Updated: Jul 4, 2020
Unlike bees, wasps can sting multiple times; it does not have a stinger that will detach itself after a sting. Upon getting a sting, you will experience a few seconds of sharp pain. This will be followed by itching, pain, redness, irritation, and swelling of the affected area after a few hours. For most people, wasp stings are not severe or life-threatening; it will only last for a few days.
In general, there are three types of reaction that can occur after getting a wasp sting – normal local, large local, and anaphylaxis. A normal local reaction is the least severe, and the pain and swelling will be gone within a few hours.
Large local reaction requires a few more days for the swelling to go down, and it typically occurs within people who are allergic to wasp stings. Lastly, anaphylaxis is the most severe allergic reaction to wasp stings. It can cause swelling in face, itchiness, breathing difficulties, and more. This requires immediate medical attention to be able to treat it in time.
After getting stung by a wasp, you should immediately wash the area with soap and clean it to remove the remaining venom. Following that, you can use a few fast remedies to treat it:
1. Cold compress
Applying a cold compress can help to reduce swelling of the affected area and numb it to reduce pain.
It is important to wrap the ice with a cloth and avoid direct contact with the skin to prevent further irritation.
2. Vinegar
Wasp stings comes with an alkaline venom. In order to neutralize it, you should use vinegar, an acidic solution, to treat the affected area. This neutralization process will reduce the pain and swelling of the sting.
To apply vinegar onto the affected area, you can use a cotton ball soaked with vinegar and apply it to the top of the affected area with slight pressure. It can be left on top of the area for several minutes.
3. Consume medication
Tylenol, paracetamol and ibuprofen can be consumed to relieve the pain of the sting. The analgesia medications are more than adequate to ease your pain.
To reduce itching, you can consume oral antihistamine drugs such as chlorpheniramine and diphenhydramine. However, these drugs can cause side effects, which includes drowsiness, headache, and constipation.
4. Aloe vera
Aloe vera is a natural healing plant with many properties. For instance, it can help to soothe and moisturize the skin. It must be placed immediately after cleaning the area off to increase its effectiveness.
In most cases, wasp stings are not fatal. After getting a sting from a wasp, or a bee, the first step is to clean the area of the remaining venom. Following that, you can proceed on with a remedy of your choice.
Do not scratch the area and let it put on cold compress regularly to reduce swelling. If you develop a rash due to the wasp sting, you should consult a doctor to receive an injection or receive a cream to be applied on the rashes.
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