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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffBee stings are a common outdoor nuisance. In most cases, bee stings are just annoying and pain and swelling go away quickly. Usually home treatment is all that's necessary to ease the pain of bee stings. But if you're allergic to bee stings or you get stung numerous times, you may have a more serious reaction that requires emergency treatment. You can take several steps to avoid bee stings — and find out how to treat them if you do get stung.
- Felisa WA. What's eating you? Bees, part 1: Characteristics, reactions and management. Cutis. 2007;79:439.
- Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters. The diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis: An updated practice parameter. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2005;115(3)(suppl 2):S483.
- Bee and wasp stings. University of California Davis. UC IPM Online. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7449.html. Accessed Aug. 25, 2008.
- Felisa WA. What's eating you? Bees, part 2: Venom immunotherapy and mastocytosis. Cutis. 2007;80:33.
- Bilo BM, et al. Diagnosis of hymenoptera venom allergy. Allergy. 2005;60:1339-1349.
- Visscher PK, et al. Removing bee stings. The Lancet. 1996;348:301.
- Cyr DL, et al. First aid for bee and insect stings. University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Maine Farm Safety Program. http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/PDFpubs/2345.pdf. Accessed Aug. 25, 2008.
