If you have ever suffered a bee’s sting you will appreciate how painful it can be. How your body reacts to a bee sting will vary depending of the species of bee and will be completely different to that of an insect bite because of the difference in the venom released.
For most, a bee sting is painful for a few days and then disappears but for those who are allergic to bee stings it could be potentially fatal.
Bee Sting Symptoms:-
Pretty much as soon as you have been stung you will notice the immediate area around the sting site will become red, it is possible that this area will become painful to the touch and raised. You can expect this to stay in this state for a couple of days. However, should the area which is raised or swollen extend to cover an area of 12 inches or more it could signal that your body is suffering an allergic reaction and it would be wise to seek medical advice as soon as possible.
Remember, it would require around 1000 stings to kill a man of average size and build while it is possible that a small child would die if stung around 500 times. However this case scenario is fairly unlikely unless you stumble upon a nest or a swarm of bees.
It is a common misconception that for an individual to suffer an allergic reaction they would have to be stung multiple times. If you are truly allergic to bee stings you will start to see symptoms within one hour of the incident. The biggest threat from bee stings if you are allergic is suffering anaphylactic shock which is potentially fatal.
Other common, but not necessarily life threatening allergic reactions to bee’s stings may be itching around the sting area and a bacterial skin infection. These symptoms will usually appear in the first day or so after the bee sting, however, the onset of some types of infection may take longer perhaps up to three days!
An allergic reaction will often trigger the appearance of hives (red, itchy bumps) all over the body. Swelling of the mouth or throat may also occur which can restrict breathing in this case you must seek medical help immediately. Chest pain, vomiting and nausea are also quite common and again it is advisable to get medical help as soon as possible if you have any of these symptoms. Any allergic reaction which is left untreated could end with the bee sting victim going into anaphylactic shock which must be avoided at all cost.
Treat a bee sting
1. Firstly, if the sting is from a honey bee, the stinger and poison gland will most likely still be in the skin so it has to be taken out.
Very carefully, scrape out the stinger using the credit card edge, fingernail or something similar. Don’t be tempted to squeeze or try to pull the stinger and venom sack as you are only likely to cause more venom to be released. Speed in removing the sting is the order of the day to limit the amount of venom entering the skin.
2. Keep a careful watch on the victim for possible allergic reaction; this may include red, itchy hives covering the body, breathing problems, swelling in the throat, face and mouth area, increased pulse rate, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, restlessness. If any of these symptoms set in get medical help immediately.
3. Gently cleanse the sting site with warm soapy water.
4. Take some general, over the counter pain killer such as ibuprofen to ease pain.
5. You could try one of the following home remedies for insect stings or bee stings;
a. Place an ice pack on the affected area which will successfully numb the pain and itch.
b. I have been reliably informed that a concoction of vinegar, baking soda and meat tenderizer mixed into a paste and applied to the sting works really well, left for around 20 minutes. It can be reapplied after a few hours.
c. Calamine Lotion containing analgesic will give relief from symptoms after around 3/4 of an hour. This can be reapplied every 4 hours.
d. Antihistamine cream or Hydrocortisone cream; whilst these will give some relief it will be fairly short lived.
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