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?
