For most people, a bee sting only produces temporary pain and irritation at the site of the sting. For others, bee stings cause an allergic reaction that can range from mild to severe. In extreme cases, a bee sting can cause life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Itching, hives, or swelling over a large part of your body -- not just where you got stung. Face, throat or tongue starts to swell. Trouble breathing. Wheezing or hoarseness.
Sometimes you may not experience a reaction until 4 hours or longer after the sting occurs. At that point you may begin to experience hives, fever, joint pain, swelling, and headache. Allergic reaction. An allergic reaction can occur in just minutes up to several hours after the sting.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include one or more of the following: Hives, itching and swelling in areas other than the sting site. Abdominal cramping, vomiting, intense nausea or diarrhea. Tightness in the chest and difficulty in breathing.
Apply hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion to ease redness, itching or swelling. If itching or swelling is bothersome, take an oral antihistamine that contains diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or chlorpheniramine. Avoid scratching the sting area. This will worsen itching and swelling and increase your risk of infection.
Mild Reactions
Mild bee sting reactions usually involve localized pain and swelling and subside relatively quickly. For example, you may notice that the area around the sting swells and becomes red. A bee sting typically feels like a sharp burning pain that worsens over time.
The faster they get medical help, the better the chance for recovery. The chances of future total body reactions increase when local reactions become more and more severe. People who are not allergic to bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets usually get better within 1 week.
Mild to moderate allergic reaction
Swelling of lips, face & eyes. Hives or welts. Tingling mouth. Abdominal pain, vomiting (these are signs of anaphylaxis for insect allergy)
Common symptoms of a mild allergic reaction include: Hives (especially over the neck and face) Itching. Nasal congestion.
You probably won't have a severe allergic reaction the first time you are stung. But even if your first reaction to a sting is mild, allergic reactions can get worse with each sting. Your next reaction may be more severe or even deadly.
If the symptoms seem to get worse after several days, see a doctor. Anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting can start within two hours of the incident and rapidly progress.
It's important to react immediately after being stung: Take just the antihistamine pill at first if the reaction is mild and you don't have breathing difficulties or circulation problems. Depending on the severity of the skin reaction around the sting, take the steroid medication too.
When they sting, they inject venom into the skin. Allergic reactions to stings usually don't happen when a child is stung for the first time. Most happen when the child is stung for a second time, or even later.
A normal reaction to a sting is localized, with swelling, redness and pain occurring near the sting site. Some people swell more than others. A sting on the wrist may cause the arm to swell up to the elbow. Some people show a delayed reaction, with symptoms appearing one to several hours later.
Signs and symptoms may be mild at first, but can rapidly worsen. A small number of people suddenly develop signs and symptoms of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) without any signs of a mild to moderate allergic reaction. Signs of a mild to moderate allergic reaction include: swelling of lips, face, eyes.
Anaphylaxis symptoms usually occur within minutes of exposure to an allergen. Sometimes, however, anaphylaxis can occur a half-hour or longer after exposure. In rare cases, anaphylaxis may be delayed for hours.
Most minor allergy symptoms can be treated with antihistamines, corticosteroids, or decongestants. Saline nasal rinses can be used for congestion-related allergy symptoms. Corticosteroid creams can treat skin rashes related to allergies.
Your allergies will last as long as your allergen exposure. Once you're no longer around allergens, your symptoms should go away after a few hours. However, if you have inhalant allergies, your symptoms may last for several days or longer due to ongoing exposure to pets, dust mites and pollens.
Baking Soda. Baking soda, when mixed with water, is said to help neutralize bee venom, reducing pain, itching, and swelling. Mix baking soda with enough water to make a paste, then apply a generous amount onto the affected area. Cover the area with a bandage, then leave it on for at least 15 minutes.
Serum sickness is a type of delayed reaction that occurs a week to 10 days after a sting and may cause itching, rash, fever, joint pain, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes.
Bee stings can cause pain, swelling, and change in skin color. If swelling lasts for more than 24 hours, people should not worry, as swelling can last up to 7 days. However, if it persists beyond that, they should contact a doctor.
Only about 1 percent of bee stings result in anaphylactic shock, with it more likely to happen in people over the age of 25. This is because the more an allergic person is stung, the more severe the reactions get. Children, who likely have only been stung one or two times, will rarely experience such extreme reactions.
A local reaction can produce very uncomfortable pain, itching, and swelling. Some of this swelling can be delayed, increasing over 24 to 48 hours. It may take 3 to 10 days for these symptoms to resolve.