Popular Bee Sting Home Remedies

For some people, a bee sting is a nuisance; they might experience redness, sharp pain, swelling, itching, and warmth at the sting site. However, people who are allergic to bees or bees sting might experience a more problematic or life-threatening situation. These people should immediately seek medical attention and get proper treatment for the bee venom.

Some of the basic allergic reactions that an individual may experience after a bee sting are:

• Extreme redness
• Swelling at the site
• Pale skin and hives
• Swelling of throat and tongue
• Severe itching at the sting site
• Breathing becomes difficult
• Vomiting or nausea
• Fast pulse
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Lack of consciousness

In this article, we are going to list some of the best bee sting home remedies that are easy to follow and don't require expensive medical equipment.

The swollen and painful bump is easy to treat at home. There are many home remedies that you can use to decrease the agony, discomfort, and speed up the healing process. Unless you are allergic to bees or not experiencing symptoms of severe allergic reactions, try to take one of these defined steps immediately after the bee sting.

1. Remove The Stinger

Bee stings are more or less like wasp stingers with only one exception to them. After a bee stings, it leaves a sharp, barbed stinger behind and dies. Following the sting, the stinger must be removed as swiftly as possible. In some cases, a honeybee leaves behind the venomous sack that continues to pump venom inside the body as long as it is in one piece. Removing the stinger immediately can also stop toxins' flow and lower the chances of a severe allergic reaction.

You can use a sharp object like a credit card or butter knife to scrape around the affected area to get rid of the stinger. Do not use tweezers or any other thing that might squeeze or puncture the stinger and make symptoms even worse.

2. Use Cool Compress

Once you have taken out the stinger, apply a cold compress over the site to alleviate the pain and redness. Try not to dunk the entire area in ice; pat lightly until the symptoms fade away.

3. Raise The Site

Elevating the sting site, depending upon the affected area, can also help reduce swelling and soreness. Swelling due to local reaction may lessen within a few hours, but it may also take up to a few days to resolve completely.

4. Use Honey

After removing the stinger, washing the sting site with soapy water, and applying the cold compress, opt for applying honey as it can help with wound healing, itching, and pain.

If you want to treat mild or moderate bee sting symptoms, apply a small amount of honey to the affected region. Cover the entire area with a loose bandage or leave as it is for at least an hour.

5. Apply Baking Soda

Baking soda is one of the most common household items that almost everyone has in their kitchen. For a bee sting, make a paste of water and baking soda (equal parts) and neutralize the apitoxin to decrease itching, pain, and swelling.

Remember to apply a thick, generous layer of this baking soda paste to the area and cover it with a bandage. Leave the wound for at least 15 minutes and reapply if needed.

6. Apple Cider Vinegar

A lot of people believe that apple cider vinegar amazingly helps nullify the Sid effects of bee venom. To achieve maximum pain relief and comfort, soak the affected area in a tub full of apple cider vinegar for 15 minutes or more. Alternatively, you can soak a cloth or a bandage in the vinegar and then apply it directly to the sting site.

7. Wet Aspirin Tablet

Another famous home remedy for the treatment of bee sting is to apply a wet aspirin tablet (aspirin paste) to the wound. Many studies and researches have shown that topical application of aspirin tablets in the form of a paste can actually decrease redness, pain, and swelling as compared to other possible treatments.

8. Use Meat Tenderizer

Meat tenderizer is an inexpensive household product and the easiest home remedy to try against bee sting. It contains an enzyme called papain, which is claimed to break down the protein, causing itching and pain. In order to treat bee sting through this way, make a solution of four parts water and one part meat tenderizer. Apply the solution directly to the affected site for 30 minutes or more.

9. Oils And Herbs

For better results, you can also use some herbs and oils with anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties.

Aloe Vera is the best in this regard. It is famous for soothing skin and reducing pain. People with an Aloe Vera plant can break a leaf and squeeze the aloe gel directly over the wound. Tea tree oil is also a natural, easily available antiseptic agent. When mixed with another carrier oil and applied over the site, it can considerably ease the bee sting pain.

Calendula cream is also antiseptic in nature and can heal minor wounds and skin irritation. You may apply the cream onto the area and cover it with a bandage for 30 minutes.

Lavender essential oil and witch hazel are another tried and tested herbal remedies for insect bites such as bee sting. They both have anti-inflammatory properties. They can be applied directly over the site or mixed with a carrier oil (coconut oil or olive oil) to reduce pain, inflammation, and itching.

10. Other Traditional Treatment Options

Some traditional treatment methods include:

• Using anti-inflammatory medicines such as Advil may help reduce the symptoms.
• You can reduce redness and itching with calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream.
• Take an oral antihistamine like Benadryl for severe swelling and itching.
• To prevent getting an infection at the sting site, try not to scratch the wound as it can heighten the swelling, redness, and itching.

Final Thoughts

There you go! These are some of the easiest and hassle-free home remedies that can be used to prevent or reduce bee sting symptoms. However, if you experience severe allergic reaction symptoms, call any local emergency medical service or go to the emergency room to get prompt treatment.

Imon is a freelance writer. He likes to write on health & food related topics.