I Got Stung By A Wasp On The Back Of My Upper Arm 2 Days Ago & Its Still Swolen. What Is Wrong?
Grace, Your reaction is totally normal. Wasps sting like hell, and it will take a few days for the swelling to go down. Rub some benadryl lotion on it and that will help some. If it starts to get nasty stuff coming out of it, then it's infected, and you can either see a doctor, or put triple antibiotic cream on it for a couple days and see how it does. For the record, I have a small scar on my foot where one of those large red ground wasps stung me 15 years ago. My whole foot swelled up and it hurt for days. Wasps suck. - Kevin
Wasp sting, 3 days ago...help?
You could be experiencing a localized allergic reaction. If less than two days I would have suggested warm compresses, elevation, bactroban twice a day, keep area clean and dry and follow up w/your primary doctor. I might also suggest OTC Benadryl ointment or caplets as needed and see if it helps any with the itching. However, it sounds like you may be developing a bacterial skin infection at the site of the sting. Staph infections are very common w/insect stings. The best treatment is to go to the doctor or the ER (doctor visit is cheaper), where he/they assess the injury and give you medical care. If it has become an abcess, they will usually incise the area, drain it, clean it, and dress it. I would also ask about a Tetanus shot. They may give you a prescription for an antibiotic and ask you to follow up. I hope this helps.
Why does my bee or wasp sting from almost a week ago still itch?
Why Your Wasp Sting Still Itches!Wasp stings are never a great experience and although the pills, creams and potions in your local pharmacy will reduce swelling, nothing seems to get rid of that itch.Antihistamine creams can be useful, but every person reacts slightly differently to a specific insect bite or sting. Some people show no signs of reaction, while other can die from a single sting!But it’s not all about the wasps venom. Foreign proteins injected into the skin by other insects have a similar effect.The only good remedy we have used for both horsefly bites and wasp/hornet stings is an extraction device. We use an Aspivenin.I've used it on my kids and on customers and its never let me down. Swelling at the site of a sting or bite quickly eases if the Aspivenin is used quickly.I keep mine in the front of the vehicle so it is always close to hand.Over many years we tried oodles of things to get rid the itch you describe and this device is possibly your best bet.Scratching is the worst thing you can do, because it regularly causes scarring! the itching should not cause alarm and usually subsides within a week.If the skin irritation you experience continues into a third week or looks like it is becoming infected then you must get to your doctor for a professional examination.Simon Berenyi - WaspKill UK - Bristol Pest Control
I got stung by a wasp. What should I do?
With a honey bee sting, there will “bee” a stinger often remaining in your skin.If you look closely, you may notice a piece of tissue is also detached from the bee, but still attached to the stinger.The stinger is now acting as a hollow hypodermic needle, and that moving tissue on the end is acting like a plunger on a syringe, still injecting you with Honey Bee Venom. That piece of tissue is called “the Venom Sac"Repeat this in your head. Do not squeeze the stinger in an attempt to remove the stinger.Do not squeeze to remove it.It will be like squeezeing on a full Turkey baster bulb, and injecting yourself with all the remaining HBV, all at once. A full bolus of HBV.Take a credit card, or something similar and try to scrape it out. Out and away, lift it away, no mashing.That little sucker may even still “bee” moving once you remove it.I apply ice. This constricts the blood vessels, and keeps the swelling down. And the HBV venom from spreading.HBV has “meat” tenderizing enzymes in it, that will continue literally digesting your cell's cellular walls and causing additional cell bursting/bruising, swelling, larger rashes, and whelps. Ice, can help mitigate some of this. It constricts blood vessels. Getting the stinger out helps to.I wash with some soap, and rub a little baking soda on, and keep ice on for a bit.I make sure my heart isn't racing, or my breathing is affected in anyway. If I don't have problems breathing, or any dizzyness after a few minutes, no 911 call will be necessary.Same thing with other stinging insects, only, you shouldn't have to remove a stinger.Most feature an unbarbed stinger, so they can treat you like a pin cushion, and keep on stinging you (under a microscope, they appear to be smiling. While they are inflicting pain over and over again by stinger you, the evil smile becomes even bigger)I made up the part in parenthesis…Wash the smile off of their face, and your site of the sting(s) with soap. Apply ice. Baking soda, wettened with water and applied as a paste seems to help.Soapy water kills most wasps btw. I keep a spray bottle around, to rid my awnings of them. Just dish soap, water, and a powerful spray bottle.
