A Simple Guide to Beestings

A Simple Guide to Beestings
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What are beestings?
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Beestings include stings by different bees, wasps and hornets.
The most common sting is by the common honeybee.
Usually the bee stings the patient skin, leaving its stinger behind and dies.

What are the symptoms of Beestings?
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1. stinger left on the skin

2. pain and mild discomfort may last a few hours

3. swelling of the skin at the sting site in sensitive patients reacting to the venom of the sting

4. itch at the site may lasts for a week

The main component of bee venom responsible for pain is the toxin melittin.
Histamine and amines in the beesting contribute to the pain and itching.
Most beesting are acidic in nature.

What is the treatment of Beestings?
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1.Remove the barbed stinger.

2.Apply cold compress to reduce pain and swelling.

3.Use baking soda solution to conteract the acid.

4.Give paracetamol and antihistmines for pain and itch

For more severe reactions such as allergy and anaphylactic shock to the beestings, emergency treatment may be required:

1.Give adrenaline injection subcutaneously slowly over a minute peroid
followed by

2.antihistamine like diphenhydramine intravenously

3.Treat shock

4.Corticosteroids may be needed to counter allergy

Multiple beestings may cause severe reaction with shock and hemaglobinuria.
This may require hospitalisation.

Multiple beestings have been known to cause the kidneys and vital organs to shut down and should be treated urgently.