can bee sting make you sick?

If you get stung more than a dozen times, the accumulation of venom may induce a toxic reaction and make you feel quite sick. Signs and symptoms include: Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

Can you have a delayed reaction to bee sting?

Delayed Reaction to an Insect Sting

Reactions occurring more than four hours after a bee or other insect sting are classified as delayed reactions. There have been isolated reports of serum sickness-like syndromes occurring about a week after a sting.

When should I be concerned about a bee sting reaction?

You should call 911 and seek immediate emergency treatment if you or someone near you develops a severe reaction to a bee sting or if there are multiple bee stings. The following symptoms are a sign of an allergic reaction: Nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. Stomach cramps.

What is a normal reaction to bee sting?

In the normal reaction to a bee sting, the skin is reddened and painful. Swelling and/or itching may also occur, but the pain usually disappears over a few hours. In the so-called large local reaction to an insect sting, the swelling, redness, and pain may persist for up to a week.

Can you get a disease from a bee sting?

Although infections are rare, a bee sting may be infected even if it appears to be healing. The infection might be delayed for days or even weeks. When you’re stung by a honeybee or bumble bee, it’s important to remove the stinger and venom sack without pushing and injecting more venom under the skin.

How long does bee venom stay in your system?

Treatment for Bee Sting Serum Sickness

The majority of the time, the symptoms of bee sting serum sickness will improve on their own within 48 hours. As the chemical from the bee toxin is filtered out of your body, the sickness will begin to go away.

What happens if bee stinger is not removed?

What happens if you don’t remove a bee stinger? Venom will continue to enter your body if you leave a stinger in. 1 This can cause swelling, pain, and possibly dizziness, nausea, breathing problems, or other symptoms. Leaving the stinger in your skin also increases the risk of infection.

How do you know if a stinger is still in you?

Take Out the Stinger


You’ll likely see a red bump. If a stinger was left behind, you’ll see a small black filament sticking out of the center. It may have a bulbous end, which is the venom sac. Especially if the skin around the stinger is loose, pull it tight to get a better look and make the stinger more accessible.

How do you tell if you’re allergic to bee stings?

The riskiest symptoms to watch for are:
  1. Itching, hives, or swelling over a large part of your body — not just where you got stung.
  2. Face, throat or tongue starts to swell.
  3. Trouble breathing.
  4. Wheezing or hoarseness.
  5. Dizziness.
  6. Stomach cramps.
  7. Nausea or diarrhea.

What should you look for after a bee sting?

Most of the time, bee sting symptoms are minor and include: Instant, sharp burning pain at the sting site. A red welt at the sting area. Slight swelling around the sting area.

How long after bee sting can anaphylaxis occur?

Anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting can start within two hours of the incident and rapidly progress. Hives will develop on the face and body, followed by other symptoms, such as headache, dizziness, fainting, nausea, vomiting, and difficulty breathing and swallowing.

Why is my bee sting still hurting?

As long as you’re not allergic to bee venom, your immune system will react to the sting by sending fluids there to flush out the melittin, causing swelling and redness. The pain may last several days, but can be soothed with a cold compress or an antihistamine. Like you, dogs and cats suffer pain from bee stings, too.

Does Benadryl help with bee stings?

Apply hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion to ease redness, itching or swelling. If itching or swelling is bothersome, take an oral antihistamine that contains diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or chlorpheniramine. Avoid scratching the sting area. This will worsen itching and swelling and increase your risk of infection.