How to Relieve Bee Stings

Most kids can't tell the difference between bees, wasps and yellow jackets, but it helps if you can identify the type of insect after a sting. Insect venom contains different allergens, and identification helps doctors in the event that your child has an allergic reaction to the sting. The Seattle Children's Hospital notes that more than 95 percent of childhood stings come from yellow jackets or honeybees. Treating these stings at home first requires making a quick assessment of your child to decide whether to call for professional medical help or handle the treatment yourself.

Things You'll Need

  • Tea bags
  • Wet washcloth
  • Ice cubes or freezer cold packs

Instructions

    • 1

      Identify the location of the sting to determine possible treatment. Multiple stings, more than five stings for every 10 pounds of your child's weight and stings to the eyes or in the mouth all require an immediate trip to the doctor for treatment, according to the Seattle Children's Hospital.

    • 2

      Check your child for signs of anaphylactic shock, a severe allergic reaction. The Boston Children's Hospital notes that the reaction is rare in children stung for the first time -- approximately 1 percent -- but shock happens more frequently in children with more than one sting experiences. Signs of shock may include difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, stomach pain, nausea or vomiting and severe itching. Take your child to the emergency room if he shows any signs of shock.

    • 3

      Remove the stinger when visible. Use your fingernail or the side of a credit card to gently draw the stinger from the skin. However, leave an embedded stinger alone. It will eventually work itself out without any help as the wound heals, according to the Seattle Children's Hospital.

    • 4

      Wash the sting area with soap and water to remove traces of the bee venom.

    • 5

      Apply an ice pack or prepackaged cold pack wrapped in a wet washcloth to reduce the amount of swelling. Apply the ice for 10 minutes and allow the sting to sit for 10 minutes. Follow this routine for an hour and examine the area in between treatments for swelling.

    • 6

      Apply a baking soda paste or a wet tea bag to the sting for 15 to 20 minutes to reduce the itching.

    2. Previous:

    Next: