Bee sting is very painful and a common outcome if you have love for plants and gardening. Most of the times, bee sting pain and inflammation can easily be treated using natural home remedies. However, whenever any person is stung by honey bee, it is important to monitor the symptoms for signs of life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. It is has been found that 3% of persons stung by bees, develop this reaction. Itchiness, hives, shortness of breath and feeling of dizziness are some of the common symptoms of anaphylaxis. The person then needs quick medical attention. However, if the bee sting does not come under this fatal reaction, it can easily be treated using any of these natural remedies for bee sting.
Before applying any of the natural remedies for bee sting, first and foremost you will need to extract the stinger and clean the wound. The stinger during the bee sting should be removed as quickly as possible. The back portion of the bee, contains a venom-holding sac, so if it is not immediately removed, the venom can enter the skin. So you have to be very quick and use your fingernails, tweezers or any hard surface to get the stinger out. In this process, you must be careful to not break the stinger or leave it buried into the skin. The second process is to clean to clean the wound. Use a soap and cold water to cleanse the area to remove any bacteria that may cause infection. After cleaning the wound, use any of these top 8 and effective remedies for bee sting.
Here are Some Natural Bee Sting Remedies:
Ice
This is a very natural remedy for bee sting. Wrap some ice cubes in a cloth or use an ice pack and apply onto the affected area for 20 minutes. This effect reduces swelling and numbs the pain as the coldness helps by constricting the blood vessels and in turn restricts the flow of venom-infected blood. You will be relieved for 5 hours after that you may have to re-apply.
Crushed Garlic
Using crushed garlic is a very popular and extremely effective remedy to reduce pain during bee sting. Crush few garlic cloves to extract fresh juice and apply it on the wound. Cover with a damp towel and leave for 20-3- minutes.
Honey
Honey is loaded with excellent healing properties for the skin, making it ideal remedy for bee sting. Apply some organic honey to your wound and cover it for 30-40 minutes using a small rag. This remedy is unsuitable for person allergic to honey or bees.
Raw Potato
Peel a potato and cut it into half. Place the raw potato slice on the site of bee sting. The natural properties in raw potato will soothe the skin and also speed up the healing process.
Baking Soda, Vinegar and Meat Tenderizer
Mix baking soda, vinegar and meat tenderizer to form a smooth paste. Apply it directly to the bee sting, it might give fizzing sensation. The symptoms will begin subside in 20 minutes and will be gone completely in an hour’s time. Apply again after few hours. Meat tenderizer has papain enzyme that help in breaking down toxins present in bee’s venom.
Plantain
Plantain is a weed found commonly in nature and has incredible medicinal properties. Pluck the leaves of this weed to extract juice. You can either crush the leaves using mortar and pestle or use your food processor. Apply this fresh juice over the bee sting and wrap it with a moist towel for half an hour.
Calamine Lotion
Use a good calamine lotion with analgesic like caladryl to ease the symptoms of bee sting. Apply the lotion generously on the affected area. You will feel slight soothing tingle, but that’s normal. The symptoms will be relieved after 45 minutes. You however, will need to re-apply this every 4 hours.
Toothpaste
This remedy comes very handy and helps in reducing the swelling and pain considerably. The alkaline nature of the toothpaste helps in neutralising the acidic bee sting. Apply toothpaste directly to the wound and leave for 20-30 minutes.
These are the most effective remedies for bee stings that help in relieving pain and inflammation. These treatments work well for non-allergic bee stings. If, however any person has venom or bee stung allergy, you must not rely on these natural treatments and seek medical attention immediately.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.