It will start to look and feel worse. “You can get redness and swelling,” Dr. Wright explains. “It can also feel warm or tender to touch, and if your infection is advancing, you could even get pus in the area.” Other symptoms include redness that spreads on the skin, a fever and chills, or increased pain.
If you suspect your sting is infected, don't try to fix it at home and seek medical care ASAP. “I wouldn't recommend self-treating,” Dr. Wright warns. “It's really important to contact your doctor and talk about [your] symptoms.”
Start empirical antibiotic treatment if any bite wound appears infected (for example, redness, swelling, induration, necrotic tissue, purulent discharge, pain, localised cellulitis, lymphangitis, lymphadenopathy, or fever).
You should call 911 and seek immediate emergency treatment if you or someone near you develops a severe reaction to a bee sting or if there are multiple bee stings. The following symptoms are a sign of an allergic reaction: Nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. Stomach cramps.
Usually, bee sting symptoms will resolve on their own or with home treatment. For example, a person can take OTC medication to reduce swelling. However, if a person is experiencing severe symptoms, such as nausea or difficulty breathing, they should seek medical attention immediately.
Severe pain or burning at the site lasts 1 to 2 hours. Normal swelling from venom can increase for 48 hours after the sting. The redness can last 3 days. The swelling can last 7 days.
Some people may have a stronger allergic reaction to an insect's venom, leading to bee sting side effects, such as a very large, swollen welt. The welt may grow in size over a 48-hour period. This reaction remains local to the sting site and doesn't spread to other areas of the body.
The body responds to stings by liberating fluid from the blood to flush venom components from the area. This causes redness and swelling at the sting site.
If bee stings are left untreated it can cause a life-threatening condition known as anaphylaxis. If a person has epinephrine medication, administer an injection immediately. A second injection can be given 5-15 minutes later if the medics haven't arrived and the person's condition hasn't improved.
In this instance, your immune system reacts to the foreign toxin introduced into your body by the bee sting. Typically, bee sting serum sickness occurs a few days or a week after the insect sting.
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.
A normal reaction results in pain, swelling, and redness around the sting site. A large local reaction results in redness and swelling that extends beyond the sting site. The swelling may extend about 4 inches from the sting site over a period of a couple of days. It should get better within 5 to 10 days.
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.
A large local reaction can be defined as swelling at the site of the sting exceeding 10 centimeters. These symptoms may continue developing for up to a few hours after the incident. If the sting happened on your arms or legs, the symptoms could last for days or weeks while still being considered a local reaction.
Reactions to the sting of honeybees, hornets, yellow jackets, and wasps can consist of normal reactions, large local reactions and systemic (generalized) reactions. Normal reactions typically include intense pain, itching, and redness with swelling at the sting site up to the size of quarter.
Bee venom contains proteins that affect the skin cells and immune system, resulting in pain and swelling at the site of the sting, even if a person is not allergic to the venom. In those who are allergic to bee stings, the venom triggers a more severe immune system reaction.
You'll likely see a red bump. If a stinger was left behind, you'll also see a small black filament sticking out of the center. It may have a bulbous end, which is the venom sac. If the skin around the stinger is loose, pull it tight to get a better look.
Symptoms of a sting
The typical skin reaction includes: Pain: Stings of bees, wasps, and hornets tend to cause pain immediately. Swelling: There may be swelling and redness to the area around the sting. Warmth: The site of the sting may feel warm to the touch.
The body typically starts to break down histamine within a few hours, which is why the itchiness from a bee sting usually goes away within a day or two. However, in some cases, the body does not break down histamine as quickly. This can cause the itchiness to last for days or even weeks.
An insect can't give you cellulitis. There's nothing in an insect's saliva or venom that causes cellulitis. The bite can irritate your skin and make it itchy.
All symptoms of an "ordinary" sting are at the sting site itself. Expected effects are pain, swelling, redness, and itching. All effects are at that specific spot. Even if the area is still red, swollen, itchy, and painful the next day – it's an expected reaction, not an allergic reaction.
Epinephrine is a medication that can help to reduce bee sting allergy symptoms. You may also need to be treated with antihistamines and cortisone through an IV. Your doctor will likely prescribe an epinephrine auto-injector to carry with you at all times.