Saturday, July 21, 2007

What To Do After a Bee Sting

Parents Magazine's issue for July 2007 has some great tips on caring for bee or yellow jacket stings.

See whether the stinger is still in his skin by looking for a black dot in the middle of the wound. Remove it ASAP with a flat-edged object like a credit card, wash the area with soap and water, and then follow these steps to ease the pain and swelling.

- You can neutralize venom by applying a solution of meat tenderizer and water with a cotton ball. If you don't have this at home (few people do), try rubbing on some solid antiperspirant instead.

- Put ice or cold water on the sting, and give your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

- If the sting is itchy, give him an OTC antihistamine.

- Sever allergice reactions occur in only 3% of kids. Call your doctor immediately if your child develops hives or if he was stung more than 10 times.

- Take your child to the E.R. or call 911 if the sting is inside his mouth; he has trouble breathing or swallowing; vomits; becomes dizzy or faints; or he develops severe headaches, stomach cramps, fever, or diarrhea.

No one every wants their child to suffer a bee sting, so I'm pretty paranoid. We have an orange stroller, and I would swear bees come out of nowhere and start following us. So if you ever see me running down the street, odds are, there was a bee somewhere nearby.

0 comments: