Bee or Yellow Jacket Sting

Definition

Skin Reactions to the Sting

The bee's stinger injects venom into the skin. The venom is what causes the symptoms.
The main symptoms are pain, itching, swelling and redness at the sting site.
Severe pain or burning at the site lasts 1 to 2 hours. Itching often follows the pain.
Swelling. The bee sting may swell for 48 hours after the sting. The swelling can be small or large. Stings on the face can cause a lot of swelling around the eye. It looks bad, but this is not serious.
Redness. Bee stings are often red. That doesn't mean they are infected. Infections rarely happen with stings.
The redness can last 3 days and the swelling 7 days.

Anaphylactic Reaction

A severe life-threatening allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis.
The main symptoms are hives with trouble breathing and swallowing. It starts within 2 hours of the sting.
This severe reaction to bee stings happens in 4 out of a 1,000 children.
Hives. After a bee sting, some children just develop hives all over or face swelling. Hives or face swelling alone may be able to be treated at home. But, at times, these symptoms can also lead to anaphylaxis. Be sure to call your doctor now to help decide.

First Aid for Anaphylaxis - Epinephrine

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction.
If you have epinephrine (such as Epi-pen), give it now.
Do this while calling 911.
Over 66 pounds (30 kg): Give 0.3 mg. Epi-Pen.
33-66 pound (15-30 kg): Give 0.15 mg. Epi-Pen Jr.
Less than 33 pounds (15 kg): Give dose advised by your doctor.
Give the shot into the upper outer thigh in the leg straight down.
Can be given through clothing if needed.
Benadryl: After giving the Epi-pen, give Benadryl by mouth. Do this if your child is able to swallow.

For any of the following symptoms of anaphylaxis, see FIRST AID. Anaphylaxis most often starts within 20 minutes. It always starts by 2 hours after a sting.
Past severe allergic reaction to stings (not just hives)
Wheezing or trouble breathing
Hoarseness, cough or tightness in the throat or chest
Trouble swallowing or drooling
Speech is slurred
Acts or talks confused
Passed out or too weak to stand

Your child looks or acts very sick
Hives or swelling all over the body
Sting inside the mouth
Sting on the eye
Stomach pain or vomiting
More than 5 stings for 10 pounds (5 kg) of weight. (In teens, more than 50 stings.)
Fever and sting looks infected (spreading redness)
You think your child needs to be seen urgently

What You Should Know:

Try to Remove the Stinger (if present):

Only honey bees leave a stinger.
The stinger looks like a tiny black dot in the sting.
Use a fingernail or credit card edge to scrape it off.
If the stinger is below the skin surface, leave it alone. It will come out with normal skin shedding.

Meat Tenderizer:

Make a meat tenderizer paste with a little water. Use a cotton ball to rub it on the sting. Do this once for 20 minutes. Reason: This may neutralize the venom and reduce the pain and swelling. Caution: Do not use near the eye.
If you don't have any, use an aluminum-based deodorant. You can also put a baking soda paste on the sting. Do this for 20 minutes.

Cold Pack:

If pain does not improve after using the meat tenderizer paste, rub with an ice cube.
Do this for 20 minutes.

Pain Medicine:

To help with the pain, give acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen. Use as needed. See Dose Table.

Steroid Cream:

For itching or swelling, put 1% hydrocortisone cream on the sting. No prescription is needed.
Use 3 times per day.

Allergy Medicine:

What to Expect:

Call Your Doctor If:

Trouble breathing or swallowing occurs (mainly during the 2 hours after the sting.) Call 911.
Redness gets larger after 2 days
Swelling becomes huge
Sting starts to look infected
Your child becomes worse

Bee Sting of Upper Arm

Bee Sting of Left Hand

First Aid - Removing a Stinger

Honeybee Collecting Pollen

Hornet

Paper Wasp

First Aid - Shock

Wasp

Author and Senior Reviewer: Barton D. Schmitt, M.D.