Originally Posted 11 July 2013
I was out working in the garden today and got stung. I didn’t even see what it was. There were no bees, or wasps that I could see in the area. I’m always very careful to give them their space. No one likes getting stung and some people are very allergic. If you are one of those unfortunate people, follow your doctor’s instructions and get to an emergency room right away if needed. If not, here’s a tip.
So what do you do with a bee sting or wasp bite, or any other critter for that matter? First of all get some vinegar on it. We use cotton balls and soak them with white vinegar and apply the cotton ball directly to the affected area. This works really well. (It has something to do with the toxins being the base and the vinegar being the acid, so I’m told by my husband, the hazmat guru. It doesn’t matter to me how it works, I just know that it does.) It takes the sting out and helps reduce swelling. Secondly, I always take an anti-histamine as well. It helps with any of the other reactions.
What do you do when you are on a motorcycle in the middle of nowhere and you get stung? Pull over as quickly as is safe to do so. Get your vinegar on the sting spot right away. (If you’re not sure of the exact spot, the general area will work too) We carry vinegar soaked cotton balls in an old film case on the bike at all times. We also usually have some dissolving anti-histamines so we don’t have to worry about having water all the time. (I use Claritin, but I’m sure all the brands are good). Having these small items in all your vehicles would be a great idea too. You never know when you’re going to get bitten or stung. Bugs don’t care if you’re in a car, on a motorcycle, riding a horse or camel. They just bite!
I got stung last summer right at the helmet line at the temple on the side of my face. We pulled over right away and I got the vinegar on and the anti-histamine in. In about 10 minutes the stinging had really eased down to not much of anything, thankfully. I was very concerned about swelling so close to my eye. One can’t ride a motorcycle with a swollen eye affecting your eyesight! Like always, it worked like a charm and I had very little swelling in a small area.
If you don’t have these items in your possession and wonder what to do. My daughter was stung right on the upper lip, poor thing. And on the Friday of a long-weekend no less. We didn’t have any vinegar with us, but we were only about 4 miles from a McDonald’s Restaurant. We high tailed it for McDonalds. I ran in and got some napkins and some vinegar packets. We put that on as soon as we could get it poured onto the napkins. It helped a bit, but we were a bit late. We also didn’t have any anti-histamines with us, so we used Advil. Any anti-inflammatory will help with the swelling, but not any of the other reactions that may be possible.
Of course none of this is designed to deter you from doctor’s orders or advice by any means. But whatever you can do for yourself at home without medical attention the better. And on the road it’s a must. Medical services and restaurants aren’t always handy when you’re traveling.
If you are unfortunate and get stung, try this method. It really works.
