Pain from a bee sting can last up to several hours. The reactions that arise for each person are different, some are mild and some are quite severe. If you get a bee sting, follow some of the tips in this article to deal with it.
Most cases of bee stings will heal on their own without special medical treatment. The pain that comes from a bee sting also usually gets better after a few hours.
A person only needs medical attention if a bee sting causes a severe allergic reaction or extreme pain.
First aid Moment Stinged by a bee
When exposed to a bee sting, you can take the following first aid steps::
1. Hurry up bformer smemory
After stinging, the bee can leave the stinger on the skin. You need to remove the stinger immediately by pushing it out with a flat, hard object, such as tweezers or a small spoon.
Avoid pressing or pinching the stinger, as this can allow the venom from the bee sting to spread more widely into your body.
2. Wash the sting and apply a cold compress
After the stinger's spines have come out, wash the stung area thoroughly using clean running water.
After that, you can apply the cold compress for about 20 minutes . This can help reduce pain and swelling in the skin.
3. Avoid scratching the sting area
Bee stings can cause itching, but you are not recommended to scratch them. This is because scratching the location of the body that was stung by a bee can make the swelling that occurs worse and cause infection.
4. Use drugs
If the pain is unbearable, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
To reduce swelling, red spots, and inflammation in the part of the body stung by a bee, you can apply hydrocortisone cream. However, you need to bring a doctor's prescription to get this drug.
Allergy Signs to Watch Out for After a Bee Sting
If a bee sting does not cause a severe allergic reaction, generally the above steps are sufficient. On the other hand, if
If you experience a severe allergic reaction, immediately go to the doctor or the nearest hospital emergency room to get further treatment.
Severe allergic reactions due to bee stings should be watched out for. The reason is, this condition can develop into life-threatening anaphylactic shock.
Signs of a severe allergic reaction in a person stung by a bee include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache
- Blood pressure drop
- Dizzy
- Hard to breathe
- Faint
To deal with severe allergic reactions, doctors will usually give a variety of drugs by injection or infusion. Examples are antihistamines to treat allergic reactions, epinephrine to increase blood pressure, and corticosteroids to treat inflammation caused by allergies.
After that, the doctor will monitor for the next few hours to make sure your condition is safe. If it is declared safe, you can go home and do not need to be hospitalized.
How to Prevent Bee Stings
There are several ways to prevent bee stings, including:
- Wear personal protective equipment, such as gloves, socks, long pants, a face covering, and shoes, when working around beehives.
- Avoid using perfume and brightly colored clothes when gardening or cleaning the yard, as these can attract bees and other insects.
- Close the trash can in the house well, so that bees do not come near.
- When traveling by car, close the windows tightly to prevent bees from getting in.
- If there are bees around you, don't try to hit them. Try to stay calm and stay away from the bees or wait for the bugs to go away on their own.
Those are ways to overcome and prevent bee attacks. If you are stung by a bee and are worried about having a severe allergic reaction, immediately go to the nearest hospital or doctor for examination and treatment.
