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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II: Bee Stings

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Bee Stings

Bees usually don't go looking for trouble. If you don't bother them by poking around their nests, chances are you'll never get stung. And even if you do, most bee stings cause little pain, usually lasting from a few hours to a few days.

Unless, of course, you're allergic--in which case you need emergency care. But for the vast majority of the population, a little tender loving care is all you'll need.

Scrape out the stinger. One of the best ways to remove a stinger--and avoid any additional pain--is to "scrape"--it out of the skin with a credit card, a knife or a long fingernail, advises John Yunginger, M.D., professor and pediatrics consultant at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "The biggest mistake people make is trying to pull the stinger out. In doing that, you squeeze the tiny venom sac attached to the stinger and accidentally release more venom into your skin." If you scrape the stinger out, this sac goes undisturbed.

Rub an aspirin on the sting. "Rubbing a wet aspirin on the area where you were stung can help neutralize some of the inflammatory agents in the venom," says Herbert Luscombe, M.D., professor emeritus of dermatology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and senior attending dermatologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, both in Philadelphia. If you are allergic or sensitive to aspirin taken by mouth, though, you shouldn't try rubbing it on your skin.

Get tender relief with meat tenderizer. "Make a paste with meat tenderizer and water and apply it to the sting," says Philip Koehler, Ph.D., an entomologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Laboratory at the University of Florida in Gainesville. "The reason meat tenderizer works is because insect bites and stings are made up of protein--and meat tenderizer breaks down this protein." Use Adolph's, McCormick or another product that contains papain--the active venom-busting ingredient.

When to See the Doctor

Allergic reactions to bee stings can be life-threatening. In fact, as many as 100 people a year die from bee stings. That's more than the number who die from the bites or stings of all other animals combined, says wilderness medicine specialist Kenneth W. Kizer, M.D., M.P.H., professor of emergency medicine at the University of California, Davis. How do you recognize an allergic reaction? If you or your child experiences any of these symptoms, seek emergency care immediately.

You have trouble breathing, tightness in the throat or chest, dizziness, nausea or other symptoms of serious allergic reaction.
Swelling spreads to a large area-for example, your entire arm swells, or a large section of the trunk puffs up.
Pain and swelling continue for more than 72 hours without any relief.

Whenever they're outdoors, people who know they're allergic should always carry a bee sting kit recommended by their physician. These kits contain antihistamine pills and/or adrenaline injections that should be administered immediately after the sting. "Usually you take the pills first, and if there is no improvement in a few minutes and you cannot get to professional medical help, then you can administer the injection," says Dr. Kizer.

Try baking soda. Some doctors say baking soda can help ease bee sting pain. Claude Frazier, M.D., an allergist in Asheville, North Carolina, recommends applying a paste of baking soda and water directly on the sting for 15 or 20 minutes.

Kill the sting with Sting-Kill. Another towelette product that works well is called Sting-Kill. "This product is sold at some pharmacies and at beekeeper supply stores, and I'm told it's very effective," says Dr. Yunginger. Wonder where to find such a store? Call a local beekeeper and ask where you can purchase Sting-Kill; there are beekeeper supply stores in most metropolitan areas.

Wipe out the pain with ammonia. Sometimes dabbing some household ammonia on the sting also does the trick, says Dr. Luscombe. In fact, ammonia is a key ingredient in a product called After Bite, which is sold over the counter and comes in convenient towelettes that you rub on the sting.

Swallow a pain reliever. "One of the best ways to relieve the pain of a bee sting is to simply take a mild pain reliever such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol)," says wilderness medicine specialist Kenneth W. Kizer, M.D., M.P.H., professor of emergency medicine at the University of California, Davis. Do not give aspirin to children because of the risk of Reyes syndrome.

Take an antihistamine. Benadryl or another nonprescription antihistamine will ease swelling and pain in adults. An antihistamine-containing cough syrup such as Benylin works better for children, advises Dr. Koehler.

Dress plain, not flashy. Bees are attracted to brightly colored clothing-particularly floral prints and dark colors. Wearing white, khaki and other light colors is a good way to keep bees away.

Don't smell so sweet. The sweet smell of flowers isn't the only fragrance that attracts bees. Wearing perfume or after-shave may entice bees to come your way. Most experts agree that you should skip the refined scents if you know you're venturing into bee-filled territory.

ID Your Bees

No matter the species of bee, the spot it stings will feel red and swollen. But all bees are not the same, and neither is their method of stinging, according to Edgar Raffensperger, Ph.D., professor of entomology at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

Honeybees, which have a fuzzy, golden brown body, sting only once and then die. That's because their stingers remain embedded in your skin.

Wasps and hornets can sting repeatedly because they have smooth stingers that can exit pierced skin easily. Wasps and hornets are shiny, and their thorax (middle section) is characteristically slim.

Yellow jackets resemble wasps and can also sting repeatedly. Don't smash them, because when destroyed, their venom sac releases a chemical that incites other yellow jackets to attack.

Up your zinc intake. Certain nutrients appear to offer protection against some insects, possibly by altering body odor. "My sister had a terrible problem with yellow jacket bees until she started taking zinc," says George Shambaugh, Jr., M.D., professor emeritus of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. "Now she never gets stung."

He advises taking 60 milligrams a day--about four times the Recommended Dietary Allowance. Good dietary sources of zinc include oysters, red meats and fortified cereals. Besides zinc, thiamine (vitamin B₁) may also help. But if you do go the supplement route, check with your doctor, because high levels of any nutrient can cause problems.

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