How to treat a bee sting

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Huynh Kim Long - Emergency Resuscitation Doctor - Emergency Resuscitation Department - Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital. Dr. Huynh Kim Long has extensive experience in the treatment of Resuscitation - Emergency and Acute Stroke in adults.
Being stung by a bee is one of the most common accidents in life. People who are stung often just wonder what to put on a bee sting to heal quickly or how long to be stung by a bee and how to get rid of the swelling. However, the treatment of a bee sting is not so simple. After the wound is treated, the person stung by the bee should also be monitored and detected for other acute complications because they can be life-threatening.

1. Possible dangers of being stung by bees

Being stung by a bee is not an uncommon occurrence in everyday life, most common during the summer months of the year. This is an accident that requires immediate medical attention because the bee venom can be life-threatening to the person being stung. In nature, there are many different types of bees, of which the ones that are highly likely to sting people in our country are wasps, honey bees, wasps, yellow bees, etc. The venom of each species has the potential to cause harm. Poisons vary, but in not many cases the victim can identify the exact name of the species of bee that has attacked. Based on the appearance, it is possible to distinguish a few different species of bees such as wasps with long bodies with many yellow stripes, the habit of nesting on high trees or roofs. According to statistics, the African bee can kill 40 people a year with mass attacks. Besides potentially life-threatening, people being stung by bees also face many other risks such as anaphylaxis, acute kidney failure, hemolysis, rhabdomyolysis,...
After being stung, wounds The site is usually red, swollen, painful, and has an itchy feeling. To answer the question of how long a bee sting lasts, the doctor needs to rely on the name of the bee species, clinical features and general condition of the person being stung. In many cases, the sting can swell from a few days to a few weeks. In situations with more serious complications due to being stung in many places in the head, face and neck, the person being stung also has systemic symptoms such as facial edema, red rash on the whole body, itching, difficulty breathing. stridor due to glottis stenosis, respiratory distress, tachycardia, hypotension, coma, suggest a state of anaphylaxis. Other symptoms such as red or brown urine suggest an acute kidney injury.

2. How to deal with a bee sting?

Need to change people's mindset about what to do when treating a bee sting wound. Treatment of a bee sting is not only about being stung by a bee to heal quickly or being stung by a bee, how to stop swelling, what to apply when stung by a bee. People who have been stung by bees need to be monitored and detected for acute complications such as respiratory failure, acute kidney failure or anaphylaxis.
Immediately after being stung by a bee, a few things should be kept in mind:
Get out of bee-infested areas immediately If the stinger has a raised surface on the skin, try removing it with tweezers. Absolutely do not try to remove the nozzle by squeezing the wound because it can spread the toxin. Apply ice or a clean cold compress to reduce swelling and pain. Wash the sting with clean water or soap. Use an antiseptic solution to the wound every day. Need to take the person who was stung by a bee to the nearest medical facility if the following symptoms are present:
Being stung by a bee in many places on the body, especially in the head, face, and neck The bee sting is determined to be a bee forest, wasps or wasps, ... These are strong venomous bees, with a high ability to cause many systemic complications. People who have been burned have symptoms of difficulty breathing, severe pain, dizziness, fatigue, facial edema, hematuria, loose stools, ...

3. Avoid being stung by bees

Although bee sting accidents are common, they are quite dangerous, so people should not be subjective. The best way to prevent bee stings is by the following measures:
Stay away from areas where many beehives live. Do not use sticks or sticks to poke the beehives, especially children should be warned about this. Avoid going into wooded areas at night because this is often difficult to observe and limit detection of large nests nesting in low positions. For beekeepers to collect honey, it is necessary to make sure to wear protective clothing to avoid exposing the outer skin. If you want to destroy or drive away the bees, you can use smoke or fire instead of using sticks or sticks to poke their hive directly. Clean, cut down luxuriant branches, do not create conditions for bees to nest around the house. Do not run when being chased by bees. Choose perfumes and body lotions to avoid sweet scents, because they can attract bees. When going into the forest, it is necessary to choose clothes to cover arms, legs and body, wear a hat with a veil, wear closed shoes and wear gloves.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.