Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Treating Insect Stings


Some of you already know that last week sweet little Charlotte was attacked by yellow jackets.  She was stung about 10 times, which is painful for anyone, especially a little one.  After she was stung, I jumped online to find any remedies that I could apply right away, while Ryan went to the store to buy Children's Benadryl.  Here are some things I found that could apply to any insect sting.
  • Remove the stinger - using tweezers, grasp the stinger right next to the skin.  Do not pull by the end of the stinger - it can squeeze more venom into the skin.  Another method is to scrape a credit card along the skin where the stinger is - this should pop it out.
  • Baking Soda paste - make a paste of 2 parts baking soda and 1 part water - apply this to every sting.  It will neutralize the venom.  Apparently plain toothpaste will do this too (i think because it has baking soda in it).
  • Lavender essential oil - it eases the stinging and itching sensation, as well as kills any bacteria , preventing infection.  Inhaling the aroma also produces a calming effect.
  • Ice - the cold restricts blood vessels, reducing swelling and easing pain.
  • Dr. Bach's Rescue Remedy - the cream will disinfect and reduce swelling - the liquid if taken internally - will calm your adrenal system (four drops under the tongue)
  • Of course, Benadryl, the obvious option is very helpful in counteracting the histamines - reducing itching and negative reactions.
  • Fluids - drinking lots of fluids not only helps your body heal, it flushes the venom out of your system.
I hope that was helpful, and you can reference here if you are ever stung.  Do you have any more suggestions?

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