what to do for yellow jacket sting

1 year ago 81

If you get stung by a yellow jacket, there are several things you can do to treat the sting. Here are some tips from various sources:

Remove the stinger: Although yellow jackets dont normally leave a stinger, sometimes they do. The stinger looks like a tiny black dot in the area of the sting. Use your fingernail or a credit card to scrape it off. If its below the surface of your skin, leave it alone. It will come out on its own.
Clean the area: Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water.
Apply a cold pack: Applying an ice or a cold pack to the affected area can help immediately reduce inflammation and the painful swelling associated with a yellow jacket sting. Wrap the ice or cold pack in a towel or washcloth before applying it to the bite to protect your skin. Leave the ice on the bite for at least 10 minutes for best results.
Use a meat tenderizer paste: Make a meat tenderizer paste with a little water. Use a cotton ball to rub it on the sting. Do this once for 20 minutes. Reason: this may neutralize the venom and reduce the pain and swelling. Caution: do not use near the eye.
Use baking soda paste: Mix up a paste of water and baking soda. Apply with a cotton swab or ball to the yellow jacket sting to help neutralize the venom.
Take a pain reliever or an oral antihistamine: To reduce swelling, take a pain reliever or an oral antihistamine.
Apply a calamine product: To reduce itching, apply a calamine product.

If you or someone you’re with has any of the following symptoms after a yellow jacket sting, call 911 immediately:

In any of the following situations after a yellow jacket sting, call your doctor or seek immediate treatment:

Sting inside your mouth or eye
Stomach pain
Vomiting
More than 5 stings per 10 pounds of weight, or more than 50 stings in a teenager
Spreading redness from sting site
If you or the person who was stung feels very sick
If you feel that you or the person who was stung needs to be seen urgently