Bites and Stings

Insect stings

Many insects sting as a defence mechanism by injecting venom into the skin. Most are painful but harmless but some people can have an immediate allergic reaction to being stung, and sometimes this can be very dangerous.

Your symptoms will be more severe if you are stung many times, due to the amount of venom that will have been injected into your skin.

Seek emergency medical treatment, if, immediately after being stung, you experience any of the following symptoms, as you may be having a generalised allergic reaction and this can be fatal:

Swelling or itching anywhere else on your body.
Wheezing.
Headache.
Nausea.
Fast heart rate.
Dizziness.
Feeling faint.
Difficulty swallowing.
Swollen face or mouth.

Treatment
As soon as you have been stung by an insect, you should remove the sting and the venomous sac. Do this by scraping it out, either with your fingernails, or something with a hard edge, such as a credit card.

When removing the sting, you need to be very careful not to spread the venom further under your skin and that you do not puncture the venomous sac. Do not attempt to pinch the sting out with your fingers, or a pair of tweezers, because if you do, you may spread the venom.

If a child has been stung, a responsible adult should remove the sting. Bee stings have a venomous sac and you should try not to puncture this as you remove the sting.

To treat insect stings, you should:

Wash the area with soap and water.
Put a cold flannel on the area.
Raise the part of the body that has been stung to prevent swelling.
Use a spray, or cream, containing local anaesthetic or antihistamine on the area to prevent itching and swelling.
Take painkillers, such as paracetamol (if the sting is very painful).
Don't scratch the area, as it may become infected.

See your GP if the redness and itching does not clear up after 48 hours.