Stings
Stings
38 Hints to Relieve the Pain
When Hamlet bemoaned the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and the thousand natural shocks the flesh is heir to, he wasn't complaining about bumblebees. Or even jellyfish. He had more pressing matters on his mind and some heavy decisions to make. But if you've just taken nasty jabs from a stinging creature, you have a decision of your own: to be or not to be in pain. Choose not to suffer by following the advice below.
BEES, WASPS, AND THEIR KIN
These insects inject venom into the skin tissue when they sting. That leads to pain, redness, and swelling at the site of the sting. Discomfort can last from several hours to a day, depending on what and how many of them sting you.
Identify you attacker. Knowing which insect did the damage can provide a clue to treatment—and help you avoid more stings. A honeybee, which has a fuzzy golden brown body, can sting only once. That's because its barbed stinger remains embedded in your skin, causing the bee to die.
Bumblebees, wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets, on the other hand have smooth stingers that can zap you repeatedly. So be prepared to flee.
Yellow jackets pose an additional problem. Smashing one of them can lead to a full-scale attack by its nest mates. Breaking its venom sac releases a chemical that incites other yellow jackets to attack.
Act fast. The key to effective treatment is quick action. The faster you can apply some sort of first-aid treatment, the better your chances are of controlling pain and swelling.
Remove the stinger. If it was a honeybee that got you, remove the stinger as soon as possible. Otherwise, the venom sac attached to it will continue to pump for 2 to 3 minutes, driving the stinger and its poison deeper into your skin. But be careful not to squeeze the stinger or the sac—doing so will release more poison into your system.
"Scraping the stinger out is the best approach," says Edgar Raffensperger, Ph.D., a professor of entomology in the Department of Entomology at Cornell University. Use your fingernail, a nail file, or even the edge of a credit card to gently scrape under the stinger and flip it out.
Cleanse the area. Bees and their brethren are scavengers, so they often have undesirable bacteria in their venom, says Jeff Rusteen, a firefighter-paramedic with the Piedmont Fire Department in Piedmont, California. Wash the sting well with soap and water or an antiseptic.
Relieve the pain. At this point, your wound is still throbbing so you want to deaden the pain fast. The following substances have proven themselves effective—but you must act quickly after being stung for them to work.
Cold. An ice pack, or even just an ice cube, placed over the sting can cut down on swelling and keep the venom from spreading, says Philadelphia dermatologist Herbert Luscombe, M.D., professor emeritus of dermatology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.
Heat. Ironically, says Dr. Luscombe, heat can also make you feel better by neutralizing one of the chemicals that causes inflammation. Just take a hair dryer and aim it at your sting.
Aspirin. One of the simplest, most effective things you can do, he says, is to apply aspirin. Moisten the sting, then rub an aspirin tablet into it. The aspirin neutralizes certain inflammatory agents in the venom.
Ammonia. Sometimes household ammonia does the trick, says Dr. Luscombe. "If it's going to work, it will relieve the pain very promptly. Dab it on the sting." For outings you might want to take along a commercial product called After Bite, which contains ammonia and comes in convenient towelettes.
Baking soda. North Carolina allergist Claude Frazier, M.D., recommends applying a paste of baking soda and water.
Meat tenderizer. "An enzyme-based meat tenderizer, such as Adolph's or McCormick's, breaks down the proteins that make up insect venom," says David Golden, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University. You have to use it right away for it to be effective.
Activated charcoal. "A paste of powdered activated charcoal will draw the poison out very quickly so the sting won't swell or hurt," according to Richard Hansen, M.D., medical director of the Poland Spring Health Institute in Poland Spring, Maine. Carefully open a few charcoal capsules and remove the powder. Moisten it with water and apply to the sting. Cover with gauze or even plastic wrap; the charcoal works best if it stays moist.
Mud. If you don't have anything else handy, says Dr. Hansen, you can mix a little clay soil and water into a mud paste. Apply as you would the charcoal, cover with a bandage or handkerchief, and leave it on until the mud dries.
Take an antihistamine. An over-the-counter oral antihistamine may help relieve pain. In classes he teaches, Rusteen often advises parents to give their children an antihistamine-containing cough syrup, such as Benylin. "The antihistamine helps sedate the child a little and also lessens the swelling, throbbing, and redness caused by the insect venom. Adults can benefit from this treatment, too."
Don't get stung in the first place. The proverbial ounce of prevention can save you a lot of anguish later. Here's how to minimize your chances of getting stung.
Wear white. Stinging insects prefer dark colors, says Dr. Raffensperger. That's why beekeepers generally wear khaki, white, or other light colors.
Don't smell too good. Avoid perfume, after-shave, and any other fragrance that will lead a bee to confuse you with a nectar-bearing flower, he adds.
Increase your zinc intake. Insects are attracted to people who are deficient in zinc, says Illinois allergist George Shambaugh, Jr., M.D., professor emeritus of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery of Northwestern University Medical School. "I tell people to take at least 60 milligrams of zinc a day—year round. My sister had a terrible problem with bees until she started taking zinc. Now she never gets stung." (You should increase your zinc intake only with the approval and supervision of your doctor.)
Oil up. Certain bath oils can repel stinging insects, says Dr. Luscombe. Skin-So-Soft from Avon and Alpha-Keri have helped a lot of people. Rub the oil onto exposed skin before going out.
