Some of the more popular home remedies for swelling include ice, ammonia, meat tenderizer and mud. But scientists really don't know what works. Although a bee sting is painful, there's usually no need to seek medical attention. Doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say the people who need medical help are the four percent of us who have serious allergic reactions to bee stings. If you're in this four percent of the population, stings from bees, wasps and other flying insects are not merely painful, but they can be fatal.
Bee stings kill four times as many people in the United States as snake bites.
Whether you are allergic to stings or not, remove the stinger as quickly as possible. Then wash the area with soap and water and apply cold compresses. If the victim has been stung a number of times, look for symptoms like headache, muscle cramps, fever, drowsiness or unconsciousness and seek medical help. Even a person who is not allergic can have a severe, possibly fatal, reaction to multiple stings. Children and the elderly are most at risk, and the danger is greater in areas where the so-called killer bees are found because they tend to attack in swarms.