For most people, bee stings are nothing more than an annoyance. While they cause pain and inflammation, most cases of bee stings can be treated at home without medical intervention. But if you get stung multiple times or suffer from allergies, a bee sting can cause a more serious reaction.
Bee stings are a common occurrence, so it’s important to know how to treat them. Read on to learn what happens when you get stung and why knowing how to remove a bee stinger can help minimize the reaction.
What Happens When a Bee Stings You?
For the most part, bees are peaceful creatures. They live their lives in service to their queen, collecting nectar which is turned into honey to support the hive. But when threatened, a bee will do whatever necessary to protect the hive, including sacrificing its life.
When a bee stings you, its barbed stinger pierces the skin releasing venom. When it tries to fly off, the stinger is ripped from the bee, leaving behind the venom sac, muscles, and nerves, resulting in the bee’s death.
Although fatal for the bee, by remaining in the skin, the stinger can continue to pump venom into the host long after the bee is gone. For this reason, it’s important to remove the stinger as soon as possible.
What to Do If You’ve Been Stung
Bee stings that don’t cause an allergic reaction can normally be treated at home. Regardless of the symptoms, the first thing you need to do is remove the stinger – fast!
The only bees that leave a barbed stinger behind are female worker bees. When the stinger breaks off, the attached venom sac remains intact. This continues to pump venom into the host until it’s removed or runs dry. Therefore, it’s imperative that the stinger is removed as quickly as possible to lessen the reaction of a sting.
How to Remove a Bee Stinger
A bee loses its stinger because of the barbed end. As this digs into the skin, it can be difficult to remove. While it’s commonly thought the best way to remove a stinger is to scrap it off, studies have found that it’s the speed of removal, not the method, that matters.
If you need to remove a bee stinger, try one of the following methods.
1. Scrape It Off
Using a credit card, knife, or some other flat-edged object, scrape across the stinger starting behind the sting site. While this may take a few passes, the pressure exerted on the skin will eventually force the stinger out.
2. Pull It Out
If you can clearly see the stinger, use your fingernails or tweezers to pull it out. Carefully pinch the stinger and pull straight up to remove it from the skin.
3. Use a Needle
A needle can be used to scrape or dig either all or part of the stinger from the skin. Sometimes scraping or pinching the stinger can cause the tip to break and remain in the skin. Before using a needle, sterilize it with alcohol or boiling water, then remove the stinger by scraping the skin around the sting site.
There’s a common misconception that pinching a bee stinger will release more venom into the wound. The abovementioned study found no difference in the amount of venom released regardless if the wound was scrapped or pinched.
Once the stinger is removed, wash the area with soap and water and apply a cold compress. To help reduce swelling and ease itching, apply hydrocortisone cream to the sting. Over-the-counter pain killers can also help ease discomfort.
Bee Sting Reactions
Bee stings produce a range of reactions from mild pain and swelling to anaphylactic shock. As insect sting allergies affect around 5% of the US population, most bee stings result in a mild reaction. But by understanding and recognizing more severe reactions, you will be able to treat the sting more efficiently.
1. Mild Reaction
While bee stings can be painful, mild reactions are rarely a cause for concern. Symptoms include:
- Sharp burning pain
- Red welt at the sting site
- Inflammation around the sting area
In most cases, pain and swelling will subside within a few hours, although the sting site may remain tender for a few days.
2. Moderate Reaction
Some people have stronger reactions than others to bee stings. While the symptoms are much the same – redness, pain, and inflammation – the swelling will continue to grow for two or three days. These symptoms normally ease five to ten days after being stung. However, if you’re experiencing more severe reactions compared to previous stings, you may want to speak to your doctor about treatment and prevention.
3. Severe Allergic Reaction
The most serious reaction to a bee sting is an allergic one. Potentially life-threatening, symptoms of a severe allergic reaction include:
- Hives and itchy skin
- Difficulty breathing and tightness in the chest
- Abdominal cramping and nausea
- Difficulty swallowing due to the swelling of the tongue and throat
Anaphylaxis, the most severe type of allergic reaction, can occur within minutes of being stung. Symptoms may include:
- Severe nausea, vomiting, and headache
- Dizziness or fainting caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure
- Convulsions or a loss of consciousness
People who experience a severe allergic reaction are up to 60% more likely to experience anaphylaxis the next time they’re stung. To prevent this, consult a doctor or allergy specialist about preventative options.
When to See a Doctor
Most bee stings won’t require a trip to the doctor. As mild symptoms typically last only a few hours, they can be easily treated at home. However, if the symptoms don’t go away within a few days, or if you’ve been stung multiple times, you should seek medical advice.
If you experience a severe reaction, immediately contact emergency services.
Prevention
Unless threatened, bees will normally leave you alone. But there are a few things you can do to help prevent being stung:
- Cover outside trash and food containers
- Clean up fallen fruit and trash that may attract insects
- To avoid stepping on a bee, always wear close-toed shoes on lawns
- Seek professional services to remove any hives located near your home
- To avoid being stung by other bees, get inside as quickly as possible after being stung
Final Word
If you’ve been stung by a bee, the most important thing to do is remove the stinger as soon as possible. The longer it remains in your skin, the more venom it can pump into your body, which will only exacerbate the symptoms.
Now that you know how to remove a bee stinger, share this information with your friends. Regardless if you scrape it or pull it, just get it out quickly.
If you experience severe symptoms or suffer an allergic reaction, consult your doctor for immediate treatment.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8709689
https://acaai.org/news/rise-deadly-insect-sting-allergies-there-cure
https://acaai.org/allergies/types/insect-sting-allergy
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