A sting from a wasp or bee can be painful. Moreover, if you are allergic, it is not without danger. How can you prevent bee and wasp stings? And what should you do if you do get stung?

In short

Wasp or bee stings usually cause localised redness and swelling. That reaction is quite harmless, but can be painful. With proper care straight away, a doctor's intervention is usually not necessary and the swelling will most likely disappears after a few hours. Do more severe symptoms occur anyway? If so, it is best to contact a doctor as soon as possible.

 First aid can prevent more serious issues in many cases. Here are the most important tips: 

• When bees sting, they lose their stinger. Therefore, first check whether the stinger is still in the skin, and remove it if necessary. The best way to do this is by gently going over the sting area with your finger nail or the blunt side of a knife. 

Never use tweezers to remove the stinger. After all, there is a venom gland in the stinger, which can open due to the grabbing motion and spread more venom.

• Clean the sting area with soap and water, then disinfect with disinfectant. 
• Let the swelling reduce by first holding it under warm water and then cooling it again with an ice cube. 
• If you are stung in the hand, it is important to take off your rings as soon as possible. This way, you avoid impeding the blood supply to the fingers.
• Check whether the person stung is adequately protected against tetanus.
   

In case of severe symptoms, it is best to take the person in question to hospital as soon as possible: 

• When a person reacts allergically to a bee or wasp sting, red spots often appear all over the body. Possible additional symptoms include severe itching, swelling of the tongue and lips to even losing consciousness. 
• Is someone stung more than 20 times by a wasp or bee? If so, the large amount of venom can trigger severe reactions such as nausea, fatigue, diarrhoea, headache or loss of consciousness. 
• In the mouth or throat, a single sting can already cause major health concerns. The local swelling will make breathing more difficult. 

Tip: Stop the swelling with an ice cube.

• Does the person being stung develop symptoms of illness such as fever and chills a few days later? Does the swelling increase after a few days? If so, it may indicate a wound infection.
   

Prevention is better than cure. These tips will keep you safe:

• Stay calm when a wasp or bee gets close. Avoid sudden movements and gently guide the animal away from you.
• Do not use scented substances such as perfume, hairspray and scented sunscreen. 
• Do not drink from a can when you are outside.
• Don't eat outside if you are allergic.

Similar to a wasp or bee sting, an Asian hornet’s sting is painful. You will feel intense itching and swelling of the sting area. In most cases, the sting of an Asian hornet is not dangerous and the pain lasts for an average of 24 hours. 

An allergic reaction to the hornet’s sting can lead to anaphylactic shock, an allergic reaction of the immune system. The person stung then shows symptoms of illness such as nausea, dizziness, confusion, breathlessness or loss of consciousness. In that case, take him or her to the hospital as soon as possible.