How to Treat a Swollen Wasp Sting

Generally, when a person is stung by a wasp, an allergic reaction will occur, one of which is swelling. Apart from wasp stings, insect stings such as fire ants or bees can also trigger allergies. To find out how to treat a swollen wasp sting, see the explanation in this article.

Like bees, wasps are animals equipped with stingers as a means of survival. The wasp sting contains poison which is located in the female's abdomen.

Wasp Sting Symptoms

When a bee or wasp stings your body part, at that moment they will also inject their poison into the part of your body that was stung. The injected poison will directly cause damage to the area around the sting. Generally if the bee stings, the sting is only done once. However, if it is the wasp that stings, the sting can be repeated many times.

Some of the symptoms that can be caused when you are stung by a wasp include sharp pain or a burning sensation in the stung area, itching, redness and swelling.

Although wasp stings generally only cause mild complaints and symptoms, in some conditions, wasp stings can also cause serious medical problems, such as anaphylactic shock, organ dysfunction, and even death.

This can happen, especially to certain people who do have allergies to insect poisons. As a result, when stung by a wasp, the person's body will overreact to the poison that enters the body. Even a very severe reaction can cause death within the first hour after being stung.

How to Treat a Swollen Wasp Sting

How to treat pain from wasp sting depends on the severity of the condition. It should be noted that there is no specific anti venom available against the poison stung by an insect. However, there are several ways you can do to treat a swollen wasp sting, including:

• Wash the part of the body that was stung using water and soap so that the poison comes out.
• Apply a cold compress to the part that was stung by the wasp to relieve pain and reduce swelling.
• Keep the wound clean and dry, to prevent infection.
• If necessary, cover the wound with gauze.
• Use calamine lotion, hydrocortisone cream or antihistamines if itching or skin irritation bothers you.
• If the pain from a wasp sting is unbearable, you can take painkillers, such as ibuprofen.
• Consider getting a tetanus shot, a few days after the sting.

Also read articles about: How to Treat a Bee Sting

If after being stung by a wasp an anaphylactic shock occurs, you need to get an injection of epinephrine to stabilize blood circulation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if breathing stops for a moment, as well as administration of oxygen and other medications as needed such as corticosteroids or allergy medications to help your breathing.

How to Prevent Wasp Stings

The way to prevent wasp stings that can be done is by wearing a long-sleeved shirt and trousers complete with wearing shoes and socks when outdoors or in areas with lots of trees or when in forests where there may be wasps.

How to treat a swollen wasp sting above you can apply if you are stung by a wasp. But if the swelling does not heal or you feel weak in a fast time, immediately see a doctor or emergency room to get the right treatment.