What the best treatment for bee sting?

What is the treatment for a bee sting?

• Answer:

  Answer: Remove the stinger with tweezers, or by scraping it off with a dull knife. The stinger, even if not attached to the bee, will continue to pump toxin into the wound for some time, so your goal is to (a) remove the stinger fast before it pumps more and (b) not compress the stinger so YOU don't pump some toxins in. However, time is the most important factor here; don't waste a second looking for a dull knife -- just get the stinger out. If you're near a beehive, get out of the area fast. Bees release danger pheromones that other bees can easily detect, and they can swarm to defense of the hive. Pheromones are very hard to wash off, so distance in this case is your friend. Coldpack the wound. Consider an antihistimine like Benadryl (diphenhydramine), at the dosage recommended on the box. The topical ointment won't help as the wound is way too small to be reached, and will close in seconds of removal of the stinger. If problems with breathing occur or there's a sign of an allergic reaction (e.g. rash, large hives or welts appearing, etc.), head for the ER pronto. Also, if the bee sting persists over a week, or the size of the bump or reddened area exceeds 3", head for a doctor. Cold packs containing baking soda are a good home remedy for relief of local discomfort from stings of bees and related insects. Ice cubes, ice bags, give most comfort. Actually, tweezers only squeeze more poison into the body...so don't use them.