The question of how to treat a wasp sting arises at least once in life in almost every person. After all, the sting of this small insect can not only cause pain, but also cause an acute allergic reaction. To prevent these negative manifestations, everyone should know how to provide first aid to a victim of a wasp sting.
What is the danger?
What we used to call the "bite" of the wasp is actually an injection with a sharp sting. Moreover, as soon as this small spear penetrates the skin, a specific poison is injected from it, to which more than 2% of the population of our planet have increased sensitivity. And if for many a hornet’s bite is only a painful lesion of the skin, for this category of people it is a dangerous lesion of the body that can even provoke anaphylactic shock. Indeed, the dose may be the most unpredictable dose of a cocktail of biologically active substances, such as acetylcholine, neurotoxin, histamine, etc. And if you do not know, having received a wasp sting, what to do, swelling and itching will complement the rash, as well as other symptoms.
If there is no hypersensitivity to aspen poison, a single bite will not cause much harm to health. But the difficulty is that this striped insect has a very large stock of poison, which is enough for several attacks. It is worth noting that wasps are predators that live in whole colonies. Having disturbed their nest, a person can provoke an attack on many individuals. A large number of bites can cause general intoxication.
This poses the greatest danger to people who suffer from diabetes, allergies and asthma, as well as to children, the elderly and pregnant women, whose body cannot cope with toxins on its own. Therefore, to know if you got a wasp sting, how to remove the tumor and overcome intoxication is simply your duty. Sometimes the possession of such information can help as much as save a person’s life.
There are many bacteria on the legs and body of the wasps (in fact, like all insects) that can enter the human body during a bite. After such migration, microorganisms are assimilated in a new environment and begin to multiply, as a result - infectious purulent abscesses, and sometimes even various intestinal diseases. At the first manifestations of infection, an ointment from a wasp sting should not be used, it is advisable to immediately seek medical help. Otherwise, the inflammatory process can spread and cause significant harm to health.
General algorithm of actions for a wasp sting
Having received the bite of such an aggressive insect, you must not lose control of yourself and not make sudden movements. You should leave the place where the wasp flies. An attempt to crush the offender must also be abandoned, since the poison in her abdomen contains a specific substance that causes aggression of the remaining individuals of this species. Therefore, at this point, it is better to focus on how to treat a wasp sting, and not how to deal with a striped offender.
When the threat of getting repeated bites has passed, you should worry about the wound. It should be processed and a bandage should be applied over which a cold object or piece of ice should be applied.
Treatment of wasp stings
A small wound from a wasp sting must be treated with a disinfectant. For this, hydrogen peroxide, iodine or alcohol-containing liquids are ideal. If there are no such antiseptics on hand, but there is aspirin, this will be enough. The tablet must be crushed to a powder and add a couple of drops of water, the resulting slurry is applied to the affected area of the body and a bandage is applied. If the bite is on the arm or leg, the antiseptic must be fixed with an elastic bandage, then the poison will not spread throughout the body. In cases where there are no medicines at hand, you can use ordinary soap. However, before smearing a wasp sting, the wound should be washed with running water.
For the effectiveness of treatment, toxic substances must be removed from the body as soon as possible by drinking a large amount of liquid. It is better if it is a sweetish weak tea, mineral or purified water. If the victim begins to manifest an allergic reaction, such as urticaria or swelling, you need to give him an antihistamine. The medicine "Fenistil", "Diazolin" or "Zodak" will cope well with the task. Consulting a doctor in such cases is required.
There is a bite, but there is no first-aid kit in the house
Probably, it’s not worth talking about the fact that our grandmothers were also stung by wasps . But at that time there was not such a large assortment of medications. Therefore, you can immediately go to the treatment recipes that our ancestors used.
For many centuries, the main remedy for
wasp stings was onions. Half of the bulb was applied to the affected area and held for 12-15 minutes. This recipe has not lost its relevance today, because wasps most often sting in nature, in the country, and at this time there is no necessary set of medicines with you.
Garlic will help prevent unpleasant itching and swelling with an aspen bite. A broken or cut clove should only lubricate the damaged area of the skin, but in no case apply garlic to the wound, as there may be a burn.
