Sting Reaction

[nmesmeric]

Hey Guys.

I have had bees for 3 years now. I have never had much of a reaction to a sting, just a bit itchy. I have had 100s of stings.

Today I was stung at 10AM on the back of my hand. The hand has been a big swolen bubble all day! For 12 hours its been very swolen and aching, even after using antihistamines and nurofen.

I'm worried the next sting will be worse or lead to anifiaxis. Is it normal to have certain stings that kick up a big reaction?

Thanks for the advice,

Felix

 

[nmesmeric]

Another pic. 12 hours later. With normal hand.

 

[Swarm]

Quite normal, I'd take the ring off just in case.

 

[bingevader]

I think I would have taken the ring off asap in case it got any worse.
Was it a full dose?
I lost my knuckles for a day on both hands, but it was multiple stings through the thinner material on the back of a pair of gardening gloves.
Won't be using them again!

 

[nmesmeric]

I think I would have taken the ring off asap in case it got any worse.
Was it a full dose?
I lost my knuckles for a day on both hands, but it was multiple stings through the thinner material on the back of a pair of gardening gloves.
Won't be using them again!

Don't worry the ring is off now! I was also wearing gardening gloves at the time shifting a nuc box into a new position! Its good to know that maybe it was the weak gloves I was wearing!

 

[Finman]

You are alive

 

[madasafish]

Even after 11 years beekeeping and with over 1,000 stings, I react badly at the start of the season to stings in the soft tissue on the back of my hands.
A Supermarket "sting and Bite "cream with 1% hydrocortisone has some effect but it takes 2-3 days to settle.

Then my body gets used to stings again.

 

[enrico]

Every sting I get seems to produce a different reaction! Sometimes none and sometimes bad!

 

[viridens]

NSAID medications (aspirin, diclofenac etc) and beta blockers can also erode your immunity to stings. See the thread here.

 

[Murox]

Every sting I get seems to produce a different reaction! Sometimes none and sometimes bad!

SNAP!!

 

[BeeJam]

I used to find I reacted worse to stings in my right hand than my left; possibly because as I'm right handed I could quickly flick a sting out of my left hand with my hive tool but I'd have to swap hands to get one out of my right hand. I used to occasionally have a reaction like the one you've got there but over time I appear to have become desensitized to the extent that after an hour or so I'd struggle to point out where I was stung. I wouldn't overly panic about this one but be sure to take sensible precautions in future - ensure whenever you go to your apiary you either have someone else with you or take a mobile phone with the What3words app on it with you. If your next sting is minor then this was probably one of the bad ones that happen from time to time; if its as bad or worse I'd consider seeking medical advice.

 

[North End Bees]

take a mobile phone with the What3words app on it with you.

I have a laminated card in a shared out apiary with the grid reference and What3Words reference printed on it.

I'd feel much more confident giving the emergency services the grid reference though, as W3W can be easily misinterpreted with different accents etc.

This BBC news article shows how mis-hearing words can direct the paramedics to a different location, with potentially serious consequences.