Run for shelter. If pursued by a buzzing horde, run indoors or jump into water. Or head for the woods. Stinging insects have trouble following their prey through a thicket of woods, say researchers at the Cornell University Cooperative Extension Service.
Take up painting. As a last resort, you might become a painter. Housepainters rarely get stung, says Dr. Luscombe, because the turpentine they use repels stinging insects.
JELLYFISH
Jellyfish and their larger cousin the Portuguese man-of-war are two of the most common stinging marine animals. Their long tentacles contain stinging cells. When they brush against you, the cells pierce your skin and release their poison. Even severed or damaged tentacles can inflict severe wounds. Here's what to do if you have a run-in with one of these sea creatures.
Rinse! Immediately rinse the wound with saltwater, says Arthur Jacknowitz, Pharm.D., a professor of clinical pharmacy and chairman of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at West Virginia University. Do not use fresh water because it will activate any stinging cells that have not already ruptured. For the same reason, do not rub the skin.
Neutralize the stinging cells. Work on alleviating the pain by rinsing the area with one of the following. The sooner you can apply it, the better. Even so, relief may last only an hour or two, so reapply the liquid as necessary.
MEDICAL ALERT Signs of a Severe Reaction Bee stings cause more deaths than snakebites, says Herbert Luscombe, M.D. A normal bee sting produces pain for a brief time and swelling that usually lessens in a few hours. But more severe symptoms may indicate an allergy, which can lead to deadly anaphylactic shock. Be on the lookout for chest tightness, hives, nausea, vomiting, wheezing, hoarseness, dizziness, swollen tongue or face, fainting, or shock. The more rapidly symptoms appear, the more life threatening they are. If these symptoms appear, says Claude Frazier, M.D., use an insect sting kit as directed. Then rush the victim to the nearest hospital or physician. If no kit is available, apply an ice pack if possible and rush the victim to help. Severe jellyfish stings may be accompanied by headache, muscle cramps, coughing, shortness of breath, nausea, and vomiting, says Arthur Jacknowitz, Pharm.D. If the symptoms persist or worsen, contact a physician or the local emergency medical service immediately. |
|
Alcohol. Splash alcohol over the affected areas, says Dr. Jacknowitz. Although rubbing alcohol is preferred, you may use wine, liquor, or any other alcohol that's available.
Vinegar. Dr. Luscombe recommends splashing on vinegar as soon as you can. (It wouldn't hurt to take along a large bottle of vinegar whenever you go to the beach.)
Ammonia. Ammonia is also effective, he says.
Meat tenderizer. Meat tenderizer contains an enzyme that deactivates venom protein and can help prevent the rupture of stinging cells, says Dr. Jacknowitz. Dissolve it in saltwater and pat it on.
Remove any attached tentacles. If there are tentacles clinging to your skin, now's the time to remove the. Do not, however, touch them with your bare hands. Instead, try one of these techniques.
- Wrap your hand in a towel or cloth and wipe away all attached tentacles, says Stephen Rosenberg, M.D., an associate professor of clinical public health at Columbia University School of Public Health.
- Use shaving cream and gentle shaving, says Dr. Jacknowitz.
- If that's not practical, he says, apply a paste of sand and seawater. Then scrape the tentacles off with a knife, plastic credit card, or other sharp instrument.
- Or apply a paste of baking soda and seawater, he says. Scrape the tentacles off as above.
Treat the symptoms. Take care of itching and inflammation with specific medications, says Dr. Jacknowitz.
- Relieve the itchy skin with antihistamines.
- Reduce the swelling with hydrocortisone cream.
- Take a pain reliever if pain persists.
Get a tetanus shot. Although saltwater will cleanse the sting site, it won't sterilize the wound, says Dr. Jacknowitz. So make sure your tetanus immunization is up-to-date.
Take panty hose to the beach. If you want to make sure jellyfish won't harm you, wear panty hose while you swim, says Dr. Luscombe. "It really helps."
PANEL OF ADVISERS
Claude Frazier, M.D., is an allergist in private practice in Asheville, North Carolina. He is the author of Coping with Food Allergies and Insects and Allergy and What to Do about Them.
David Golden, M.D., is an assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.
Richard Hansen, M.D., is medical director of the Poland Spring Health Institute in Poland Spring, Maine. He is author of Get Well at Home.
Arthur Jacknowitz, Pharm.D., is a professor of clinical pharmacy and chairman of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at West Virginia University in Morgantown. He has published over 90 articles in professional journals.
Herbert Luscombe, M.D., is professor emeritus of dermatology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is also senior attending dermatologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.
Edgar Raffensperger, Ph.D., is a professor of entomology in the Department of Entomology at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Stephen Rosenberg, M.D., is an associate professor of clinical public health at Columbia University School of Public Health in New York City. He is author of The Johnson & Johnson First Aid Book.
Jeff Rusteen is a firefighter-paramedic with the Piedmont Fire Department in Piedmont, California. He teaches emergency medical technology at Chabot College in Hayward, California. He is the author of a videotape and companion booklet called Until Help Arrives.
George Shambaugh, Jr., M.D., is a medical otologist and allergist in private practice in Hinsdale, Illinois, a member of the staff at Hinsdale Hospital, and professor emeritus of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery of Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. He writes a health and nutrition newsletter that he sends to his patients.
