How to Treat a Bee Sting

By eHow Health Editor

How to treat a bee sting

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Bees are moneymakers for some people, but for others they are pure terror because of their feared stings. Bee stings can be annoying and painful, but they rarely cause any problems. The exception is if you are allergic to the venom, and then they can be fatal.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Antibacterial Soaps
Tweezers
Baking Soda
Rubbing Alcohol
Calamine Lotions
Cold Compresses
Insect Repellents

Step1

Remove the stinger as soon as possible. Use your fingers, tweezers - whatever works best.

Step2

Wash the site with soap and water, or clean it with alcohol.

Step3

Put ice or a cool, wet compress on the inflamed area.

Step4

Soothe the inflammation with a paste made from baking soda and water. Apply calamine lotion to help relieve itching and pain.

Tips & Warnings

There are many home remedies for bee stings. They include sprinkling meat tenderizer on the sting area, using a slice of raw onion and using papaya slices.
If you have a history of severe reactions to bee stings, or if you start feeling lightheaded, break out in hives, have nausea or vomiting, begin coughing and wheezing, or have other respiratory problems, seek medical attention immediately. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.

Comments

DancingEMT said

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on 7/31/2008 Pinching the stinger of a bee- such as with tweezers or your fingers- will squeeze more venom into the skin and exacerbate any allergic reaction. Using a stiff, thin surface (such as the edge of a credit card) to scrape the stinger off will remove it without further injury.

AhLcyn said

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on 7/21/2008 Can I apply these to a puppy? pls respond to me

Figpox said

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on 10/8/2007 Mud Pack--immediately after removing stinger, apply a mud paste over the sting. The paste should be made by mixing soil and water together to a consistency of cookie dough. As the paste dries, it will draw the venom from the sting site. This works with both bee and wasp stings. However, if the site swells, Benadryl is the best tx.