If you’ve taken a nasty sting from a creature of any kind, you know the pain it causes. You don’t have to suffer. There’s many ways to relief the itch and pain of stings.

Bees Wasps and their Cousins

Stinging creatures inject venom into our skin tissue when they sting us. The result is redness; swelling and pain which can last from several hours to a couple of days, depending on what stung you and how many stings you received.

Identify the Creature

If you can identify what stung you, it makes it easier to find a treatment. A honeybee, which has a brown, fuzzy body, can only sting once. When it stings, its stinger stays in your flesh, which causes the bee to die. On the other hand, bumblebees, hornets, wasps and yellow jackets can sting numerous times. Be prepared to flee if attacked by these nasty creatures and be aware that yellow jackets are the nastiest of all. Killing one of them can lead to a full-scale attack by all the bees in the hive if you break the venom sac because when it breaks, a chemical is released which warns the other bees of danger.

Be Fast

The faster you are able to apply some kind of treatment, the better your chances of controlling redness, pain and swelling. Remove the stinger as quickly as possible. If not, the venom sac attached to the stinger will continue to pump venom into your body. Scraping the stinger out is the best way to be certain that it comes out in one piece. Use your fingernail, a pocketknife or a nail file to flip the stinger out. If there is white glue available, coat the stinger with it and when it dries, peel it off.

Cleanse the Sting

Once the stinger is out, cleanse the sting site thoroughly. Bees and their cousins are scavengers and their venom is filled with bacteria. Wash the sting site with a little soap and water and then apply an antiseptic.

Treating the Pain

While you are cleansing the sting, the area will be throbbing and beginning to swell. You will want desperately to stop the pain. The following substances can take the pain out of stings if you act fast.

Aspirin

One of the best relievers of the pain from stings is aspirin. Moisten the sting site and rub the aspirin tablet over it to neutralize inflammatory agents in the venom.

Cold

An ice pack works great on stings, or even an ice cube that is placed on the sting site. Cold stops the area from swelling extensively and the venom from spreading.

Ammonia

Depending on the type of sting, household ammonia might work. If it is going to work, it will relieve the pain almost instantly. Dab the ammonia on the sting with a cotton ball.

Heat

Heat can relieve the pain of stings, as it neutralizes one of the chemicals that cause inflammation. Use a hair dryer on your sting. It can work wonders.

Meat Tenderizer

Use an enzyme meat tenderizer on stings. It breaks down the protein in bee venom, but you have to apply it immediately to get results.

Baking Soda

Make a paste of baking soda and a few drops of water. Apply the paste to the sting and leave it there until it dries.

Mud or Clay

If you are in an area where you have nothing to put on the sting, use mud or clay. Mix the soil with a little water to make a paste. Apply the paste to the sting and cover it until the mud dries. If you don’t have access to water, saliva works well.

Activated Charcoal

Make a paste of powdered activated charcoal to draw the venom out fast. This stops the sting from swelling or causing pain. Carry activated charcoal capsules when you are in an area where bees are present. If you get stung, open one of the capsules, withdraw the activated charcoal powder and use a little water to make a paste. Apply the paste to the sting site and cover it with gauze, a bandage, or even plastic wrap to keep the charcoal moist.

Antihistamine

Over-the-counter antihistamine will relieve the pain. Benadryl works great. The antihistamine works great on kids who have been stung because it partially sedates the child, reduces swelling, redness and pain. Adults can also benefit from taking antihistamines.

Avoiding Stings

Minimize your chances of getting stung by using the tips below:

• Avoid wearing perfume, after shave lotion or anything that has a fragrance. This will cause bees to believe you are a nectar bearing bloom.

• Wear white. Bee keepers always wear white or other light colors. Bees and their kin prefer dark colors.

• Use Skin so Soft from Avon. It not only works for bees, but other stinging insects as well.

• Increase your zinc intake. Insects tend to sting people who have a zinc deficiency. The recommended dose is 60 milligrams daily year ‘round. Be sure to consult your doctor before taking a zinc supplement.

• Dab a small amount of turpentine on a rag or cloth and keep it in a pocket or thread it through a button hole. Bees and other stinging creatures are repelled by turpentine.

• If you are chased by bees, find shelter. Run into a building, jump into the water or head for a thicket of brambles. Bees have trouble following prey through thickets.

Jellyfish Stings

Jellyfish and the man-of-war are the two sea creatures that can give nasty stings. Long tentacles contain cells that sting. When you brush against them, the cells pierce the skin and release venom. If you are stung by either creature rinse immediately with salt water. Never use fresh water on jellyfish stings. It will activate any stinging cells that haven’t already ruptured. Do not rub.

Neutralize

Neutralize the sting by applying vinegar, ammonia, meat tenderizer or rubbing alcohol. If you don’t have rubbing alcohol, use wine, beer or liquor. Whatever is available will give relief, though rubbing alcohol is best.

Tentacles

Remove any tentacles that continue to cling to your skin. Do not touch them with your bare hands. Instead, wrap your hand in a towel, cloth or handkerchief and wipe away any tentacles that remain. Another method of removing tentacle is to apply a bit of shaving cream and gently shave the area. If you don’t have shaving cream or a razor, scrape the tentacles off with a pocketknife after applying a paste of sand and saltwater. If you’re not carrying a pocketknife, a credit or debit card will do the trick. A baking soda paste can also be used.

Treating the Symptoms

If itching from a sting is driving you crazy, relieve the itch with antihistamines. Swelling can be reduced with hydrocortisone cream. An over-the-counter pain reliever will take care of the pain.

Precaution

Though salt water will cleanse the sting site, it’s best to get a tetanus shot if your immunization is not up to date.

Tip

Jellyfish will not sting you if you wear pantyhose while swimming.

Be Careful

Always use caution when you are in the vicinity of beehives or when you are swimming in the ocean. Avoiding stings is the best preventative.

Medical Alert

Bee stings cause more deaths than the bites of deadly, poisonous snakes. Normally, a bee sting causes redness, swelling and pain for a few hours or at times, a day or two. Severe reactions to bee stings indicate that an allergy is present. Symptoms are tightness of the chest, swelling of the face or tongue, dizziness, vomiting, nausea, fainting, wheezing, hoarseness and shock. The more severe the allergy, the more quickly the symptoms will appear. These symptoms indicate a life threatening condition. If you know you are allergic to bee stings, carry a bee sting kit and then get to the hospital as quickly as possible.

Jellyfish stings can also be very severe and are often accompanied by symptoms such as muscle cramps, headache, and shortness of breath, vomiting, nausea, and coughing. If these symptoms appear, seek medical attention.