What to do if you are stung by a bee while breastfeeding

The lactation period is a very special period. The health status of the mother at this time directly determines the quality of breast milk, which in turn affects the baby's physical growth and development. Bees are very common in our lives, especially in the blooming season, when there are industrious little bees everywhere. Some pregnant women have been stung by other bees. So, what should you do if you are stung by a bee while breastfeeding? Let’s take a look below.

There are many types of bees, such as honey bees, wasps, hornets, bumble bees, etc. Male bees do not harm people because they do not have venom glands or stingers. It is the female bees (worker bees) that sting people. The female bees have a stinger connected to the venom gland at the end of their abdomen. When the stinger enters the human body, venom is immediately injected. When a bee stings someone, it often leaves its stinger at the site of the sting; however, a wasp retracts its stinger after stinging and can continue to hurt someone. Bee venom mainly contains formic acid, neurotoxins and histamine, which can cause hemolysis and bleeding, have an inhibitory effect on the central nervous system, and may also cause allergic reactions in some victims of stings.

After a person is stung by a bee, in mild cases, only local redness, swelling, pain, and burning sensation may occur. There may also be blisters, ecchymosis, and local lymph node enlargement, which will disappear on their own within a few hours to 1-2 days. If a person is stung by a swarm of bees in multiple places on his body, it often causes systemic symptoms such as fever, headache, dizziness, nausea, irritability, and fainting. People who are allergic to bee venom may develop urticaria, rhinitis, swelling of the lips and eyelids, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. In severe cases, it may cause laryngeal edema, asthma, difficulty breathing, coma, and ultimately death from respiratory and circulatory failure.

Check the wound carefully. If there is a stinger left in the skin, remove it first.

If you are stung by a bee, since bee venom is acidic, you can use soapy water or 3% ammonia water, 5% sodium bicarbonate solution, salt water, etc. to wash the wound. If you are stung by a wasp, wash and apply vinegar. You can also wash fresh purslane and squeeze the juice to apply to the wound.

If you have Nantong snake medicine (Ji Desheng snake medicine), you can dissolve the tablets in warm water and apply them around the wound; or you can grind Zijinzhan or Liushen Pills into powder and apply it to the affected area, which has the effects of detoxification, pain relief and swelling reduction.

The folk single test prescription can be used:

① Mash garlic or ginger or apply juice to the affected area.

②Cut the fresh eggplant and apply it to the affected area; or add appropriate amount of sugar, mash it and apply it.

③ Mash fresh violet yedoensis, lobelia, dandelion, wild chrysanthemum, leek, etc. together or individually and apply to the affected area.

If an allergic reaction occurs, for mild cases, you can take 1 tablet of Astemizole once a day; or 4 mg of Promethazine, 3 times a day. Those with severe symptoms should be sent to hospital for treatment as soon as possible.