Treatment for severe bee stings

• Get yourself out of harm’s way. Even if it’s a single bee that’s attacking you, run away. When in danger, the bees give out signals by way of releasing a scent. The other bees respond very quickly to these signals and start biting immediately.

• If you are going to venture out in areas of thick foliage, where there is a likelihood of encountering bees and other insects, always wear correct protective gear.

• Bees leave their stingers in the skin after stinging. The stingers need to be plucked out. You might try scraping them but that could leave bits of it inside the skin. It is best to simply pull them out using a clean pair of tweezers. Under no circumstances should the stingers be allowed to remain in the skin.

• Epinephrine auto-injector can treat the bee stings. If the man is carrying this injector, use it on him immediately. If he isn’t, call an emergency helpline.

• Local reactions develop in those who are not allergic to bee stings. There will be persistent pain, swelling, and redness. A cold compression applied on the affected skin can help reduce the swelling.

• If the sting is itching, take antihistamine or topically apply some calamine lotion.

• Those who have bee stings inside the nose, mouth, and other cavities, should be taken to an emergency centre immediately. A bees attack is not only painful but also traumatic for some. Medical care is therefore necessary.

If he is sensitive to bees, then this can be very serious and he could go into anaphylactic shock (and possibly die, without treatment with an Epi-Pen.)  Even in a "non-sensitive" person, this many bee stings will cause swelling, redness, itching, etc.  My first choice would be to use homeopathic Apis as often as necessary, then palliate some of the symptoms with herbal poultices and herbal baths to reduce itching.  Vitamin C, nettles and quercetin can often be used to decrease the histamine reaction.

Dr. Karen Benton, Naturopathic Physician