Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, A Detailed Guide for Treating Anaphylaxis, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County, National Center for Biotechnology Information, Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Study: Mosquitoes Find You (and Decide to Bite) Because They Can Smell Your Breath, 6 Things You Need to Know About the Asian Longhorned Tick, Did a Bee Sting Me? instant pain at the site of the sting that is sharp, burning, and usually lasts a few seconds, a swollen red mark that can be itchy and painful, swollen and red hives or welts that may peak at around 48 hours after the sting and last for up to 1 week, extreme redness and swelling that enlarges up to 12 inches across, swelling of an entire extremity or limb, which may last a few days. Call for urgent medical help if there are signs of an allergic reaction. (15). (3), You’ll find these wasps throughout the U.S., usually flying around structures. Typical symptoms and reactions to stings by yellow jackets, hornets and wasps do not differ to a large extent except when a victim is stung multiple times by many individual insects and the victim is highly allergic to the insect’s venom. Here’s our process. (1) You can identify the European hornet by its reddish-brown head and legs and yellow-and-black striped abdomen (rear end). A bug bite or sting that penetrates the skin can allow bacteria living on the surface of the skin to get below it and cause an infection. (7), Local reactions are mild, and most people don’t need medical attention for wasp stings. Just like any other wound, bee stings can easily become infected—and they even might appear to be healing while bacteria stirs up trouble under the skin. Wasps don’t lose their stingers. Wash the site of the sting with plain soap and water. Common allergic disorders include hay fever, asthma, allergic eyes, allergic eczema, hives, and allergic shock. It is estimated that 50 million North Americans are affected by allergic conditions. Creating a meat tenderizer paste and applying it to a sting may also provide some relief because of the tenderizer’s ability to neutralize the venom, he adds. and to know how to use them properly. There are over 25,000 species of wasps found throughout the world. Use calamine lotion, vinegar, or bicarbonate of soda. Call a pest control company to have it professionally removed. If you think that you may be having an anaphylactic reaction, seek emergency care or call 911 immediately. Remove the stinger promptly if it remains. Signs of a mild allergic reaction include hives (without difficulty breathing) near the site of the sting as well as on other parts of the body. Tape can be used to remove a stinger left in the skin. These self-administered injectable epinephrine treatments can be life-saving in many cases. The immediate signs and symptoms occur at the sting site and include immediate pain, redness, swelling and itching may occur; many people have no further problems and the sting resolves but others may develop systemic and/or more serious symptoms … Paper wasp nests are usually made of a paper-like material with a circular comb of cells that open toward the bottom of the nest. “Apply anything cold, like ice, for a few minutes to try to minimize the swelling,” Dr. Wright recommends. Want More News? Jones K. Get the Facts: Apple Cider Vinegar. The Ultimate Guide to Health and Happiness, Melatonin Tied to Better Brain Function in Kids With Concussions, Listeria Outbreak Linked to Deli Meat Hospitalizes 10 and Kills 1, Tippi Coronavirus: Tips for Living With COVID-19. Bug bites and stings have been known to transmit insect-borne illnesses such as West Nile virus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Lyme disease. Swollen red bumps, rash and other skin-related symptoms are less common in toxic reactions than in systemic allergic reactions. “I wouldn’t recommend self-treating,” Dr. Wright warns. Prevention participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. If you don’t have baking soda or meat tenderizer in the house, other concoction can be quickly mixed up. And wasp stings are painful. Call 911 if you or someone you know is beginning to show serious symptoms or immediately go to the closest emergency department. Yellow jacket wasps are the most common cause of allergic reactions to insect stings in the United States. Use ice packs to reduce swelling. Try the following for relief: Clean the bite with soap and water. Medically reviewed by Joseph Palermo, MD; Board Certificate: Internal Medicine/Geriatric Medicine. Remain calm and walk away, as wasps and hornets can sting again. These symptoms do not cause major medical problems and are usually limited to or are very near the sting site. Hornets are predominantly black with some yellow markings on the head and thorax. Enter a zip code below to view local branches. Paper wasps are about a half inch to 1 inch long and identified by their reddish-brown to black body and long legs that hang down when they fly. He selected 25 locations on the body and conducted an experiment on himself to rate the painfulness of a sting at each location caused by a honey bee. EpiPen and EpiPen Jr (epinephrine injection, autoinjector) is a prescription drug used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions. Just like any other wound, bee stings can easily become infected—and they even might appear to be healing while bacteria stirs up trouble under the skin… Allergen avoidance and medications are used to prevent or treat allergies. (14), Similarly, oatmeal has demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties, making it an excellent skin protector and soother for itchy stings, according to Roland. Most insect stings cause only minor discomfort. What are the complications of a bee or wasp sting? Burst any blisters that develop, since this can lead to infection. I also agree to receive emails from MedicineNet and I understand that I may opt out of MedicineNet subscriptions at any time. How can you distinguish a wasp sting from other bites