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Tips on How to Treat a Bee Sting

Have you noticed that this time of year always seems to bring with it a lot of bees?  Unfortunately, in addition the delicious honey they produce they also are bee with logorenowned for their painful stings.  There are a few ways to help treat bee stings that can remove some of the pain and in some cases the stinger itself.  There is a small percentage of people (about 3%) that have an allergic reaction to stings that can range anywhere from swelling to a life threatening condition known as anaphylaxis.  Be sure to keep an eye on anyone that has been stung to watch for any allergic reactions and call for help at any sign of distress.

In those who are not allergic there are a couple things you can do immediately after a sting occurs.  In many stingers the venom sack can take 2-3 minutes to release all of the venom so a quick removal of the stinger is important.  Doctors recommend taking a hard, flat object such as a credit card to swipe over the sting to remove the stinger.  Once the stinger is promptly removed the next step is to apply an ice pack to keep the swelling down.  Next you will want to wash the area with soap and water then apply a hydrocortisone cream to reduce the severity of the reaction.  An alternative that some people swear by is a paste made of unseasoned meat tenderizer and water.  There is an enzyme in the tenderizer that can break down bee venom.  Last but not least it is suggested to take an antihistamine such as Benadryl to relieve further symptoms and inflammation.