Bee sting or Wasp sting which hurts more?
The interesting thing is that bee and wasp stings are completely opposite. Bee stings are acidic, and thus can be neutralised with an alkali, whereas wasps are alkali and can be neutralised with an acid. The pain from a bee sting usually lasts for a couple of hours, and swelling and itching lasting around a week. However wasps sting repeatedly and quickly, so there is no fair estimate of pain, as both have different methods. It is thought that wasp stings hurt more. The most painful bee sting is the Honey bee, and the most painful wasp sting is apparently the Tarantula hawk, followed by the paper wasp. According to the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, the Honey bee is rated on a pain factor of 2.0, described as: "Like a matchhead that flips off and burns on your skin." The paper wasp is on level 3.0, and is said to be: "Caustic & burning. Distinctly bitter aftertaste. Like spilling a beaker of hydrochloric acid on a paper cut." And finally, the Tarantula Hawk is on a level of 4.0: "Blinding, fierce, shockingly electric. A running hair drier has been dropped into your bubble bath." You can view the Schmidt Sting Pain Index here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmidt_Sting_Pain_Index I have only been bitten by bees, and being allergic, this was already excruciating... but after reading those shudder-worthy descriptions of wasp stings, I would have to say that wasps are worse, even if bees are enough to make me cry in pain.
Is it normal for wasp stings to itch a day or two afterwards?
Obviously the sting ached, stung and was uncomfortable for the first few hours after the wasp stuck it's blow, but then the pain seemed to go away quite a lot. That was two days ago, but last night the sting was itching like crazy and I woke up to a large red bump where the sting was, sort of like a mosquito bite. Why would it start itching now? Is everything normal?
Got stung by a bee/wasp and the stinger got stuck..?
Fist of if it got stuck it's not likely to be a wasp stinger. Honey bee's lose their stinger. Your first mistake was in removing it with your fingers. What happens when a honey bee stings is that it pulls away leaving the stinger in you (barbed) and the stinging sack which keeps pumping. If you pull it out with you finger guess what happens. You pump the rest of the poison in you. Best way to remove one is with the edge of a credit card or drivers license and scrape it off. You can use the back of a knife or something flat. Just make sure to scrape it off and not pull it. Best thing to help it is cold to keep the swelling down and it will help with the pain. They make some over the counter products to help with the pain and the sell suction kits which this late in the game will do no good. If you get hives or the swelling starts to get bad or the pain increases you may want to see a doctor. Especially if you start to have trouble breathing or you tongue starts to fell thick or you throat swells. That is a 911 call. Otherwise you will do fine. I've never heard of anybody getting an infection from the initial sting maybe if there were complications but not just the sting.
A wasp stung my foot, and it is swollen and itchy. How can I get the swelling down?
Hi, I'm an R.N. and I think I can help. Firstly, as long as you're not running a fever, having trouble breathing, or have swelling up your leg...you can probably treat this at home. 1. For itching/swelling: take Benadryl orally, 25 mg every 4-6 hours AROUND THE CLOCK until the swelling goes away and for 24 hours after the swelling goes away (to prevent it from coming back) should do the trick. But if you've never taken Benadryl before, you need to check with a doctor first. Benadryl can make you drowzy, so be aware, and careful. 2. Mix together baking soda and water to form a paste and smear in where you got stung. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes. This will help soothe the sting site. You can do this several times a day. 3. Ice pack your foot for 20 minutes at a time with a couple of hours off, then repeat several times a day. You can use ice and do the baking soda paste at the same time. 4. Elevate your foot as much as possible, this will help with the swelling too. 5. See a doctor if any of the following occurs: a) red streaking that goes up your leg b) fever over 101 c) you have trouble breathing or swallowing d) pus draining from sting site e) swelling that extends beyond your calf f) if your foot turns purplish g) if your symptoms don't improve in the next 3-5 days.
How do you stop the itch from a wasp sting?
Try taking an antihistamine tablet or use hydrocortisone cream. (Just a thought).