Simple And Easy Bee Sting Treatment
Bee stings can be extremely painful and in under some circumstances, even deadly. Bees inject poison from a stinger under the skin of the individual they sting. Unlike wasps that have stingers that retract after stinging, bees have barbed stingers that remain in the skin. The barb has a poison sack attached that can go on to pump poison for up to three minutes if it is not removed. Roughly 3% of the persons stung by bees have an allergic reaction and approximately 0.8% have an allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.
Persons who are not allergic to bee stings will experience swelling and itching at and around the area they were stung. The skin will turn red and very painful. These reactions may last for up to one week.
If there is an allergic reaction, hives, redness and swelling can develop all over the body. sufferers can also experience swelling, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness.
Persons suffering from an anaphylactic reaction may experience, difficulty breathing, and a decrease in blood pressure that will lead to shock if not treated as soon as possible. 50 persons die every year from such reactions to bee stings. Anaphylactic reactions will arise within a few minutes of the actual sting. If someone who is allergic is stung more than once, their reaction will worsen each time.
What to do if you are stung by a bee:
1.Get away from the area where you were stung as bee stings liberate pheromones that cause other bees that are nearby to attack.
2.Call an emergency medical service if you know you are allergic to bee stings or if you experience any of the symptoms described in persons having an allergic reaction. Watch all sufferers closely for indications of anaphylaxis
3.Check whether the stinger is still in your skin and remove it – it will look like a small black dot. It is suggested that you use a flat object such as a credit card to remove the stinger as pinching may cause more venom to enter the victim. The faster the bee stinger is taken out, the less severe the reaction may be.
4.Place ice on the sting to reduce swelling.
5.Wash the area and apply hydrocortisone cream to decrease the severity of the reaction. It is recommended that a mixture of baking soda and water can also be used. Either of these will break down the venom**
6.Take an antihistamine, use calamine lotion and painkillers to stop itching and swelling
**Bee venom is acidic, the combination of baking soda and water is meant to neutralize the venom. Neutralization is unlikely as the venom is under the skin and in the tissues of the body and cannot be affected by an alkaline solution is placed on the surface of the skin.
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