▎ WuXi AppTec content team editor
During the May Day holiday, whether you open the "Buddhist vacation mode" of visiting the park at home, or the "walking mode" of sightseeing and sightseeing, you may meet a familiar and dangerous species.
It is the industrious, kind, weed-picking assassin who is good at sneaking attacks- the bees.
Image credit: 123RF
When you approach the place where the flowers are blooming, you suddenly feel a sharp pain in your ankle, and when you look at it, a thorn has been firmly rooted in the skin, and a few bees in the grass next to you are still flying around innocently...
Don't doubt that you have been "honorably assassinated."
Although sometimes being stung is not a big problem, just a temporary pain and discomfort; but "green snake bamboo mouth, wasp tail needle", sometimes being stung can also lead to severe allergic reactions, even life-threatening.
Also, adults tend to have more severe allergic reactions than children, and they are more likely to lose their lives (perhaps with too strong immune systems).
What should I do if I am accidentally stung by a bee?
Remove the stinger
When stung by bees, they will stab the stingers on your stomach into your skin and release the venom.
At this time, the stinger should be removed as soon as possible, because all the venom only takes a few seconds to enter the body.
However, be careful not to "squeeze" the stinger when taking it, and avoid squeezing the remaining venom into the skin (some experts recommend not to use forceps, that is, for fear of causing squeezing).
Stingers can be scraped out with fingernails. If possible, the stinger can be picked out with an anti-poison needle. (If there are residual stingers deep in the skin that can't be removed, don't struggle on your own, go to the hospital.) ）
Then, depending on the severity of the symptoms, different treatments are followed.
Mild symptoms
Most of the time, the symptoms after a bee sting are mild and localized, such as the sting site may have an instant of intense burning and itching, red scars and slight swelling.
These symptoms can be relieved by simple wound management and self-care, such as:
Wash the sting site with soap and water;
Cold compresses on the wound;
taking over-the-counter painkillers (eg ibuprofen);
Use hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion to relieve redness, itching, and swelling.
These mild symptoms usually disappear within a day or a few hours.
Image credit: 123RF
Moderate symptoms
Some people may have moderate reactions after being stung by bees, such as: extreme redness of the sting site; swelling of the stinging area, which gradually expands within a day or two.
In this case, on the basis of care of mild symptoms, antihistamines containing diphenhydramine or chlorpheniramine can also be taken.
However, before taking it, check the drug instructions in detail, pay attention to contraindications, and it is best to use the drug under the guidance of medical staff.
If you are stung on the arm or leg, raise the arm and leg. At the same time, do not scratch the sting site to prevent itching and swelling from intensifying and reduce the risk of infection.
It takes about 3-10 days for moderate symptoms to disappear. If the above self-care methods do not work for moderate symptoms, or if they are accompanied by fever, you should seek medical help in a timely manner.
Severe allergic reactions
People who are allergic to bee venom may experience severe symptoms after being stung, collectively known as allergic reactions, including flushing, pallor and urticaria at the site of the sting, and allergy symptoms may occur even if they are not next to the skin of the injured area.
People with allergies may also present with systemic symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dyspnea, wheezing, swelling of the throat and tongue, weak and rapid pulse, dizziness, and loss of consciousness.
Image source: wellcomecollection.org, Licence:
Public Domain Mark
If an allergic reaction occurs, be sure to go to the hospital for emergency treatment immediately. If treatment is not timely, allergic reactions can be life-threatening.
In addition, people who have had a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting, the next time they are stung, there is a 30% to 60% chance of an allergic reaction.
Therefore, such people must communicate with medical staff and take preventive measures (such as regular injections of allergy injections) to avoid similar reactions again.
If you are not comfortable with your nursing methods, or the symptoms do not disappear within a few days after being stung, other allergy symptoms appear, or you have multiple stings on your body, you must also go to the hospital for treatment in time, consult the opinions of professionals, and deal with them according to relevant requirements.
How to avoid being stung by bees?
In general, insects such as bees and wasps do not actively attack people, but only sting people in self-defense.
But there are always some people who seem to be naturally easy to attract "wild bee wave butterflies", what is wrong?
Here are some outdoor "anti-bee" suggestions for you:
Don't wear brightly colored or printed clothes (although for girls who love beauty, this is difficult to do...). But the bees are really interested in everything like flowers, and the flower pickers are hammered by the stone hammer).
Don't wear loose clothes, sometimes bees are easy to get in and out, and if the bees panic, you're in danger.
Do not wear shoes with open toes.
Be careful when drinking sweet drinks outdoors (yes, bees also like sweet drinks, probably smell like honey). Remember to check the cup and straw before drinking (it is best to use an open cup, even if a bee sneaks in to drink, you can see it clearly).
When eating at an outdoor picnic, cover the food container and close the trash can. Remember to dispose of the garbage in time, especially the fruit and pet feces that fall on the ground, because this will attract flies, and flies will attract wasps.
When driving past the flowers, try not to open or drive the windows as little as possible.
If you find a honeycomb near your home, it's best to ask a professional to get it away.
Image source: wellcomecollection.org, Licence:
Public Domain Mark
What if a bee comes to you?
If there are only one or a few bees flying around you, be sure to stay calm and slowly leave the place. Don't slap or drive away at this time, these actions may trigger their defense mechanisms to sting you.
If you have been stung by bees or wasps, or if there is a large group of "wild bees flying" around, quickly cover your mouth and nose and leave the place quickly (don't think that being stung once will end, the bees will release a chemical to attract other bees to help them "fight in groups", so you can only run quickly, don't let the "chasers" come over).
If you can, it's best to hide in the nearest building or car and close the doors and windows.