The other day my husband unwittingly stepped on a hornet's nest and was stung on the leg twice. I'm always concerned when he has a run-in with the little buggers because he was stung 13 times a number of years ago. As most of us know, prior bee stings can predispose us to serious reactions to future bites and stings. The most serious--potentially life-threatening--issue is anaphylaxis: an allergic reaction in which airways narrow, blocking normal breathing. This occurs within seconds or minutes of a sting, so if hours have passed since the occurrence, immediate breathing dangers aren't a concern. But other issues may arise. Pain and inflammation being the most common.
Fortunately, nature has figured out ways to counteract the discomfort of stings--good information to have when you're out on the trail and not near a drugstore. The most important thing to do after a sting is to ensure that the stinger is out. If not, you're getting a constant stream of bee venom injected into your body. If you aren't near your bathroom sink, find a nearby stream and plunge the affected area into the water. Next, take a knife and scrape skin surface around the sting to make absolute sure that you've removed the stinger.
If you have ice with you, place it over the inflamed skin to reduce swelling and pain. A baking-soda-and-water paste works well as a poultice to draw out the venom. If you don't have access to either of these items, nature has provided for you:
HONEY: this effective remedy is ironic. Funny how nature uses the bees' own product to counteract bee stings.
PEANUT BUTTER: Works much like honey and baking soda to soothe skin and draw out venom.
CALENDULA, BEE BALM, LAVENDER, BASIL, PARSLEY: All these plants have natural analgesic properties. Simply pick a handful of leaves and either chew them up or crush them between thumb and pointer to access the moistness inside the leaves. Rub the leaves against the affected area. If you happen to have lavender essential oil, a drop of that works wonders.
GARLIC, ONION: Crush or chop up either of these and gently apply to skin at and around the bee sting.
Whatever you choose, it's reassuring to know nature provides an abundance of bee-sting remedies
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