Homemade Treatments for Bee Stings

I've had more than my share of bee stings already in my life. So having instant relief for the pain and swelling that a bee's venom causes is a necessity for me. The next time you, or someone in your family, gets attacked by one of these insects, try these homemade treatments for bee stings!

First, most people are allergic to a bee's poison. However, it's estimated that one to two million Americans are severely allergic to it. For these people, suffering from anaphylactic shock is a serious medical problem. Anaphylactic shock happens when the entire body reacts to a bee sting resulting in difficult breathing, stomach cramps, vomiting and/or diarrhea. If not immediately treated, it can result in death. If you are one of these people, then follow your doctor's advice when it comes to treating bee stings.

No matter what homemade treatment for bee stings you use, the first step is to remove the bee's stinger if it's still in your skin. The faster you remove the stinger, the less amount of venom will be injected. Don't try to grab it with your fingernails or a pair of tweezers because you can squeeze the venom sack and inject more of the bee's poison into your skin. Instead, use your fingernail or a flat object to scrape the stinger off. Then clean the wound with lots of soap and water. Continue to keep the wound clean for the next couple days until it's completely healed.

The next step is to mix up a thick paste of baking soda and water and apply it liberally to the bee sting. The soda will help draw the poison out of the wound and relieve the pain and swelling.

Or, another effective homemade treatment for bee stings is to mix up a paste of meat tenderizer and water. Be sure to use a tenderizer that contains Papain such as Adolph's® brand. Papain is a natural enzyme that's found in papaya. It has been proven to neutralize the protein in the bee's venom, thus relieving the pain and swelling.

A word of caution here- If you have sensitive skin, don't leave the meat tenderizer paste on for more than thirty minutes. Otherwise, it could irritate your skin.