Associated symptoms | Wasp sting – First aid and emergency measures

Associated symptoms

A wasp sting usually makes itself immediately noticeable by strong pain, which however decreases after a few minutes (three to eight minutes). In the course of the sting, a red wheal of a few centimeters in diameter forms. A reddening, swelling and overheating of the area of the wasp sting is noticeable.

This reaction lasts for a few days and the wheal can become even larger up to three days after the sting and may measure ten or more centimeters in diameter – especially in cases of mild allergies. In most cases, however, the wheal remains smaller. The symptoms subside afterwards and should disappear after five to seven days.

If symptoms such as a skin rash appear all over the body with itching, nausea, vomiting, dizziness or shortness of breath, a clinic should be consulted, as this could be an allergic (anaphylactic) reaction. The swelling is normally located exclusively in the area of the wasp sting and appears after only a few minutes. It usually has a diameter of about one to three centimeters.

The swelling can also grow in the course of time. On the second to third day after the sting, however, it often reaches its maximum size. Here it can easily reach a diameter of more than ten centimeters in case of slight allergic reactions.

Such a development should be clarified by a doctor. Usually the swelling is sensitive to pain when pressure is applied, but in the hours and days after the puncture it does not hurt all the time, but only itches. The swelling is usually also warm and reddened.

A wasp sting naturally triggers a local inflammatory reaction. However, this is usually sterile, i.e. without infestation of bacteria, but triggered by the immune system, is considered a normal reaction and is essential for healing. Symptoms include swelling, redness, overheating and pain, especially when pressure is applied to the puncture site.

In rare cases, the puncture site can also become infected. In this case, bacteria, which are small wounds caused by the wasp sting, have gotten into the wound through dirt or a stuck sting. Usually the body can cope with this, but sometimes pus develops.

In this case, the family doctor should take a look at the sting to drain the pus and decide whether a therapy with an antibiotic ointment or with antibiotics in the form of tablets is necessary. In some cases blood poisoning may also occur. Here, a distinction must be made between blood poisoning in the vernacular – the red stripe, lymphangitis – and blood poisoning from a medical point of view – the so-called sepsis.

If a red stripe appears, it is a natural process, a reaction of the lymphatic system, which is responsible for transporting cells of the immune system. A painful red stripe appears, which spreads from the puncture site towards the trunk and heart. In rare cases it can also lead to fever and general malaise.

If this occurs after an insect bite, it is not an acute emergency, but the general practitioner should still be consulted. In addition, it is possible to mark how far the red line has spread on the skin at a certain point in time, in order to be able to better assess the course of the disease. In medical jargon, blood poisoning refers to the clinical picture of sepsis (also SIRS in the context of inflammation: Systematic Inflammatory Response Syndrome – but usually sepsis).Sepsis is when bacteria, usually from a local inflammatory focus, such as an infected wasp sting, enter the bloodstream, where they can multiply well and trigger a generalized (systemic) inflammatory reaction, while they begin to settle in all kinds of different organs.

Typical of sepsis is the sudden onset of high fever with chills and a pronounced feeling of illness, as well as fatigue and listlessness. This is an absolute and life-threatening emergency. The nearest hospital should be visited immediately, or an emergency doctor should be called (112)! Sepsis must always be treated with antibiotics, which are administered intravenously (i.e. into the vein, by infusion). The following topics may also be of interest to you: Blood poisoning after an insect bite and symptoms of blood poisoning