Q: I got stung by a bee or wasp about 6 days ago on my index finger and I was just wondering if it was normal for the finger to still be itchy, swollen, and red and blotchy?
A: Your symptoms are very typical for a local reaction to a venomous insect sting. This is the most common type of reaction and usually resolves on its own in less than a day. Sounds like you have a “large local” reaction, which can last up to a week and even cause some nausea and fatigue.
The good news is that even though this is lasting longer than usual, it rarely indicates the type of allergic reaction that can be life threatening.
The best thing to do for this type of reaction is to clean the sting site carefully, apply some ice and be sure that the stinger isn’t sill stuck in there; this would cause venom to be continuously injected into the area.
The itching, swelling and blotchiness is best treated with over the counter antihistamines:
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
- Cetirizine (Zyrtec)
- Loratadine (Claritin or Alavert)
Diphenhydramine can make you very drowsy, which makes it good for night time use. You can also apply over the counter hydrocortisone cream (generic, Cortaid) to the area to help with the irritation.
Obviously, the best thing to do for any reaction that lasts close to a week is to come in to the student health center so we can check it out. Stings can sometimes become infected or cause other serious problems that require professional attention.
John Vaughn, MD (Student Health Services)
My finger was stung exactly a week ago at the flee market and my pinky been feeling a bit itchy till over the night my pinky inflated pretty big. Should I go to the emergency room?
This was so helpful and calming. Thank you!
I was cutting my grass and a bee lander in my hair how scary it could have stung me in the back of my neck well at least I got it out of my hair but I got stung on my finger now it’s swollen.
I got a bee sting earlier today and it hurts like crazy, it’s swollen and it’s extremely itchy. What should I do
If you are not allergic, WebMD recommends that you remove the stinger, apply ice for 20 minutes once an hour as needed, and take an antihistamine such as Benadryl.
On Saturday I was sitting on my porch and I got stung on my middle finger I took the stinger out and the next day almost my whole hand wheat the bee sting at is swollen and my hand is itchy what to do?
Hi. I was sting by a bee on my finger joint and it immediately swelled up. White around the sting area. But my issue is when I put any cold compress or cold water on it the pain sensation is more severe. It has been a day later and finger is still swollen and still a lot of sensitivity to cold. Is this normal? Or considered a “large local” reaction? I can’t find any info on the sensitivity to cold and the treatment is usually cold compresses but it makes it hurt terribly with any cold. I was also stung 3 weeks ago on my thumb and the same thing happened and it lasted for several days.
I,got stung like two weeks ago and my finger is still red and swollen. What does that mean
I was stung in my pinky finger over a week ago and it’s still very swollen and ITCHY! I ice it which helps for a little while but inevitably itches when the numbing from the ice wears off. I’ve been taking ibuprofen and my regular dosage of Zyrtec but it’s not helping. Ughhhhh!