When providing first aid, ordinary table vinegar is also useful, which can not only lubricate the wound, but also be used as the main remedy for the compress. A copiously moistened piece of cotton wool, bandage or cotton cloth is applied to the bite site for 5-10 minutes.
Fresh ripped parsley with a wasp sting can also do a good job. To do this, the leaves should be washed and attached to the wound.
If a wasp has bitten in nature
If a meeting with a wasp, which ended with a bite, occurred in nature, you should not immediately panic. The first thing to do is to slowly move away from the scene, without causing additional aggression in the insect, and remember how to handle the wasp sting so that the consequences are minimal. For this, plantain is ideal, only one leaf of which can prevent swelling. To do this, it should be washed and rubbed with your hands until juice appears, then attach to the wound for 5-7 minutes. This method is effective and simple, but it is worth considering that plantain grows most often near ponds, and in arid places it is almost impossible to find it.
So, a wasp sting. What to do? A tumor, or rather swelling, can spread very quickly to a large area of the skin, so cardinal measures should be taken immediately. And this will help celandine. Many people know that a large amount of yellow-orange juice is secreted from a torn leaf or stem of this plant, it is they who need to burn a wound from a bite. However, such a remedy should be used with extreme caution, because celandine juice in a concentrated form is toxic. Therefore, before smearing a wasp sting with such a tool, it should be remembered that only the wound should be treated, but in no case should juice be applied to the skin around it.
Preparation of lotions and ointments from wasp stings
The easiest way is to prepare for the summer season, when insects most often sting, since the spring. It is at this time of the year that dandelions begin to bloom, from which an effective medicine can be prepared. To do this, fill the jar with the opened flowers and pour them to the top with edible vegetable oil, and then let it brew for 24 hours. Next, the container with the contents must be kept in a water bath for 40-45 minutes and insisted for another day. After the infusion, filter through a small strainer or 2-3 layers of gauze. Such a kind of ointment from a wasp sting can not only remove the tumor from the affected area, but also can perfectly cope with itching. Keep it in a cool place.
Another remedy that has proven effective in wasp stings is an ointment based on alcohol, vegetable oil and St. John's wort. To prepare it, all three ingredients should be mixed in equal proportions and insisted for 48 hours. It is better to store such ointment in the refrigerator, and before smearing a wasp sting, the container with the product should be shaken. Within a couple of minutes after use, the unpleasant itch will disappear, as well as swelling, and only a small red spot will remain on the skin.
If you are allergic
A predisposition to allergic reactions in various situations can cause poor health. And the wasp sting is certainly no exception. A couple of minutes after the poison enters the body, a person may develop urticaria, swelling, sometimes even anaphylactic shock. Therefore, how to treat a wasp sting with such a feature and what is the algorithm of first aid, everyone should know.
With you in the summer season, when these striped predators are most active, you must have an antihistamine. It may be one of such medicines as Tavegil, Claritin, or Suprastin. How much a wasp sting passes with such treatment depends entirely on the individual's personality. But if, within 2 hours after taking the medication, the symptoms of an allergic reaction did not subside, but only supplemented with new manifestations, you should immediately consult a doctor.
How to find out if there is an allergy to wasp venom?
In order to know how the body can respond to wasp venom, people with a predisposition to allergies should take an immunoglobulin E test in the laboratory . If you get a positive result, remember: you should always carry a syringe and several ampoules with the drug Prednisolone with you.
In what cases immediately seek medical help?
If the child received a wasp sting, you should not think about how to remove the tumor yourself. It is urgent to seek medical help, because the baby's body can respond with an instant allergic reaction, even if there is no predisposition to allergies. You should not take measures on your own when the wasp stung an elderly person or more than 10 bites on the victim’s body.
Taking an antihistamine after receiving a dose of aspen poison should bring the desired relief, but if this did not happen, and the symptoms appear further, you should not postpone the visit to the doctor. The specialist certainly knows how to treat a wasp sting with such complications. And he will be able to choose an effective course of treatment.