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If a person knows they have a bee sting allergy, they should keep an epinephrine pen (EpiPen) on hand in case of an emergency.
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A doctor or nurse will treat the allergic reaction with epinephrine, a hormone that relaxes the muscles in the airways and allows the person to breathe normally again. Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency that can be fatal.Īnyone who experiences any of these symptoms should go to the emergency room right away. During anaphylactic shock, blood pressure drops suddenly, and airways narrow, restricting breathing. This causes the immune system to release a flood of chemicals, making the person go into shock. This requires immediate medical attention.Ī bee sting in an allergic individual may cause anaphylaxis. However, if someone has a bee sting allergy, they may have an extreme immune response. Usually, they do not require medical attention. Most people have moderate, short-term symptoms following a bee sting and can treat them with straightforward methods. There was no evidence that grasping and pulling released significantly more venom, and most researchers said people should remove the stinger in whatever way is fastest and easiest for them. The review looked at 23 studies, each analyzing the best way to remove a bee stinger, and found that the speed of removal trumps the method of removal. However, a 2020 literature review did not support this idea. Some people prefer the scraping method because they believe that pinching the stinger will release more venom. There are two main ways to remove the stinger: scraping with a blunt object (like a credit card) or grasping the stinger and pulling it out. Cleaning the area will remove any residual venom. Wash the site of the sting: Using soap and water, wash the place where the stinger pierced the skin.Remove the stinger: If the stinger is still in the skin, try to remove it as soon as possible to limit the amount of venom injected into the body.Remain calm: People should remain calm to avoid any additional attacks.This post was first published in 2014 and has been updated.There are three recommended steps a person should take when removing a stinger. Just scoop up the mud and hold it on the sting until the mud dries.Įxcerpt from Home Remedies from a Country Doctor – brought to you by Skyhorse Publishing. If no other bee sting treatment is available, one of the simplest old-time treatments is a handful of mud. “Don’t wear perfume or scented products like hair spray,” Dr. “Bees don’t like those colors.”īe careful not to smell too nice, either. “Pink, blue, and white are good to wear,” he says. They’re also attracted to pictures of flowers.” Avoid wearing such flower-like colors as yellow, red, orange, and green. How do you avoid a bee sting? “If you are going to be outside where bees are, wear non-floral-print clothing,” Dr. Ammonia is alkaline, making it counteract the acidic toxins in insect venom. Here’s an old-time bee sting remedy: ammonia. Diphenhydramine is available over the counter at drugstores. “To treat bee stings, take an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine-the active ingredient in Benadryl-to reduce the itching and swelling of a bee sting,” Dr. “Once you’ve made sure the stinger is out and the area is clean, put an ice cube directly on the sting for a few minutes,” says Ronald Lentz, M.D., medical director of the Block Island Medical Center in Rhode Island. Instead, take a credit card and flick the sac away with a light scraping motion.” Put Ice On a Bee Sting Don’t squeeze or smash it-you could end up injecting more poison into yourself. “If the bag is in place, you probably have a honeybee sting. “The venom sac looks like a tiny bag,” Dr. The first thing you should do after you’ve been stung by a bee is to try and extract the stinger and venom sac, says Edward Kent, M.D., a pediatric allergist with Timberlane Allergy and Asthma Associates in South Burlington, Vermont.
#Treating a bumble bee sting how to
How to Treat Bee Stings and Other Bug Bites How to Remove a Bee Stinger If you have been stung and the reaction hasn’t spread to the rest of your body, here’s what you can do to treat bee stings and relieve the pain and itching. The best protection from their sting is to stay away from bees’ nests in general, doctors say. The bees are widespread in Arizona and Texas and have entered California. Africanized bees defend their nests zealously, and people who come too close occasionally get multiple stings. We failed to mention the killer bee, didn’t we? Actually, killer bees are a breed of African honeybees that have interbred with American varieties to form an unusually aggressive insect.
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