Bee Sting Home Remedy

Bee Sting Home Remedies are listed below. When stung by a bee, it is generally advised that you will try to carefully pull out the stinger as soon as possible. You can use a sharp-edged object along the sting to remove the stinger but try NOT to squeeze the stinger because more venom can go into the skin.

If you have a reason to believe that an allergic reaction to the sting may be taking place, call for emergency medical help immediately.

If treated quickly and no allergic reaction is present, the inflammation, pain and redness caused by the bee sting can radically lessen in 1-2 hours. It may also take longer but if you have any difficulty in breathing or other signs of allergy, contact a doctor urgently. If the redness and swelling persist after 12 hours, you may wish to contact a doctor also, who will most likely prescribe antibiotics for an infection.

The best bee sting home remedy reported seems to be cold ice pack pressed for quite a long time, and raw onion juice in between ice packs on the skin. Anything that helps fight inflammation may help as well, so personally I would be drinking chaga mushroom tea and eating broccoli sprouts, berries, turmeric, colourful vegetables and fruit, and other antioxidants. Plenty of water is also very important in fighting the inflammation caused by the bee sting.

Bee Sting Home Remedies

1. Use an extractor pump designed specifically for bee stings to suck out as much of the venom as possible. For example, the "Sawyer Extractor Pump" or "Aspivenin" may work well as they use vacuum suction. Do not use your mouth to suck out the poison.
2. Apply a pack of ice on the bee sting. The cold constricts blood vessels and reduces the spread of the venom. Anything that can reduce inflammation, swelling and pain may be useful.
3. According to a story on Chicagotribune.com raw onion may also be helpful against both wasp and bee stings. In the story a boy accidentally swallowed a wasp and got stung inside his throat. Eating raw onion saved his life, according to the story. Of course, getting emergency medical treatment is more important, but if that is not available, raw onion may help to some degree. Apparently freshly cut onion has been used externally as a remedy for bee stings for centuries. (From: "Eating Raw Onion Saved Brother Stung by Wasp")
4. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) can reduce the pain of the bee sting according to some reports. Dip a cotton in ACV and apply on the sting.
5. Other natural remedies that have been mentioned as useful in healing bee stings quicker are: turmeric and other antioxidants, garlic, raw potato juice, cucumber, toothpaste and a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, lavender essential oil, and washing with mild soap.

Interesting Facts About Bee Stings

Bee venom has been used by Dr. Lawrence Cohen, Dr. Christopher Kim and others as an arthritis pain remedy. The doctor has been reported to inject honey bee venom into arthritis sufferers to eliminate the pain both temporarily and long-term. Also multiple sclerosis (MS), high blood pressure, asthma, hearing loss, numbness of the arm or leg, and premenstrual syndrome have been treated by bee venom by USA-based doctors. The bee venom therapy has been called apitherapy and the treatment was already used in Ancient Egyptian and Greek times. Lawrence Cohen states that bee venom contains mellitin, which is an anti-inflammatory compound hundred-times stronger than cortisone. Adolapin is another substance in the venom which both pain-blocking and anti-inflammatory.

In addition, honey-bee venom taken internally or applied on skin in cream have been linked to anti-cancer and anti-aging effects, among other health benefits. Bee venom is sold for more than £1000/ gram according to a report in the Telegraph newspaper but has been deemed unsafe in the EU because of potential allergic reactions. ("Food Watchdog Bans 'Miracle' Bee Venom Honey")

Raw foodists may be able to tolerate bee stings better, according to some reports. Also, getting stung regularly has been shown to increase immunity to the effects of the sting, as is known by many bee keepers.

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