I spent much of yesterday pulling weeds from the flower beds surrounding my family's home. I had completed the entire backyard and walked, drenched in sweat, to the front yard. As I bent over to resume my task, I felt a sting. I tried to slap the dubious insect, but as I did I realized that I was surrounded by yellow jackets. I sprinted towards my house, ripping off my shirt along the way to free the yellow jackets that had found themselves trapped. I eventually realized that I had stepped on a nest of the nasty little bugs and had been stung eight or ten times. Fortunately, I have had wilderness medical training, and I am not allergic to bee stings, so treatment was a no-brainer.
here are five easy steps for treating bee-stings drama-free
1. stay calm
2. take benedryl (diphenhydramine) immediately
3. drink TONS (3-4 glasses) of water with the benedryl, and continue to be extremely hydrated for the next 24 hours
4. do not leave someone who has been stung alone for the first hour--watch them to insure that they do not go into anaphylactic shock
5. go to a hospital if your throat begins to swell or close
refer to the outward bound wilderness medical handbook for more in depth directions.
people respond differently to insect bites, so, as always, consult a doctor with more specific directions for bee stings.
image credit: http://www.gabeeremoval.com/bee_biology.html via google images
No comments:
Post a Comment