Why does swelling occur?
With a wasp or bee bite, insect venom is released into the bite site. This poison contains numerous protein molecules that are perceived by the body as foreign. The human body’s immune system is designed to initiate an immune reaction against foreign substances that enter from outside.
This leads to a defensive reaction of the immune system, which normally focuses exclusively on the area of the sting. Shortly after the bite, the proteins contained in the insect venom, which include histamine, lead to a local reaction that is characterized by redness, swelling and pain. The swelling that occurs after a wasp sting is mainly caused by the proteins contained in the venom.
A small part of the swelling can also be caused by the body’s own immune system, which reacts to the foreign toxins by defending itself. If there is excessive swelling or other symptoms such as shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat or circulatory failure, this indicates an insect venom allergy. The immune system reacts excessively and an allergic shock (anaphylactic shock) can occur.
What can I do against swelling?
There are numerous home remedies that can be effective against the skin symptoms after a wasp sting. For example, immediate local application of heat up to 50°C has proven to be an effective remedy. This destroys (denatures) the proteins contained in the poison and released into the body with the sting, so that they cannot develop their effect sufficiently.
Swelling, redness and pain are therefore less severe. Such a local application of heat can be done with a teaspoon heated in a water bath, for example. To avoid burns, however, the temperature of the spoon should be carefully tested beforehand.
There are also so-called stab healers on the market. These are small, battery-operated devices that generate heat at the touch of a button and can be held on the sting for a few seconds. Also the application of cold shortly after the sting prevents the swelling from increasing significantly. For this purpose, cooling packs are suitable, which can be wrapped in a cloth and placed on the affected area. Cooling quark wraps or rubbing a freshly cut onion half can also be helpful against the swelling.
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