Content

• Steps

A bee sting is inherently painful, but if you unfortunately have a stinger in your skin, it will hurt a lot more. Since the stinger releases the venom, it's important to quickly remove it. After removing the stinger, you can treat the sting local reaction symptoms. If you experience severe allergic symptoms, you should seek medical attention promptly.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Removing the stinger

1. 

   Get emergency medical help if you experience symptoms of a severe allergy. If you have a history of a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting and have an epinephrine syringe, also known as an EpiPen injection pen, available, use it right away. If you have any of the following symptoms, get emergency help promptly:
   • Dizziness or lightheadedness
   • Shortness of breath
   • Swelling of the tongue
   • Rash

2. 

   
   
   Rake out the stinger with a flat edge. You can scratch the top of the stinger with the edge of the credit card, nail, or blunt blade. The stinger only looked like a small black dot. This rake will help pull the stinger out or push it aside.
   • As you scratch over the stinger, you will also prevent more venom from releasing more venom into the sting.

3. 

   
   
   Use tweezers to remove the stinger. If you don't want to scratch the stinger, use sharp tweezers or fingernails to carefully pull the stinger out. Be careful not to press against the exposed stinger to avoid more venom release into the skin.
   • Some people believe that tweezers should not be used as this can cause more venom to be released into the skin. However, if you get rid of the stinger quickly, the amount of venom secreted is negligible.

4. 

   
   
   Apply an ice pack. The site of the bee sting will get hot and begin to swell. Applying ice will help relieve pain and reduce swelling.
   • If you have a bee sting in your legs or arms, raise them up.
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Part 2 of 2: Treatment of bee stings

1. 

   Apply hydrocortisone cream. Gently wash the sting with mild soap and water, then apply a thin layer of hydrocortisone cream to the sting to ease the reaction.
   • For a more natural treatment, you can mix baking soda with water until it forms a creamy mixture. Use this cream on the bee sting.

2. 

   Use honey. If hydrocortisone cream is not available, you can apply raw honey to the sting area. Cover the sting with gauze or a small cloth and leave on for at most an hour, then rinse.

3. 

   Use toothpaste. Toothpaste is another natural remedy you can use to neutralize bee venom. Just dab a little toothpaste on the bee sting, cover it with gauze or a small cloth, leave for about 20 to 30 minutes and rinse.

4. 

   Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen. These medications will help relieve pain. Be sure to follow the directions in the package to get the correct dose.
   • For children, you need to consult your pediatrician for the right dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

5. 

   Take an antihistamine. This medication may help relieve severe allergic symptoms. You can take some, such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine) or topical calamine cream to relieve itching. advertisement