There's nothing you can do for the zing of a bee sting, but you can minimize the pain and possible swelling.
One remedy many people swear by: treat the area with meat tenderizer. Make a paste of unseasoned meat tenderizer and water, and coat the area. Tenderizer contains papain, an enzyme found in papayas. It supposedly breaks down proteins that cause pain and itching. Mix one part tenderizer with four parts water for the paste and give it a go.
The tenderizer remedy is not mentioned in medical literature, but it can't hurt. If nothing else, a cool paste can help with the hot spot left behind by a sting.
One preventive measure is to not go barefoot or wear sandals to walk in the grass.
Severe allergic symptoms to bee stings require immediate medical help.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
