If you are allergic to bee sting venom then you should be concerned about anaphylaxis-a life-threatening reaction. You just can not afford to take a bee sting lightly.
However, if you are not allergic to the venom then you can easily manage to handle hundreds of honey bee stings without getting into any life threatening situation. though you will get a local inflammation that can cause a lot of discomfort.
Apitoxin or bee venom potency per sting is very small, you can get local swelling which should not be considered an allergic reaction as it is only localized. Any allergic reaction is generally widespread throughout the body.
If you are going near a bee hive then you should protect yourself with appropriate clothing to avail multiple stings. More covered you are much better for you. If you can avoid the bee infested area then you will skip being stung.
If you get stung, remain calm. Don't move your hands and move slowly, and do not run to avoid multiple stings. The bees don't want to waste their sting. They will sting only when they feel threatened.
5 Effective Home Remedies for Bee Sting
The first step immediately after the bee sting is to remove the bee stinger in your skin. This will reduce the venom to spread and cause greater swelling. Try to scratch the area with a credit card or any other thick plastic sheet that can help to remove the stinger. You can even use coins to remove the stringer from the skin. Scrapping out the sting is more important than how you scrapped it. So use any available means to scrape out the sting.
1. Mud for Bee Sting
This is the immediate remedy that you will get it at the location where you got your bee sting or stings. Mud is available everywhere.
- dig some mud from the nearby soil
- add water to make a thick paste
- apply over the sting and swollen area
You will get immediate relief. Both pain and itching will stop or significantly reduced. You can keep the mud as long as possible. Wash it with water to remove it before the mud gets dry and start littering on your clothes or floor.
2. Bee-wax, coconut oil and Honey for Bee Sting
This is one of the best home remedies for bee sting. Here you are already anticipating that you will get stung by a bee, which means you are going near the bee infested area. You can prepare it by boiling a mix of 2 tablespoon of bee-wax with one tablespoon of coconut oil and one teaspoon of honey. Cool the mixture and keep it in a small handy sealed plastic bottle in your bag.
- apply the preparation on the bee sting area
- leave it there fore 30 minutes
- wash it with water
3. Garlic for Bee Sting
Garlic is another great remedy for bee stings.
- crush a garlic clove to extract juice
- rub garlic juice on the affected area and put the crushed garlic clove on it
- wrap the area with a moist towel or moist surgical bandage
- remove the garlic crush after30 minutes and wash the area with water
If the swell is big, then use juice of 2-3 crushed garlic cloves.
4. Baking Soda and Vinegar for Bee Sting
Backing soda reduces adds alkalinity to the acidic sting. making a paste with vinegar keeps the alkalinity in check. Make a thick paste of baking soda powder by adding apple cider or white vinegar. Apply the paste on the swollen sting area. Leave it there fore 30 minutes before washing with water.
5. Ice for Bee Sting
Applying ice to the sting will help reduce swelling and pain. Keep a thin cotton cloth on the skin of the sting area. Dab ice on the cloth for 20 minutes. You can do it for 20 minutes every one hour. By the end of the day your swelling and itching should completely disappear.