How to deal with a child being stung by a bee?

Children have much lower endurance than adults, and often the slightest pain will make them tearful, not to mention being stung by a bee. Children often cry loudly after being stung by a bee, leaving parents at a loss. Many parents don’t know what to do. Let’s take a look at the most correct ways to deal with children being stung by a bee!

Common processing methods on the Internet:

Method 1: Find a way to get the thorn out

If a bee's stinger stings your skin, you must remove it. You can use tweezers to remove the sting, or apply tape to the stung area and then tear it off forcefully, and the thorn will come out.

Doctor's comments

It is necessary to remove the thorn.

After being stung by a bee, the stung area will experience pain and itching, as well as allergic irritation and local inflammatory reactions such as redness, swelling, and heat, so you must try to remove the stinger in the skin. Apply tape to the pricked area and then peel it off forcefully. The stinger may come out. You can also consider using a needle or tweezers to pick it out, but the instruments used must be sterilized and be careful not to squeeze it to prevent remaining toxins from entering the body. You can consider using cupping to absorb the poison and reduce the absorption of toxins.

Method 2: Apply ice to the sting

If you are stung by a bee, apply ice to the sting to relieve swelling and pain.

Doctor's comments

Applying ice can relieve pain.

Applying ice to the sting can reduce pain and swelling. If the pain is severe, you can also take some painkillers under the guidance of a doctor.

Method 3: Wash the wound with soapy water, soda water, salt water, or sugar water

Treat the wound with baking soda and water to relieve pain and draw out some of the venom. Just apply it lightly and wash it off after it dries. You can also wash the wound with soapy water, salt water, or sugar water.

Doctor's comments

Soap water and soda water can be used to wash wounds, but salt water and sugar water are not acceptable.

Since bee venom is acidic, alkaline liquids can be used to neutralize the venom, so you can use soapy water or 5%-10% sodium bicarbonate solution (baking soda) to wet the wound. However, it is wrong to use salt water or sugar water to wash the wound. Not only do salt water and sugar water have no effect on neutralizing bee venom, but due to the complex composition of salt water and sugar water, they may also cause wound infection.

Method 4: Apply fresh breast milk to the wound

Express the breast milk and apply it to the bee sting several times a day. It will be more effective if you express it immediately after applying it.

Doctor's comments

Breast milk can easily cause infection.

It is not advisable to use fresh breast milk after a bee sting. Because breast milk contains a variety of nutrients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, etc., the effect of external application to treat bee stings is not certain. It may also easily breed bacteria due to the rich nutrients, causing secondary infection.

Method 5: Apply fresh purslane juice

Wash fresh purslane, mash it, squeeze out the juice, and apply it to the stung area.

Doctor's comments

Applying purslane juice is ineffective.

Purslane has the effects of clearing away heat and detoxifying, dispersing blood and reducing swelling, but because it is acidic and bee venom is also acidic, it has no effect.

Method 6: Apply garlic juice or ginger juice

Mash garlic or ginger, squeeze out the juice and apply it on the affected area.

Doctor's comments

Applying garlic juice or ginger juice is harmful rather than beneficial.

Garlic contains sulfur compounds, which have strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, but garlic is also highly irritating and corrosive. Mashing garlic and applying the juice externally will aggravate the pain in the wound due to its strong irritation. Ginger can dilate blood vessels and accelerate blood circulation, which will cause bee toxins to be absorbed into the human body faster, so it is not suitable for use.

When your baby is stung by a bee, the correct treatment can relieve pain and redness:

1. Common bees include honey bees and wasps. Once you are stung, immediately find the stinger at the sting site and remove it. If conditions permit, you can use cupping to suck out the venom and reduce the absorption of toxins. The venom of bees is mostly acidic, so it is necessary to scrub it with soapy water immediately. You can also apply 3% ammonia water or 5%-10% sodium bicarbonate solution (baking soda) to the wound. If it is a wasp sting, you can wash and apply acetic acid or vinegar. Applying ice to the sting can reduce pain and swelling, and if the pain is severe, you can take some pain relief medication.

2. When the sting symptoms are slightly more severe, the child may have allergic reactions of varying degrees, and the doctor will recommend taking some anti-allergic drugs.

3. After a child is stung, he or she should be closely observed for about half an hour. Hornet stings are highly toxic. If you find your child having difficulty breathing, or his breathing becomes heavier or he makes a wheezing sound, you should immediately send him to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment.