Some time ago, I visited an animal farm and after a few hours under a flowered tree, I felt a colossal wave of pain hit one of the fingers of my left hand. I immediately realized that I had been stung by a bee.

Fortunately, I knew not to try to pluck the bee’s stinger out with my fingers, and ended up feeling fine within a couple of hours.

Therefore courtesy of my experience from the bee sting and notes from my first aid and emergency care, I am prompted to highlight some solutions to any one else who might be stung by a bee.

If you are  stung by a honey bee, try to find the stinger. Honey bees do not always leave their stingers behind, but sometimes they do. The sooner you get a stinger out, the less you will suffer from pain.

If you are able to locate the stinger, take the edge of a firm surface, like a key holder or even a finger nail and try to brush or scrape the stinger off.

Stingers should not be removed with forceps or with a pinch of our fingers, because compressing the attached sac of venom is likely to worsen the injury.

If you can see the end of the stinger but cannot access it, try using a fingernail to press down into the skin about half an inch away. Sometimes, this will allow the tissues surrounding the stinger to relax a bit, and allow the stinger to raise enough to scrape it away. This is a commonly used technique to remove an acupuncture needle that muscle fibers have contracted around.

Once one is relatively sure that he does not have a stinger in his skin, gently wash the area with cold water and soap. If pain persists after running cold water over the injured site, apply a cold or ice pack (wrapped in a thin towel or cloth) for five to fifteen minutes, or until the area feels numb. Repeat cold or ice pack application in this manner once every couple of hours until discomfort subsides.

Wasps and bumble bees do not tend to leave their stingers behind. If we ever are stung by a wasp or bumble bee, simply clean the punctured site with cold water and soap, then use an ice or cold pack as directed above.

In all cases, be on the lookout for signs of an allergic reaction. The most common signs of an allergic reaction to a bee or wasp sting include noticeable swelling surrounding the site of injury, lightheadedness or fainting.

Sometimes, an allergic reaction to a bee or wasp sting can result in respiratory distress. If you experience trouble breathing after getting stung, it’s best to seek medical attention immediately.

The mouth and throat regions are sometimes stung by bees or wasps that have made their way into drink containers. Getting stung in the mouth, pharynx, or esophagus can lead to significant respiratory distress, so be mindful of protecting our drinks when outdoors, as accidental ingestion of biting insects is more common than one would think.

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