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.
Baking soda is a great way to help neutralise the venom of a bee sting. All you need to do is create a thick paste out of baking soda and water and apply it to the sting.
(a) Bee sting is acidic in nature so it should be treated with a base, to neutralize the effect. As vinegar is an acid it does not provide relief to the affected area.
Venom immunotherapy is the closest thing to a cure and is 97% effective in preventing future allergic reactions. Patients will receive regular injections with small amounts of insect venom increasing in dosage over 3-5 years. This will desensitize them to the venom and build up an immunity to future stings.
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.
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.
Interestingly, honey has soothing properties and may reduce itching associated with bee stings. Cover the area with honey before applying a loose bandage.
We can get relief from this acid by rubbing baking soda on the affected area. This is because, being a base, baking soda neutralises the effect of methanoic acid injected by bee sting which is an acid and cancels its effect and gives relief. A small amount of baking soda is applied on the bee sting for relief.
Mix 1/4 of a cup of aluminum-free baking soda with 1 to 2 teaspoons of water together, and then apply the paste to the area that was stung. Reapply every 15 minutes or so. It's believed that baking soda can help neutralize the acidity of the sting and mitigate inflammation.
Cover the Sting with Toothpaste. While this might sound unusual, toothpaste is actually one of the top home remedies for bee stings! While it has never been scientifically proven toothpaste helps bee stings, many folks claim alkaline toothpaste helps to neutralize honeybee venom.
Anaphylactic Reaction to the Sting
A severe life-threatening allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis. The main symptoms are hives with trouble breathing and swallowing. It starts within 2 hours of the sting. This severe reaction to bee stings happens in 4 out of a 1,000 children.
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. Other severe allergic reaction symptoms to watch for include: Skin irritation such as hives, itching, and/or flushed or pale skin.
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.
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. Pay close attention to your body's responses and even write down what you experience.
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.
Honey, aloe vera gel, and lavender oil can also take care of a honeybee sting. Make sure to dilute the lavender oil before using it. Dilute the lavender oil with some carrier oil like coconut or olive. You can also use ice packs to reduce the swelling and get relief.
For bees, use a mixture of water and bicarbonate of soda on the sting, followed by an ice pack to reduce swelling. For wasps use vinegar or lemon juice followed by an ice pack.
The venom in a bee or wasp sting induces a local toxic reaction at the site of the attack. A typical local reaction to a bee or wasp sting produces the following symptoms: instant pain at the site of the sting that is sharp, burning, and usually lasts a few seconds.
However, applying milk to the bee sting does not help in relieving the pain.
Taking an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or a nonsedating one such as loratadine (Claritin) will help with itching. Take ibuprofen (Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain relief as needed.
Some people successfully deal with stings by treating the area of the sting with baking soda, honey, a wet aspirin tablet, even toothpaste. I recommend cleaning the sting area with soap and water, and you might want to use an over-the-counter antihistamine such as Zyrtec or Claritin to reduce itching and swelling.
To help reduce the pain and itching, consider the following: Apply a paste of baking soda and water and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes. Apply a paste of nonseasoned meat tenderizer and water and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes. Apply a wet tea bag and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes.