Bee sting removal can be a tricky subject, one that needs a certain amount of clarification. The fact is, many people do not know how to properly remove a bee sting; if you don’t know how to properly remove the stinger, the bee sting could become worse. A specific method must be employed when endeavoring to remove a bee stinger.
After being stung, the first thing you must do is realize that the stinger needs to be removed as quickly as possible. Rush to the kitchen or bathroom or wherever you keep your health supplies. Do not reach for the tweezers! These are your enemy when dealing with any kind of bee sting. Tweezers will squeeze any leftover venom in the stinger into your body, thus making the sting site worse. Find something to scrape the sting with, like a needle. First, disinfect the needle (or other sharp object) with rubbing alcohol. Then, carefully scrape the area to remove the stinger so as not to cause any more damage to the inflamed area.
After removing the stinger, you need to clean the wound with warm water and soap, or rubbing alcohol. Then, especially when dealing with children, apply ice or very cold water to cool down the sting site. This will help relieve much of the pain due to the heat caused by the influx of blood to the area, not to mention numb the sting site and the surrounding skin.
Finally, Aloe Vera gel or lotion should be applied to the sting, in order to alleviate even more pain. The Aloe Vera will also help in healing process, preventing the sting from itching and burning in the future. Calamine lotion or lanolin can also be added to the area, if you don’t have Aloe Vera around, for the same purposes as above.
An alternative method can be employed that should immediately reduce the pain, as well as future irritation. Nevertheless, the stinger still needs to be removed, by a needle or perhaps even a credit card to scrape at the skin, if that is all you have handy. After the stinger has been removed, make a paste out of some meat tenderizer and a few drops of water. Then, rub the paste onto the sting, making sure to evenly coat the sting with a fairly thick layer of paste. The chemical in the meat tenderizer, called Papain, will break down the proteins in the bee venom, more or less neutralizing any venom it comes into contact with. Leave this paste on the sting for no longer than thirty minutes (the chemical Papain can cause skin irritation if left on for longer) and rinse with warm water and soap. Then, make another paste out of baking soda and water, and repeat the same process as above. Finally, after all the pastes have been washed away, take a warm oatmeal bath by adding a half a cup of oatmeal to your bath water.
After these processes, you will have successfully removed a bee sting and should be on your way to quick recovery.
