Bee Sting Treatment, Bee Sting Symptoms

Bee stings occur if a bee feels threatened by your presence. This is most likely to happen if you are close to their hive. Most bee stings hurt a couple days but are harmless. But in some unlucky people, a bee sting can cause a life threatening allergic reaction - bee sting anaphylaxis.

Bee Sting Symptoms

The most common symptoms of a bee sting are:

• Coin sized tender red swelling where the miscreant bit you.
• Immediate pain over bee sting site.
• Black bee stinger poking out from your skin.
• Itch

Bee Sting Treatment

The first thing you'll need to do after a bee sting is put some distance between yourself and the bee hive. Then use a credit card or key to scrape the black stinger left by the bee out of your skin.

If you have a bee sting allergy allergy your next stop should be a hospital for observation and adrenaline (epinephrine) injection.

Some simple Bee Sting Treatments:

• Wet an aspirin tablet and then wipe it over the bee sting bump (if you're not allergic to aspirin). This acts as an anti inflammatory easing the swelling and pain.
• Baking soda or ammonia solution also reduce pain from a bee sting by changing the acidity of the sting site.
• Use a paste of meat tenderizer on the bump. This helps to 'digest' the chemicals in the bee sting that make it so painful.
• Ask your pharmacist for an antihistamine and ibuprofen. These will stop the itch and swelling, and ease the pain, respectively.

Dangerous Bee Sting Allergy Symptoms

• Trouble breathing or swallowing.
• Swelling of your tongue or lips.
• Gross swelling that spreads far from the bee sting site.
• Hives all over your body.
• Feeling faint or dizzy.

These dangerous bee sting symptoms typically occur within 10-30 minutes of being stung. It is called anaphylaxis. If you notice the above, you need to get to your nearest hospital for treatment with supportive oxygen, antihistamines, epinephrine and prednisone. Anaphylaxis can stop your breathing. Bee sting Anaphylaxis is an Emergency! After treatment your doctor will give you an epinephrine pen to carry with you. This needle you can give to yourself to prevent an anaphylaxis reaction the next time you are stung by a bee.

Bee Sting Infection Symptoms

Sometimes as your skin is jabbed by the bee's stinger, bacteria can be pushed under your skin causing an infection a day or two later:

• Redness spreading beyond a fist size.
• Pus oozing from the sting site.
• Blisters.
• Fever.

If these symptoms of bee sting infection are noted you should visit your family doctor for antibiotics.

DoctorSecrets! "Mark on your calendar when your epipen expires as they lose potency, and ask your doctor for two each time in case one fails."

Bee Sting Information

 

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