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 soon should a tetanus shot be given after getting a wound?
The tetanus VACCINE (aka TD or TDaP) should be given ASAP to avoid contracting tetanus, the toxin of which can cause muscle rigidity. Onset of tetanus can start within 3 days. Most people associate the condition with lockjaw, but the muscles of the entire body can be affected. Irregular heart rhythm, spasms of the larynx, and broken bones from the force of muscle spasms are all possible from a tetanus infection (among other things). A booster shot should be given every 10 years whether or not you've had an injury that could cause infection.
What is the scariest injury you have gotten?
When I was 31 years old I took a drink of fruit juice from a can at work. Unknown to me a hornet had flown into the can to get a drink while my back was turned and I swallowed him, still alive and very angry. As the hornet was passing through my throat he stung me in the tonsils from the inside on the way down. I immediately vomited him back up and reflexively stomped on him as he was crawling around in the mess on the workshop floor. One of my coworkers witnessed the event and contacted the office as I was having a hard time talking. I drove myself to the nearest hospital with the assistant manager following me and spent the next 7 hours in the emergency room.Every medical student and nursing student available was brought in to look down my throat because that is what they do with rare injuries so that the students learn about them.In any case I was sent home after seven hours thinking all was well, and went to bed. Two hours later I woke up feeling numb in my extremities and very weak. My wife helped my up the stairs from our basement apartment and rushed me back to the hospital where I had the experience of spending the next three days in a hospital bed.I had a delayed reaction to something, either the sting, the stress of the situation, or the IV medicine they gave me in ER the first time. The reaction caused all of my muscle cells to purge themselves of potassium, which my kidneys dutifully filtered out into my urine.Without potassium your muscle can not contract, hence the extreme weakness, and your heart is a muscle. By the time we got the 3 miles from home to hospital my heart rate was down to 36 beats a minute, and falling. I was given potassium in IV solution and orally and it was 50 hours before my heartbeat returned to normal and stabilized.I still have a scar on my tonsils from the sting which causes me some discomfort any time I get congested.
Advice on a tattoo around the leg/ankle/foot area...?
I'm booked to get a new tattoo in next couple of weeks. It's going to start at the lower part of the calf, just above the ankle, working it's way down to the top of the foot. I'd really appreciate some advice on healing. I didn't follow advice with my first tattoo when I was younger, and now all these years later regret it, so I'm trying to get it right this time! I digress, my query (albeit a bit of a dense one): If I were to drive home from the studio, would the movement of using the pedals effect the tattoo? I'd be driving for about an hour straight after walking out of there. Movement in general is worrying me, I've booked a week off work just so I don't run around annoying it... (Any excuse for a holiday though, eh?) As I said, help would be great. Googleing "can I drive after a tattoo?" is yielding strange and unhelpful results. Thanks, Hannah
Did God forget about us?
If there ever was a god (and I'm not saying there was), is it possible that he got bored and forgot about us? He was very active in ancient human history, but he has been out of communication for thousands of years. Perhaps he planned on coming back, but found a more interesting universe to control and has left us behind. One must admit, we are kind of annoying. We never seem to learn. We are still making the same mistakes today that we did in the old testament. Perhaps he grew weary of having to repeat himself day in and day out and humans continued to ignore his instructions. Floods didn't work. Plagues didn't work. Commandments didn't work. Finally he had to pull this planet over and come down here and give us a good talking to. Yeah, that didn't work either. Maybe he finally gave up and said, "Fine, have it your way then!" and moved on to other projects that were more successful.
Does getting a tattoo really hurt?
IS IT PAINFUL?HOW SHOULD I AVOID IT?Getting a tattoo will never be a walk in the park, but it can be less painful if you take a few simple precautions.To complete this How-To you will need:A licensed tattoo artistA morning appointmentLoose clothingA full stomachA non-aspirin pain relieverDeep breathsScrupulous aftercareA topical anestheticStep 1: Go to a licensed tattoo artist who sterilizes their equipment and uses disposable needles and gloves. The discomfort of getting tattooed is nothing compared to the pain of getting an infection from it.Step 2: Schedule your tattoo for the morning. This is when your pain tolerance is highest, thanks to peak levels of adrenaline, a hormone that helps us endure pain.Step 3: Wear loose clothes, especially if they are going to be covering your new tattoo.Step 4: Eat something before you go to reduce the chances of passing out from a combination of nerves and hunger.Step 5: Take a non-aspirin pain reliever like ibuprofen about 20 minutes before the procedure.Tip: Don't drink alcohol or take aspirin in the 24 hours beforehand; it will thin your blood, increasing bleeding.Step 6: Choose an area of your body that has more flesh and less bone and nerve endings, like biceps, calves, and thighs, rather than bony areas or nerve centers like the rib cage, top of foot, and abdomen.Step 7: Know what to expect. The pain is often described as a cat scratching your sunburned skin. Breathe deeply, focus on your breath, and try not to move. The post-tattoo pain will feel the same, minus the cat.Step 8: During the procedure, if the pain is intense, your tattoo artist can apply a topical anesthetic. Think carefully before you ask for one; side effects include a longer healing time and a loss of color in the finished product.Warning: Applying excess amounts of a high-concentration topical anesthetic and covering up the tattoo afterward can result in seizures.Step 9: Follow the tattoo artist's instructions regarding aftercare. The tattoo should heal in about three weeks, during which time you shouldn't swim or expose it to the sun. After that, go ahead and flaunt it!You can read up more on tattoos at Astron Tattoos by Pradeep
How should you treat a wasp sting?
One of the major components of ant, bee and wasp stings is formic acid. Vinegar might work because it is a mild buffer, but formic and acetic acids (vinegar) are similar in pH.A paste of baking soda and water or a few drops of ammonia are the best treatments for a hymenopteran sting. The commercial sting relief treatments contain a similar mild base to neutralize the acid of the sting.
New tattoo, redness around tattoo hurts when touched is this normal, am i just being paranoid?
i just had it done on saturday, its on my forearm.. ive been using dial antibacterial soap (the foam kind) and lubriderm lotion (with oat extract).. anyway a large area around the tattoo is red is this normal?
Bee or wasp sting or what?
I was walking outside in my yard and I stepped on something and it was little and it was black and yellow. It Hurt really bad and I don't kno if it was a bee or a wasp sting. I don't know. Its been a few days and it is really itchy and a little red. Does anyone know what I may have stepped on?