• To treat a wasp sting, you’ll need to reduce swelling and inflammation with ice or Advil/Tylenol.
  • Typical symptoms of a wasp sting include pain, redness, and warmth in and around the wound.

Stinging insects, like bees and wasps, can be a nuisance during the warmer months, when they are most active. While a sting from any insect can be painful, wasps are especially notorious.

That’s because wasps are aggressive and can sting you many more times than, say, a bee would. Moreover, wasp stings are painful and irritating, and may even be dangerous if you have an allergic reaction.

Here’s what you should know about wasp stings, how to treat them effectively, and what you can do to prevent them.

Symptoms

 

wasp sting
If you’ve been stung by a wasp, you’ll typically experience pain and swelling in and around the wound. 
Credit: Penpak Ngamsathain / Getty Images

It can be hard to tell a wasp from a bee sting, Delaplane says, except for one notable marker.

If you’re stung by a honey bee, it will leave its stinger in your skin, appearing as a little black dot in the sting. Wasps, on the other hand, will keep their stinger.

If a wasp stings you, you’ll likely experience the following symptoms near the site:

  • Redness and warmth
  • Pain and swelling
  • Hives
  • Itchiness

The above symptoms are common and not a sign of an allergic reaction, Delaplane says.

Courtney Jackson Blair, MD, an allergist and immunologist at Privia, says people experiencing an allergic reaction to a wasp sting will have symptoms that interfere with their ABCs: airway, breathing, and circulation. For example, these symptoms could include:

  • Hives or swelling that is well beyond the sting area
  • Trouble breathing
  • Tickling or tightness in the throat or chest
  • Lightheadedness or dizziness
  • Vomiting
  • Fainting

Insect sting allergies are rare. And while some may only experience a mild allergic reaction, more severe reactions can be fatal. In 2017, for example, allergic reactions to insect stings killed 89 Americans, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you think you are having a severe allergic reaction to an insect sting, Blair says you should call 911 or your local emergency medical services right away.