Wasp sting treatment

Wasp sting treatment.

With summer’s beautiful balmy days come an army of flying, stinging pests especially when people enjoy eating and drinking outside in the sunshine.

 

But what do you do if you get stung by a wasp or a bee? Being stung is a painful and unpleasant experience by anyone’s standards but there are a number of treatments that will go a long way to relieving the discomfort.

To treat a sting at home:

  • Remove the sting with tweezers or you can gently scrape it off with a clean fingernail or a credit card. Don’t squeeze the sting because it will encourage the poison to spread
  • Wash the area with soap and water, then press an ice pack or ice cubes wrapped in clean material on the site to cool it. Allow the victim to rest and if possible raise the effective area to reduce any swelling
  • Apply a painkilling cream and take an antihistamine to soothe the sting.

For a small number of people who are hyposensitive or allergic being stung can prove to be fatal so it is essential to seek professional medical assistance if the person shows signs of:

  • A rash/swelling that gets worse
  • The person suffers multiple stings
  • The sting is angry, tender or swollen
  • Headache, dizziness or sickness
  • Chest pains or difficulty breathing including choking or wheezing

Please consult the NHS website

The best advice of all is to take steps to avoid getting stung.

  • Use insect repellent
  • If you are eating and drinking outside take extra care. Never drink from cans or any vessel that you can’t see in to and pay extra attention if you are eating sweet things
  • Avoid strong perfumes and wearing bright clothes if you are spending time outside – wasps and bees are attracted to sweet smells and colours
  • Wear long sleeves, socks, shoes and trousers to protect your skin from stings
  • Close windows and doors in your house and car
  • Watch out for nests and if you see one call a professional and have it removed immediately
  • Never try and remove it yourself and never hit a nest – the wasps will immediately attack
  • If you find yourself surrounded by a swarm of bees or wasps, move out of the way slowly. Do not try to swat them or wave the insects away. Violent movements will only make them more aggressive.

Taking these precautions can lessen the chances of getting stung but it is important to remember that wasps and bees work on the theory of flight rather than fight and will only attack if they have to. So if you follow these measures you should have a fun summer outside without incident.