Fortunately, a bee sting is just a nuisance for most people where you experience temporary pain, itching, redness, and swelling at the sting site. If you have a serious allergic reaction with severe itching, difficulty breathing, nausea, and other severe symptoms, you should seek emergency help immediately. Otherwise, there are several things you can try at home to reduce bee sting symptoms. Here are the top home remedies for bee stings:
Cold Compress
If you have been stung by a honeybee, you should remove the stinger immediately using the edge of your fingernail. This will help minimize the number of toxins that are released into your skin. After washing the sting site with soap and water, apply a cold compress to help reduce the pain and swelling. Applying ice also helps.
Baking Soda
Apply baking soda mixed with water since the paste can help neutralize bee venom to reduce the pain, swelling, and itching. After applying a thick layer of baking soda, cover the paste with a bandage.
Honey
Honey is a bee sting treatment that has been passed down for generations, and it may provide help with healing the wound. Honey has been found to alleviate the pain and itching associated with a bee sting. Simply apply a small amount of honey to the affected area, cover the sting with a loose bandage, and leave the bandage on for up to an hour.
Toothpaste
While this might sound unusual, toothpaste is one of the top home remedies for bee stings! While it has never been scientifically proven toothpaste helps bee stings, many folks claim alkaline toothpaste helps to neutralize honeybee venom. Therefore, just dab a bit on the affected area to try this unique home remedy. Keep in mind this will only work for stings from honeybees, but not for stings from wasps and other species of bees.
