Buzz
Being stung by a bee is already painful, but if the stinger is left lodged in your skin, the pain can become much worse. Since the stinger injects venom, it's crucial to remove it as quickly as possible. After extracting the stinger, you can treat the local reactions to the sting. If you experience severe allergic symptoms, it's important to seek medical help immediately.
Steps
Remove the Bee Stinger
Call emergency services if severe allergic reactions occur. If you have a history of severe allergies to bee stings and have an epinephrine injector (EpiPen), use it immediately. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call emergency services without delay:
- Dizziness or fainting
- Difficulty breathing
- Swelling of the tongue
- Rash
Use a flat edge to scrape the bee stinger out. You can use the edge of a credit card, your fingernail, or a dull knife to scrape across the stinger. The bee stinger looks like a tiny black dot. Scraping in this way will help pull the stinger out or push it to the side.
- By scraping above the stinger, you also prevent more venom from the venom sac from being released into the sting site.
Use tweezers to remove the bee stinger. If you prefer not to scrape the stinger out, use sharp tweezers or your fingernails to carefully pull it out. Be cautious not to squeeze the stinger’s visible end to avoid pushing more venom into your skin.
- Some people believe tweezers shouldn't be used, as it could cause more venom to enter the skin. However, if you remove the stinger quickly, the amount of venom released is usually minimal.
Apply an ice pack. The area where you were stung will become warm and start to swell. Applying ice will help reduce the pain and limit the swelling.
- If you were stung on your leg or arm, elevate these areas.
Treat the bee sting site
Apply hydrocortisone cream. Gently wash the sting site with mild soap and water, then apply a thin layer of hydrocortisone cream to soothe the reaction.
- For a more natural remedy, you can mix baking soda with water to create a paste. Use this paste to apply to the sting site.
Use honey. If you don't have hydrocortisone cream available, you can apply pure honey to the sting site. Cover it with a gauze pad or a small piece of cloth and leave it on for up to an hour, then rinse off.
Use toothpaste. Toothpaste is another natural remedy that can be used to neutralize bee venom. Just apply a small amount of toothpaste to the sting area, cover it with a gauze pad or a small cloth, leave it for about 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse off.
Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen. These medications can help relieve pain. Be sure to follow the dosage instructions on the medication box.
- For children, consult a pediatrician to determine the appropriate dosage of acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Take antihistamines. These can help reduce severe allergic symptoms. You can take medications like Benadryl (diphenhydramine) or apply calamine lotion to relieve itching.
