Yellow Jacket Sting

It was a fine Sunday morning. I was in the mood to take a walk in my garden, breathing in the fresh air. While walking, I noticed my citronella plants needed a bit of help. As I was removing some of the dead leaves and stem, I felt a sharp pain in my arm. And, before I could react, I felt the same piercing pain once more. I screamed out loud, 'Ooouccchhh' and freaked out when I saw a yellow jacket under my sleeve. With a forceful push with my fingers, I shoved off the insect and ran into the house. I was really freaked out and called out my mom. I couldn't believe my beautiful Sunday morning was ruined because of a yellow jacket sting. The area of bite itched and hurt a lot. The skin became red and swollen. My mother told me to treat the sting immediately or I might develop an allergic reaction to yellow jacket sting.

Let me share with you some tips regarding yellow jacket sting treatment. But before we move on to how to treat yellow jacket stings, let us know what kind of insect is a yellow jacket.

What is a Yellow Jacket?
A yellow jacket is a predatory wasp found in North America and belongs to the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula. The other members of this genera are commonly known as 'wasps'. They are just like honey bees, black and yellow and a few are black and white in appearance. A few species have their abdomen red instead of black. They are homey bees without the fuzz hair and yellow jacket can sting can without provocation. All females of yellow jacket can sting and can continue to sting multiple times.

You can differentiate a yellow jacket sting from a honeybee sting, by the stinger. A honeybee will leave behind its stinger in the skin along with the poison sack. This causes more venom to be injected in the wound and increase in chances of development of bee sting reaction. Also, honeybees tend to die after the sting as the stinger rips apart their body. In case of yellow jacket sting, the stinger is not barbed and will cause immediate pain. There will be development of yellow jacket sting swelling, pain, redness and itchy wound. Let us now go into the details of yellow jacket sting remedy.

How to Treat Yellow Jacket Stings?
A yellow jacket may sting many times and most of the time, the stinger might not remain lodged in the skin. However, in case you see a sting, do not pull it or squeeze it out. You need to scrap it off using a credit card or something similar. This will help prevent the venom from spreading and increasing the yellow jacket sting swelling and pain.

You can get immediate yellow jacket sting relief by application of ice on the area of sting. The cold compress helps in reduction of yellow jacket sting swelling and pain. You can clean the area with alcohol and soap and even use peroxide to clean the wound. Other yellow jacket sting remedy includes making a paste of baking soda and water. Apply this paste on the sting site for yellow jacket sting relief.

In case of itchy skin, you can dip a cotton ball in ammonia and dab it on the wound. This will help provide some relief from the itchiness. You can even try applying an over-the-counter antihistamine ointment or cream to provide relieve from itching.

The yellow jacket sting remedy for reduction of inflammation is ibuprofen. You can take a bath in Epsom salts that will help reduce pain, swelling and itching. You can even apply a paste of meat tenderizer as it will help in neutralizing venom. A mudpack of soil and water will help in drawing out venom from the wound.

Yellow Jacket Sting Treatment
You can take medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen to reduce the pain. Diphenhydramine will be helpful in reduction of swelling. Minor allergic reactions to yellow jacket stings may be seen before the onset of major allergic reaction. You will see some localized swelling and redness in the area. If there is massive swelling, it means one is suffering from an allergic reaction and needs immediate medical yellow jacket sting treatment. When one observes red streaks, pus and no reduction in the swelling, it means it is a sign of yellow jacket sting infection. This requires attention from a doctor and medical treatment.

A delayed reaction may occur several hours after the sting. One may feel tired, and feel extremely ill. This delayed reaction needs urgent medical attention. Do not waste any time and call for help, especially if the person develops breathing trouble. Pregnant women who are stung by a yellow jacket should not worry about the baby. They can use hydrocortisone cream on the affected area. But, if it gets really itchy, red and starts growing in size, they need to seek medical help. Never attempt to self-medicate, especially during pregnancy. Consult a doctor for medications that are safe to use during pregnancy. If you are allergic to bee stings, then do not waste any time. Go to the doctor immediately and get yourself examined for the yellow jacket sting.

Few Tips to Prevent Yellow Jacket Stings
Although, it is not completely possible to prevent a yellow jacket from stinging, one can take precautions that reduces the risk of getting stung. Yellow jackets tend to hide around porches, decks, stone walls as well as corners and holes around the house. They are not only attracted to the smell of barbecue or other foods, but also human sweat. If the insect is hungry and irritated, it may get attracted to the sweat scent and sting humans. It has also been found, these insects are attracted to dark-colored clothes. Thus, if you live in a yellow jacket infestation area or planning to spend your time outdoors, wear light-colored clothing. These insects are also attracted to perfumes and other fragrances. So, avoid wearing heavy fragrances especially ones that have natural tones when outside. Never, ever squash or swatted a yellow jacket on purpose. This will cause the dead insect to release certain odor that will attract other yellow jackets to attack.

This was some information related to yellow jacket sting treatment. Yellow jacket can sting multiple times and each sting increases the amount of venom in the system. A yellow jacket sting causes over 50 deaths every year in North America. Always keep alcohol, peroxide, baking soda, ice pack and ibuprofen ready in your first aid for wasp sting. If you feel there is something wrong and the swelling or pain does not reduce, seek immediate medical attention. Some people may be highly allergic to the sting, therefore make sure you always have a sting treatment kit ready when planning outdoor trips.