7 Home Remedies For Bee Stings

Bee stings cause painful, and swollen bumps. The pain and swelling may disappear within a few days, but to reduce the discomfort you can apply some home remedies that can speed up the healing process.

If the swelling spreads out or occurs in other parts of the body, it indicates an allergic reaction. If you are allergic to a bee sting, you need to see a doctor immediately.

In the article below, we are going to describe home remedies that can relieve bee sting. Before that, if there are any beehives in your garden, ask Orange County professionals for bee removal to ensure safety. 

7 home remedies to treat a bee sting 

Pro-tip: Before you could apply any home remedy, make sure you properly examine your body part which has the sting. 

If the bee stinger is still in the skin, wipe the area with gauze or scrape with nails to remove it. Do not squeeze the stinger with your hands or tweezers. Bees can sting one time only because they leave the stinger behind. Removing the stinger and its sac from the skin prevents further irritation.

Below, we describe home remedies for relief of swelling and pain caused by bee sting and related facts. 

Apply a cold compress or ice

Ice can reduce pain and swelling. Take a towel, wrap an ice cube and apply it to your skin for 20 minutes to reduce the swelling. But before that wash your skin to remove residual bee venom.

So, here is what you can do:

• Wrap ice packs, ice packs or frozen vegetables in a cloth
• Tie it up
• Hold the bundle for a few minutes
• Repeat as needed

Always use a cloth to protect your skin from freezing. Direct contact with ice may damage the skin.

Use essential oil

The antifungal, antibacterial and antiseptic properties of essential oils assist in reducing pain or swelling caused by a bee sting. They have been used over a long time period due to their health benefits. 

The following oils are commonly used in home remedies:

• Tea tree oil
• Witch hazel
• Lavender oil
• Thyme oil
• Rosemary oil

Before applying any of these essential oils to the skin, mix them with a neutral oil, such as olive oil. Typically, mix about one drop of essential oil for every four or five drops of carrier oil.

Aloe gel

This plat based gel has healing power. It moisturizes, glows and soothes your skin.its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties reduce swelling and help prevent the site from becoming infected.

Use calamine lotion

Calamine lotion is often used to relieve itchy skin, and it may also help reduce the pain and itching caused by stings from bees or wasps. Try rubbing on a small amount of calamine lotion on a bee sting.

Sprinkle a small amount of honey

Honey fights inflammation and reduces swelling.

It has many medicinal properties. Honey contains compounds that fight inflammation, and reduce swelling. Natural antibacterials in honey may also help prevent infections and speed up healing due to which medical professionals use the honey extract in wound dressings.

Try to sprinkle a small amount of honey on the area. Do it indoors so that the smell of honey will not attract more bees.

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar can help reduce stings in bees.

However, clinical studies have not shown that apple cider vinegar has many claimed health 

benefits.

Also, as an acid substance, improper use can harm the skin.

Toothpaste

An alternative home remedy involves spreading alkaline toothpaste on the area to neutralize the venom. Although no clinical research supports the use of this toothpaste, you can apply a small amount of toothpaste to the bee sting. Apply toothpaste to the stinging area, but be cautious. The skin may react to toothpaste, especially if it is left for longer.

If there are any signs of a reaction, rinse off the toothpaste immediately.

Medical treatment

People can use an over-the-counter medicine to treat the stinging symptoms of bees. Oral medications to control the sting include:

• Hydrocortisone cream that reduces redness, itching, swelling and pain
• Oral antihistamines may help lessen  itching and redness
• Painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and swelling
• If a person is having a severe allergic reaction

Those with severe bee injuries who have any of the following symptoms should receive emergency medical care:

• measles
• Swelling of the tongue or throat
• Rapid heartbeat
• Vomit
• diarrhea
• Pale skin
• lose consciousness
• dizziness
• Severe itching
• Difficulty breathing

To avoid any serious health problems you should always keep your home safe from stinging bees, follow some remedies for safe removal of bees in Orange County, or ask for expert assistance.