Bee sting treatment

Treating bee stings is a fairly easy process, assuming that you are not allergic to melittin, the venom that is injected into all bee sting victims. There are a number of products and tools that are used to treat bee stings.

Removal of the Stinger

Honey bees will often get their stinger caught in humans and other mammals that have thick skin. The most important part of treating any bee sting is removing the bee stinger as quickly as possible. The longer that the stinger is stuck in your skin, the more venom will be injected into you. This makes it especially important for individuals that are allergic to bee stings to remove the stinger as quickly as possible. Any method can be used to remove the bee stinger as long as it gets it out as quickly as possible. Some of the most common tools to remove a bee stinger include your own fingernails or a pair of tweezers.

If you have a history of bad reactions to bee stings the first thing that you should do is call medical experts and let them know that you have been stung, have a history of adverse reactions and help will be coming in. Remember that individuals that are allergic to bee stings will go into anaphylactic shock if left untreated, which is a potentially deadly problem.

Bee sting treatment

Apply Ice

After the stinger has been removed, remember to apply ice or other cold packs to the affected area. This will keep down the swelling and inflammation following the sting.

Clean The Area

After icing it down, remember to clean the area around the sting with soap and water to ensure that it is clean and lessen the chance that you will have any sort of infection following the sting. Although infections are unlikely, it is important that you take every effort to treat the area.

Antihistamines

Following the sting, you can choose to take an antihistamine to lessen the effects of the sting. Remember that antihistamines can actually cause you to itch more, which is a symptom of bee stings. Try not to confuse the side effects of an antihistamine with the symptoms of the bee sting itself. Antihistamines are commonly used to lessen the effects of any type of allergic reaction as well.