How to Diagnose and Treat Bee Sting?

Answer 1

Diagnosis If you've had a reaction to bee stings that suggests you might be allergic to bee venom, your doctor may suggest one or both of the following tests:

• Skin test. During skin testing, a small amount of allergen extract (in this case, bee venom) is injected into the skin of your arm or upper back.
• Allergy blood test. A blood test can measure your immune system's response to bee venom by measuring the amount of allergy-causing antibodies in your bloodstream.

Treatment For ordinary bee stings that do not cause an allergic reaction, home treatment is enough. Multiple stings or an allergic reaction, on the other hand, can be a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. You may be given medications including:

• Emergency treatment for allergic reactions
• Epinephrine (adrenaline) to reduce your body's allergic response
• Oxygen, to help you breathe
• Intravenous (IV) antihistamines and cortisone to reduce inflammation of your air passages and improve breathing
• A beta agonist (such as albuterol) to relieve breathing symptoms

   

Answer 2

Have a bee sting bee

Comments

Treatment for minor reactions
Remove the stinger as soon as you can, as it takes only seconds for all of the venom to enter your body. Get the stinger out any way you can, such as with your fingernails or a tweezer.
Wash the sting area with soap and water.
Apply a cold compress.

Treatment for moderate reactions
The following steps may help ease the swelling and itching often associated with large local reactions:
Remove the stinger as soon as you can.
Wash the affected area with soap and water.
Apply a cold compress.
Take an over-the-counter pain reliever as needed. You might try ibuprofen (Motrin IB, Children's Motrin, others) to help ease discomfort.
If the sting is on an arm or leg, elevate it.
Apply hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion to ease redness, itching or swelling.
If itching or swelling is bothersome, take an oral antihistamine that contains diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton).
Avoid scratching the sting area. This will worsen itching and swelling and increase your risk of infection.