Bee Stings
Question: I was stung by a bee. Now my arm is swollen and red. It bothers me a lot. I don’t have any insurance. What can I do about that? I want to try something first for myself before I actually go to a doctor. Is there anything I can do to help make the sting go away?
Answer: As much as your swelling has progressed, you should visit a hospital. If the swelling continues to your face and neck, then the situation is very serious and you should go to the emergency as soon as possible.
Given the time you submitted this question, the period for having a dangerous reaction is probably over by now. However, if you are still experiencing severe symptoms it is time to go see your doctor.
Once stung it is helpful to make sure that the stinger is removed because it may continue to pump venom into your body. Don’t use tweezers to remove a stinger, you could put more of the poison into your system that way.
You can try removing the stinger by lightly scraping with your finger tips. Do not squeeze the stinger. Wash the area with soap and water and then apply ice to reduce the swelling.
In your case, however, you should have gone to the doctor. If your whole arm swelled and became red, you are definitely having an allergic reaction.
As far as not having insurance goes, that is a problem and not necessarily your fault. Fifty million Americans suffer from lack of insurance. It is very scary. The movie, Sicko, discusses this problem from many angles. For the safety of the people in our society, it might be best if we move to a universal health care system similar to Canada, Great Britain and France.
If we had universal health care and you knew it was not going to cost a lot of money to get help, you would have sought treatment right away. How many others are in this exact situation right now? Too many, I’d say. We need to take better care of our people and our society.
Warm Regards,
Dave
Author: What You Should Know about Gum Disease
