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Please call 911 immediately if you are having chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, sudden weakness or numbness, or if you think you have a medical emergency.
Bee and Wasp Stings Treatment
Treatment will depend on the severity of your condition. It is important to note that no specific antivenom is available to counteract the poison injected by the insect. The majority of problems requiring medical treatment result from an allergic reaction to the sting. Many of the complications from an allergic reaction respond well to various medications-when given in time.
Self-Care at Home
- Most insect stings in a nonallergic person require no more than first aid
at home.
- Avoid further stings by wearing protective clothing, using insect
repellant, and avoiding infested areas.
- Remove any stingers remaining in the skin (most likely from bees)
immediately. Some experts recommend scraping out the stinger with a credit
card. However, it is probably more important to get the stinger out as quickly
as possible than to be overly concerned about how it is removed.
- Application of ice to the sting site may provide some mild relief. Ice may
be applied for 20 minutes once every hour as needed. Cloth should be placed
between the ice and skin to avoid freezing the skin.
- Consider taking an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or a
nonsedating one such as loratadine (Claritin) for itching.
- Consider taking ibuprofen (Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain
relief as needed.
- Wash the sting site with soap and water. Place an antibiotic ointment on
the sting site.
- If it has been more than 10 years since your last tetanus booster
immunization, get a booster within the next few days.
- Most insect stings require no additional medical care. More serious
reactions may need immediate medical care.
- If you have been stung by a bee or wasp and have previously had a serious allergic reaction, seek medical attention. Consider taking an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or a nonsedating one such as loratadine (Claritin) as soon as possible. If any allergic symptoms develop, consider using the epinephrine part of an emergency allergy kit (EpiPen) if previously prescribed by a doctor.
WebMD Medical Reference from eMedicineHealth
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