1. Find the stinger. A bee sting is very painful.
2. Remove it with tweezers, fingernails or cards.
3. Wash with clean warm water.
4. Apply ice/cold compress.
5. Then hydrocortisone cream/calamine lotion.
6. Take a pain reliever if painful.
If you don’t remove the stinger, a bee sting can cause massive swelling (edema) with severe itching (erythema) and sometimes plaques and bullae, due to allergic reaction.
But once the stinger is removed, the itching and swelling should disappear within days.
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In most cases, unless you’re allergic to bees or experiencing signs of a severe allergic reaction, you can treat bee stings at home if you follow the above simple steps.
If the symptoms don’t disappear after 2 days, see a doctor.
A severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to bee stings is potentially life-threatening and requires emergency treatment. A small percentage of people who are stung by a bee or other insect quickly develop anaphylaxis
