Bee Stings: Don't Let the Bees Mistake You For a Flower

We all know how painful bee stings can be and how it can be a scary experience for your child, but as with most things bee stings are a part of life especially in the spring and fall. Of course the best action to take in regards to bees or any stinging insects in prevention.

"Typically, bees are not aggressive creatures. Their stingers are for defense, not attack. Honeybees die when they sting."

"Preventing stings is best for all concerned. Traditional insect repellents are of no use in preventing bee stings. What does work?"

Effective prevention means not attracting bees and not frightening them if they are present. Try the following:

• Don't wear excessive fragrances or use soaps, hair spray, lotion or repellant with excessive fragrances. You don't want a bee to mistake you for a flower!
• Don't wear brightly colored clothes ummmm…. especially clothes with any floral patterns, you know once again don't look like a flower!
• Be careful with consuming food outdoors. Bees love sweets like sodas and sweet tea and they have been know to slip into soda cans when no one is looking and sting a child when he or she takes a sip…..Ouch!

OK, so you have taken all the steps to prevent a possible bee sting but, as things do it happened anyway. What now? There are 4 basic steps you need to take when dealing with a sting:

1) Remove/Extract the stinger

First things first, you need to remove the stinger! People have lots of theories about how to accomplish this but I say it is better to remove the stinger as fast as possible instead of wasting your time reviewing extraction techniques. You can use tweezers or just simply pinch it with your fingers and pull!

2) Clean the wound

Wash the area with clean soap and water and double check to make sure that the stinger has been fully removed. If you see a black dot then the stinger is still there!

3) Determine the level of reaction

One really important concern with any kind of sting is an allergic reaction. Here is what you can expect on what is a "normal reaction" to a bee sting: "Bee stings cause immediate, painful red bumps. In most cases, the pain has largely disappeared within 2 hours, although swelling may not be apparent until the next day. Large local reactions, larger than 3 inches in diameter, will often persist for up to a week. A physician should be consulted if the reaction continues to spread."

Your big concern is with what is referred to as a 'systemic reaction'.

"Systemic reactions such as hives, redness, or swelling elsewhere on the body, vomiting, dizziness, hoarseness, thickened speech, or difficulty breathing, should receive prompt medical care from a physician. Also, be sure to see a doctor if there were 10 or more stings, or if one of the stings was inside the nose or mouth, since swelling can interfere with breathing."

Apply cold. Use ice or cool water for 10 to 30 minutes after the sting. This blunts the body's allergic response.

4) Find relief

You can use traditional or alternative methods of relief. It is entirely up to your preference.

According to Dr. Green.com traditional methods of providing relief for a bee sting include :

- Give your child an antihistamine such as Benadryl, taken by mouth, to provide relief as well as prevent the reaction from spreading.

- Use calamine lotion to relieve itching and discomfort.

- Topical hydrocortisone can also provide some symptomatic relief.

- And finally, if needed, give your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen for systemic pain relief.

Please keep in mind that with very young children or infants it's best to contact your pediatrician for advice.

If you are so inclined, below is a list of Alternative Methods:
- Baking soda: mix the baking soda with vinegar and apply the thick paste to the wound.

- Onions: Lay a fresh slice of onion on the sting.

-Apple Cider Vinegar: If bitten or stung, dab apple cider vinegar as soon as possible on the bite to draw out any poison and to prevent swelling. Thyme and rosemary infused in the vinegar are especially effective.

- Honey: Apply honey immediately after being stung by a bee.

-Tomato: Cut a tomato in half; apply the inner side on the sting.

-Aloe Vera: Apply Aloe Vera on the sting, can also add some lavender.

-Egg Yolk: Smear egg yolk on the sting to relief the pain and make the sting disappear.

Whether you are applying traditional or alternative techniques to your child's bee sting a touch a love and kiss will usually do the trick..




Return to Top Bee Stings


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References:

http://www.drgreene.com/21_202.html

http://www.grannymed.com/meds/bee-sting.aspx



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