Baby bee stings hurt! I have actually never been stung by a bee. I always stick to the stay calm and still advice. It’s worked for me, however sometimes paths cross, and a bee sting is unavoidable. This was the case for Little Bit this week. Apparently a baby bee the size of a mosquito shared her space on the trampoline and got her on the wrist. I unfortunately didn’t get a picture of the immediate red swollen wrist as I jumped into action to help it feel better. Within the hour, there was nothing to photograph! Success! Here are some simple ways to treat a bee sting.
This post is not a substitute for medical advice. Some people may have allergic reactions and need immediate medical treatment. This is merely a few home remedies that worked for us with supplies we had on hand to minimize discomfort and swelling.
Remove the stinger
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Thankfully we got to skip this step, because the stinger was already out by the time I got Little Bit inside to look things over. However, this is an important step to prevent continued stinging. After removal, wash the site gently with mild soap and water.
Ice for swelling
While I prepared additional remedies to soothe the bee sting, I grabbed on of our many ice packs like these. These are a great addition to all of our gymnastics remedies. I love the built in fabric that removes the need to grab a towel for the skin. The ice of course is great for swelling. Cold also causes blood vessels to constrict, which could help minimize spread of any venom. Neither of my kiddos tolerate ice for long, but it was a good initial intervention while I gathered additional supplies.
Neutralize
A simple product almost everyone has on hand in their kitchen is baking soda. It’s been made well known by Arm and Hammer products for it’s ability to absorb odors. It seems to also seem to absorb and neutralize topically from the skin too. Mix with a little bit of water to make a paste. The goal is to absorb and neutralize venom. It helps minimize itching and irritation. We have used this same type of paste to treat splinters. After the ice, I used the baking soda paste for maybe 30-60 minutes.
They produce their own remedy
Honey has long been used in natural remedies. Here is an article detailing some of those uses. We try to incorporate local honey regularly in our diet, particularly in the spring. It can help with allergies to the local pollens.
Bee stings is another great use for honey. It has soothing, antibacterial properties. It helps protect from infection. I squeezed a quarter size drop of honey on one of these non-stick pads. The same pads work well to cover the baking soda paste too. I secured it with this wrap. We go through a ton of this to secure bandages with gymnastics. The honey I left on maybe 15=30 minutes. I didn’t want to risk a sticky mess from any squishing out the edges.
Essential oils to calm and promote healing
The last thing I put on the bee sting was this lavender touch. Lavender is soothing for minor skin abrasions. This I applied in the pre-diluted roller ball prepared for direct topical use. I left this uncovered. This sequence of treatments left nothing more than a tiny red dot on Little Bit’s skin. Plus lots of stories for her to tell everyone she sees.
How this relates to ADHD
Responses to sensory stimulus for Little Bit and my husband have sometimes perplexed me. Little Bit can sustain a fall at gymnastics that would leave other kids sobbing. However she bounces back up, immediately exclaiming ”I’m fine!” She’ll hop back on the beam or whatever she was doing without a hitch. But when it comes to minor annoyances like a hangnail, she cannot focus on practice until it is clipped off. Here’s an article that talks about some of the sensory differences that can be experienced with ADHD.
The bee sting was very upsetting to Little Bit, but she cooperated well with all of the remedies. Some of the textures such as the baking soda or honey could have been bothersome. The next hurdle was to keep her from perseverating on the experience, and telling EVERYONE! Her coach mentioned the next day that she just couldn’t stop the story. That’s where my post on information for the coaches comes in.
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The content in this post is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is merely opinion based on personal research and experience.