Cause of Bee Sting Reactions

• The bee's stinger injects venom into the skin.
• The venom is what causes the symptoms.

Local Skin Reactions to the Sting

• The main symptoms are pain, itching, swelling and redness at the sting site.
• Pain. Severe pain or burning at the site lasts 1 to 2 hours. Itching often follows the pain.
• Swelling. The bee sting may swell for 48 hours after the sting. The swelling can be small or large. Stings on the face can cause a lot of swelling around the eye. It looks bad, but this is not serious. The swelling may last for 7 days.
• Redness. Bee stings are often red. That doesn't mean they are infected. Infections rarely happen with stings. The redness can last 3 days.

Anaphylactic Reaction to the Sting

• A severe life-threatening allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis.
• The main symptoms are hives with trouble breathing and swallowing. It starts within 2 hours of the sting.
• This severe reaction to bee stings happens in 5% of the population.
• Hives. After a bee sting, some people develop hives all over or face swelling. Hives or face swelling alone may be able to be treated at home. But, at times, these symptoms can also lead to anaphylaxis. Be sure to call your doctor right away to help decide.

Prevention of Bee Stings

• Don't go barefoot if bees are around.
• Be careful in gardens and orchards.
• Insect repellents do not work against these stinging insects.

When to Call for Bee Sting

Care Advice

What You Should Know about Mild Bee Stings:

• Bee stings are common.
• The main symptoms are pain and redness.
• The swelling can be large. This does not mean it's an allergy.
• Here is some care advice that should help.

Try to Remove the Stinger (if present):

• Only honeybees leave a stinger.
• The stinger looks like a tiny black dot in the sting.
• Use a fingernail or credit card edge to scrape it off.
• If the stinger is below the skin surface, leave it alone. It will come out with normal skin shedding.

Remove Any Tight Clothing or Jewelry:

• Based on which part of your body has been stung, remove any item that might become tight if swelling develops. Examples are bracelets or rings, if the sting is on the hand or wrist.

Meat Tenderizer for Pain Relief:

• Make a meat tenderizer paste with a little water. Use a cotton ball to rub it on the sting. Do this once for 20 minutes. Reason: this may cancel out the venom and reduce the pain and swelling. Caution: do not use near the eye.
• If you don't have any meat tenderizer, use an aluminum-based deodorant. You can also put a baking soda paste on the sting. Do this for 20 minutes.

Cold Pack for Pain:

• If pain does not improve after using the meat tenderizer paste, rub with an ice cube.
• Do this for 20 minutes.
• Repeat as needed.

Pain Medicine:

• To help with the pain, take an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
• Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil). Ibuprofen works well for this type of pain.
• Use as needed, but do not take more than the maximum recommended dosage as stated on the package.
• If you are not sure what to take, ask a pharmacist.

Steroid Cream for Itching:

• For itching or swelling, put 1% hydrocortisone cream (such as Cortaid) on the sting.
• No prescription is needed.
• Use 3 times per day.

Allergy Medicine for Itching:

• For hives or severe itching, take a dose of Benadryl.

What to Expect:

• 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.
• The swelling can last 7 days.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Trouble breathing or swallowing occurs (mainly during the 2 hours after the sting). Call 911.
• Redness gets larger after 3 days
• Swelling becomes huge (4 inches or 10 cm)
• Sting starts to look infected
• You think you need to be seen
• Your symptoms get worse

Remember! Contact your doctor if you or your child develop any "Contact Your Doctor" symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.




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