Bee/Wasp Sting

[kajero]

28 miles into a 46 mile ride Saturday, while I was doing about 20 miles an hour coming down a steep hill, a bee or wasp crashed into the area above and to the right of my belly button and stung me through my clothes. I almost lost control it hurt so bad when it happened, but managed to stay upright and kept riding. I just tried to think of other more pleasant things. Like the ice cream was going eat at the end of the ride.

The sting is a now a red area about 3 X 4 inch area. It's Tuesday and it is really starting hurt and itch even more. The area seems to have swollen somewhat as well.

How do I prevent getting such a horrible sting from happening again? A Kevlar vest would be kind of heavy. And how do I treat the sting? I think I dug out the stinger last night, but the area around it is swollen and red.

[tulip]

Are you allergic? Should you have an epi-pen (ask your doctor)?
Not much you can do to prevent stings. Something stung me on my neck a few weeks ago while I was riding. I stopped so fast and nearly tore off my jersey because I thought it had dropped down inside my jersey.

I've had buzzing flying things get stuck in my helmet. In those cases I stop as quickly as I can and calmly (as possible) take off my helmet so the offender can fly away. No stings on my head so far.

You can get stuff called Sting Stop and carry it with you. My grandmother always carried meat tenderizer powder on hikes and that works, too.

[Thorn]

This isn't medical advice....just one bee sting reactor's lessons learned the hard way.

Always remove the stinger. If the swelling is more than the size of a hand, see your doctor (you qualify). Warm compressess in the meantime can alleviate some of the discomfort.

The regimen for me is now oral benedryl once I'm stung and to the doctor for steriods if it swells to the hand-size.

When out, I carry an epi-pen with oral benedryl taped to it. It is an amazing weapon against the bees. I had one pace me momentarily on the bike and all I had to do was tell it, "I have an epi-pen and I know how to use it" and it flew off in the other direction. It is my magic saber

[redrhodie]

Ice it!

[indysteel]

A few years back, I got stung on my face during a ride. The initial allergic reaction was pretty minimal, but a day or two later, the area grew red, swollen, warm to the touch and itchy. It turned out that it had gotten infected. According to the nurse practitioner I saw about it, it's pretty common for a sting to get infected. A short round of antibiotics cleared it right up. I'm no doctor, but I wonder if that's what you're experiencing.

[kajero]

Thanks for all the great information. The sting seems to be better today and I don't think it is infected . . . of course if I keep scratching and rubbing it . . . .

I am sure going to get some of the Sting Stop and some meat tenderizer. (my friend told me that today, too.) Also a small bottle of Benydral. My bike first aid kit seems to be growing. Soon I will need one of those kids bike trailers.

My mother had a severe reaction to bee stings so maybe I inherited part of that. Or maybe the bee was just mad that it crashed into me and wanted revenge.

[Dogmama]

One time I got stung in the boob. That little bugger had to have good aim because his target was pretty small!