great extent.
- Make a baking soda paste and apply it on the affected area.
- To reduce the swelling and redness, use hydrocortisone cream or Calamine lotion.
- If the pain persists, take an antihistamine pill.
- Repeat the measures at a regular interval until the pain is gone.
- Take a tetanus booster shot if it’s been more than ten years since the last one.
Take Medical Help
If you’re suffering from some or all of the symptoms given in point three of the previous part, then you must immediately seek medical help. A severe allergy can be life-threatening if it’s not cured in time. Time is crucial in treating a bee sting, and reaching the hospital may take a while. Take an oral antihistamine to reduce the itching while medical help is on the way.
You can also use over the counter pain relievers in place of antihistamines.
The best precautionary measure you can take to prevent bee attacks is keeping your compound bee and wasp free. Middlesex County Pest Control is the most compatible pest control agency in Middlesex County. Our bee control services are efficient in removing all species of bees and have helped a plethora of citizens in and around the county. Call us today to schedule a free inspection.