My Family Digest
Natural Health Remedies at Home - Bee Wasp Sting Treatment
They may only be small, but getting stung by a bee or a wasp does hurt and especially so for children. Not only do these stings hurt but they can cause significant swelling, inflammation and itching.
Plus, the treatment for bee stings is slightly different than for wasp stings, which most people do not even realize.
Here is a soothing step-by-step bee and wasp treatment that does the trick every time.
Step 1) If you have been stung by a wasp move on to step 2. If you have been stung by a bee you really need to get the sting out. There is a little sac of poison attached to the sting that will just keep pumping if you leave it in. The best way to remove it is to use your finger nail and scrape it away. Be mindful not to pinch the sting with your finger tips as this will only serve to pump more venom into your system.
Step 2) The next thing to do is to soak the area in vinegar or a bicarbonate of soda solution. IMPORTANT: Vinegar is for wasp stings and bicarbonate of soda is for bee stings. This is an important difference. Wasps stings are alkaline and so they need an acidic substance (vinegar) to neutralize them. Bee stings on the other hand are acidic and therefore need an alkaline substance (bicarbonate of soda - 1 teaspoon in a glass of water) to neutralize them. Just dip a cotton wool ball into your solution and tape it to the sting area.
Step 3) Place a face washer over the top of the sting area and then place an ice pack on top and leave for 20 minutes. This will really slow down the swelling and the coldness will take your mind of the sting itself.
Step 4) Remove the ice pack and cotton wool and apply 1 or 2 drops of lavender oil. This will sterilize the area and more importantly stop any itching that may occur. The last thing you want is to start scratching the sting area and give yourself a scar, or worse an infection.
So there you have it, my all natural and super simple bee and wasp sting treatment. Hope you find it helpful.
Robert D. Williams is a natural health remedies enthusiast and writes numerous articles on the topic. He also likes to write on a wide range of other niche topics, including Ariens snow blowers, and the Ariens Deluxe series snow blowers.
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/
Added: 20 октября 2009