and stings? If you notice any shortness of breath, chest or throat tightening, or swelling away from the site of the sting, especially your tongue or lips, call 911 immediately. Treatment of a local reaction involves cleansing, removal of the stinging apparatus if present, and application of ice packs. Some bees leave the stinger in the person’s skin. MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. (5), Some paper wasps have yellow rings around their abdomen, making them resemble a yellow jacket. According to board-certified allergist Lakiea Wright, M.D., medical director of Thermo Fisher’s Scientific ImmunoDiagnostics Division and associate physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, you should first remove the stinger with your fingernail or a piece of gauze. Emergency medical treatments may also include steroid and antihistamine medications and insertion of a breathing tube. Use calamine lotion to relieve itching. These symptoms may lead to death. The wound may even have a drop of blood at its center, indicating where the stinger entered your body. If you suspect your sting is infected, don’t try to fix it at home and seek medical care ASAP. Systemic allergic reactions can be life-threatening, as discussed above. An allergy refers to a misguided reaction by our immune system in response to bodily contact with certain foreign substances. Wasp stings are painful but not usually dangerous. Treatment for a mild allergic reaction (such as a rash without any breathing difficulty) usually involves the administration of antihistamine medications and sometimes steroid medications to reduce inflammation. Wasp stings can be painful and cause a reaction ranging from hives to breathing trouble. Patient Comments: Bee and Wasp Sting - Bee or Wasp? While honey bees are not usually aggressive, they will sting if bothered or threatened. In addition to trauma to the face, cosmetic surgery can cause a black eye(s) as a side effect. Use topical hydrocortisone ointment or cream to reduce itching and swelling. More detail is in the main article. They are usually no more serious than this, but some people can develop a life-threatening illness. If you’ve had an anaphylactic reaction to wasp venom, ask your doctor about allergen-specific immunotherapy to prevent or reduce future reactions. Rarely, the infection can spread to the deep layer of tissue called the fascial lining. Picture of Bee, Wasp, Hornet, Yellow Jacket Stings. Wasp Stings IT IS ADVISABLE TO SEEK THE ASSISTANCE OF A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL ANYTIME SOMEONE IS STUNG. Insect stings may produce four types of reactions, each with characteristic symptoms as below: Most bee and wasp stings can be treated at home, but some require medical attention. They do not usually leave a stinger. Bees and wasps, together with fire ants, are all related insects that belong to the Hymenoptera order. They are known to be especially aggressive in protecting their distinctive roundish papery nests, which often hang from trees. If the sting site becomes infected, your doctor may prescribe a course of antibiotics. (2) If you stay out of their way, they’ll stay out of yours. Jake Smith, an editorial fellow at Prevention, recently graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in magazine journalism and just started going to the gym. Get help now: The majority of stinging insects in the United States are from bees, yellow jackets, hornets, wasps, and fire ants. ©2018 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved. The yellow jacket and hornet, both of which live in groups, or colonies, in temperate climates. Necrotizing fasciitis is an example of a deep-layer infection. The parts of the body that are prone to react to allergies include the eyes, nose, lungs, skin, and stomach. In some people, components of the venom can cause an allergic reaction. Sign Up for MedicineNet Newsletters! The toxins and stinger parts cause the problems seen with bee and wasp stings; the more serious symptoms are due to the body’s immune system overreacting to the stinger and toxins. Depending upon the type of insect, the stinging apparatus may be found embedded in the skin, but this is not the case with wasps and some types of bees. Apply a cold compress to relieve pain and swelling. Call 911 immediately if you have a severe reaction to a sting. At least 90 to 100 deaths occur each year in the U.S. as a result of serious anaphylactic sting reactions. Take the Summer Skin Hazards Quiz and clue in on the dangers to your summer skin! If a person is stung by an insect whose sting has previously caused an anaphylactic reaction, he or she should also access emergency medical care even if no symptoms are present. (9). What if you didn’t see what stung you? (1,3), Yellow jackets are active from the spring through late summer, and you can find them around the globe. Although the venom of the "killer bees" found in the Western and Southern U.S. is no more potent than that of regular honeybees, their behavior may be more aggressive. A normal local reaction to a bee or wasp sting produces the following symptoms: Some stings may produce the following symptoms, referred to as a large local reaction: Multiple stings can be fatal for children. There are roughly 20,000 species of wasps, but not all of them sting humans. Pain and swelling are common symptoms, but these usually go away within a few days. “This can all take place in less than a minute.” (1). Though most reactions to insect bites and stings are mild, some reactions may be life-threatening. With the right precautions, though, you can significantly decrease your risk of dealing with one after a sting. Antihistamine creams or oral antihistamines can help control swelling. Symptoms of the allergic cascade range from mild swelling and itching to full-blown anaphylactic shock. But if you keep scratching, “there can be a breakdown of the skin,” Dr. Wright notes. Hornets form paper-like nests that are attached to trees, bushes, or buildings. 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