The 411: buggy baby, part 2
A few months ago our Bradford pear tree was in full bloom. The pretty white blossoms made our yard look like it was ready for a wedding or something.
But, lurking around that tree was a necessary menace to society: the bee. It is necessary because without the bee those blooms wouldn’t happen. It is a menace because of the sting that come from the flying bugger, a sting that can cause some real problems.
I have been stung by a bee before and nothing really came from it except a bunch of tears. I remember it being painful, and swelling a little bit, but my memory is fuzzy after that. Now that I am an adult, I tend to stiffen my back whenever a bee is near, like it is going to just go away if I am perfectly still.
I don’t really know how to keep Fuller from experiencing a bee sting, but it is possible that it might happen and that it might be more to him than a little swelling. What if a bee sting is lethal to my little boy?
This article from Dr. Greene gives great advice on bees: how to avoid bees, what to do when a bee lands on you (don’t move!), and what happens when a bee stings you. And of course he gives the answers I need on how to treat a bee sting:
If one is stung, the wound can be treated in the following ways:
* Remove the stinger with all haste, in whatever manner is most convenient. If you see a little black dot in the wound, part of the stinger is still present.
* Apply a solution of one part meat tenderizer to 4 parts water. Papain, the enzyme in meat tenderizer, breaks down the protein in bee venom responsible for the pain and itching. Don’t leave this on for more than 30 minutes, or it can irritate the skin. If this isn’t available, you might try an antiperspirant. Aluminum chlorohydrate reduces the effect of bee venom, but to a lesser extent.
* Apply cold. Use ice or cool water for 10 to 30 minutes after the sting. This blunts the body’s allergic response.
* An antihistamine such as Benadryl, taken by mouth, can give some added relief, and help prevent the reaction from spreading.
* A shake lotion such as calamine can be helpful. A paste made of baking soda and water can have a similar effect.
* Topical hydrocortisone can also provide some symptomatic relief.
* Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen for systemic pain relief.After a bee sting, different children will have different reactions:
* Bee stings cause immediate, painful red bumps.
* In most cases, the pain has largely disappeared within 2 hours, although swelling may not be apparent until the next day.
* Large local reactions, larger than 3 inches in diameter, will often persist for up to a week. A physician should be consulted if the reaction continues to spread.
* Systemic reactions such as hives, redness, or swelling elsewhere on the body, vomiting, dizziness, hoarseness, thickened speech, or difficulty breathing, should receive prompt medical care from a physician. Also, be sure to see a doctor if there were 10 or more stings, or if one of the stings was inside the nose or mouth, since swelling can interfere with breathing.
If your child has a systemic reaction, this is could indicate an allergy. More information on bee sting allergies is found at MedicineNet.com.
And of course, if you are concerned about your children and bee stings, your pediatrician is a great resource to discuss this with.
The best was to avoid bee stings it to avoid bees, so I think I will concentrate on teaching Fuller to stay away from the little buggers.
children and bee stings, bee sting allergies, bee stings
