A normal healthy reaction may include swelling or redness in the general area where stung, and a feeling of heat or itchiness. Swelling can sometimes be severe. For instance, if stung on the finger, the arm may be swollen even up to the elbow. Swelling such as this is fairly common, even though it may be alarming.
Severe bee sting reaction
The reaction to a bee sting should be localized to the area where the sting occurred. If the reaction starts spreading, it's time to seek bee sting emergency treatment, particularly if you have a known allergy to bees or are suffering from multiple bee stings.
Some people who get stung by a bee or other insect have a bit stronger reaction, with signs and symptoms such as: Extreme redness. Swelling at the site of the sting that gradually enlarges over the next day or two.
What kind of symptoms should I expect? The symptoms of a bee sting vary from person to person, but you may see a pink or red welt or swelling of the skin around the sting site. A central white spot usually appears where the stinger punctured your skin, Hottel says.
Bites and stings may become infected. Signs of infection include redness, warmth, pain, redness streaking up the arm, drainage of pus, and swelling. Infections will need treatment with antibiotics and should get better over the next 10 days.
The swelling and pain usually improve within a few hours. Approximately 10 percent of people develop severe redness and swelling after a sting. This is called a large local reaction. The area may become large (4 inches [10 cm] or more) over 1 to 2 days and then slowly resolve over 5 to 10 days.
Individuals may experience swelling in the sting area after the initial sting. The size of the swelling will vary from person to person, and it may last up to 1 week. If a person's symptoms are worsening or if the person is showing any signs of anaphylaxis, they should seek immediate medical attention.
The majority of the time, the symptoms of bee sting serum sickness will improve on their own within 48 hours. As the chemical from the bee toxin is filtered out of your body, the sickness will begin to go away.
About 2 million people in the United States are allergic to bee stings. Three percent of children who are stung will experience allergic reactions. In the most severe cases, an allergic reaction to a bee sting can cause anaphylactic shock, requiring treatment with a shot of epinephrine.
Pain, swelling, and itching at the site of the bite are common. An allergic reaction includes trouble breathing, chest tightness, and swelling on the body someplace other than the bite site. Allergic reactions to a bite or sting are medical emergencies. Call 911 right away.
The riskiest symptoms to watch for are: Itching, hives, or swelling over a large part of your body -- not just where you got stung. Face, throat or tongue starts to swell.
You should see your GP if you've been bitten or stung and there's a lot of swelling and blistering or if there's pus, which indicates an infection. Dial 999 and ask for an ambulance if you experience any of these symptoms after a bite or sting: wheezing or difficulty breathing. nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea.
Normal reactions typically include intense pain, itching, and redness with swelling at the sting site up to the size of quarter. Large local reactions extend out from the site of the sting and involve redness with swelling that can at times involve the entire arm or leg.
A less common — but still potentially very dangerous — reaction to an insect sting is bee sting serum sickness. 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.
Toxic reactions to bee stings
Someone who's experiencing a toxic reaction may feel nauseous, vomit and develop diarrhea. Within 24 hours, muscle breakdown and renal failure may occur if left untreated. It's estimated that around 500 stings are enough bee venom to cause death.
Large Local Reactions and Bee Sting Swelling Days Later
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.
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.
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.
Delayed Reaction to an Insect Sting
Reactions occurring more than four hours after a bee or other insect sting are classified as delayed reactions. There have been isolated reports of serum sickness-like syndromes occurring about a week after a sting.
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.
The main reason bee stings itch days after the event is due to histamine. A histamine is a chemical that is released by the body in response to an injury or allergen. When histamine is released, it causes swelling, redness, and itching.
First, look at the stung area closely. 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.
Medical Treatment for Bee and Wasp Stings
If you have a single sting with no allergic symptoms, you may require only local wound care such as cleaning and applying antibiotic ointment. Any stingers that remain will be removed. And you may be given an oral antihistamine to treat itching.
A normal healthy reaction may include swelling or redness in the general area where stung, and a feeling of heat or itchiness. Swelling can sometimes be severe. For instance, if stung on the finger, the arm may be swollen even up to the elbow. Swelling such as this is fairly common, even though it may be alarming.