Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsReactionsSymptomsTreatmentWhen to Seek Medical CareFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Reactions
Symptoms
Treatment
When to Seek Medical Care
Frequently Asked Questions
Wasp stingreactions can range from mild discomfort to severe pain and life-threatening allergies. Fortunately, most of the time, wasp stings are not an emergency.
Although rare, fatalities can occur from wasp stings, so it’s essential to recognize the signs of severe wasp sting reactions.
This article explains wasp sting reactions, symptoms, and treatment.
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Between 2000 and 2017, a total of 1,109 people in the United States died from hornet, wasp, andbee stings, an average of 62 deaths per year.
Possible Wasp Sting Reactions
Wasp sting reactions may be localized or widespread, instant or delayed, mild or severe. Below are some to look out for.
Serum Sickness
Serum sickness is a complication that can occur from insect stings or from antiserum treatments for insect stings. Serum sickness is similar to an allergic reaction. It is often a delayed reaction, sometimes occurring one to two weeks after a sting.
Symptoms of serum sickness include:
Rhabdomyolysis
Rhabdomyolysis, also called “rhabdo,” is a severe and rare complication from wasp stings. This reaction causes the muscles to break down and alters the composition of fluids and electrolytes in your body, often affecting thekidneys.
Researchers suspect rhabdomyolysis occurs due to the toxic effect of wasp venom on muscles. This complication is the result of multiple stings, often more than 50 at a time.
Symptoms may appear days after a sting and include:
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Large Local Reaction
A large local reaction can become as big as 4 inches in diameter—sometimes even bigger.It may increase in size over one or two days, then resolve in five to 10 days.
This kind of reaction is not a risk factor for developinganaphylaxis(severe allergic reaction). Only 5% to 10% of people with a large local reaction will develop an allergy to bee stings.
Allergic Reaction
An allergy to a wasp sting occurs when your immune system overreacts to the wasp’s venom. If you notice any body changes other than local redness, swelling, itching, or pain at the site where you were stung, you may be having anallergic reaction.
Stinging Insect Allergy
Wasp sting allergy symptoms can progress quickly. Therefore, you should seek medical treatment immediately if you notice any allergy symptoms after being stung.
Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is asevere allergic reactionand a life-threatening medical emergency. These reactions can develop quickly after a sting, often within minutes. Therefore, if you notice any signs of anaphylaxis,call 911immediately.
Symptoms of anaphylaxis after a wasp sting include:
Symptoms of a Reaction
Most wasp sting reactions are mild. Common wasp sting reactions include localized itching, swelling, and pain.However, some reactions can be severe and even life-threatening.
Most of the time, you can treat mild wasp sting reactions with home remedies. Unlike bees, wasps do not lose their stingers when they sting, which allows them to sting you multiple times. From a treatment standpoint, you don’t have to remove a stinger.
At-home waspsting treatmentmeasures include:
Body-Wide SymptomsYou should not attempt to treat systemic (body-wide) symptoms at home, as these may indicate a more severe reaction. If you experience the following, seek emergency medical care:HivesSwelling in areas other than the sting siteRespiratory symptomsGastrointestinal symptomsTreatment for severe allergic reactions isepinephrine, a stress hormone. Healthcare providers, including first responders, can administer this if you have an anaphylactic reaction.
Body-Wide Symptoms
You should not attempt to treat systemic (body-wide) symptoms at home, as these may indicate a more severe reaction. If you experience the following, seek emergency medical care:HivesSwelling in areas other than the sting siteRespiratory symptomsGastrointestinal symptomsTreatment for severe allergic reactions isepinephrine, a stress hormone. Healthcare providers, including first responders, can administer this if you have an anaphylactic reaction.
You should not attempt to treat systemic (body-wide) symptoms at home, as these may indicate a more severe reaction. If you experience the following, seek emergency medical care:
Treatment for severe allergic reactions isepinephrine, a stress hormone. Healthcare providers, including first responders, can administer this if you have an anaphylactic reaction.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
If your wasp sting symptoms are more than localized pain, swelling, and redness, it is a good idea to seek medical advice. If you experience any signs of an allergic reaction, don’t wait to see if it becomes severe—seek emergency care immediately.
Summary
Wasp sting reactions are typically localized and mild, but they can be more unusual, delayed, or severe. Mild symptoms include pain, swelling, and redness at the sting site. Other reactions include serum sickness, rhabdomyolysis, large local reactions, and allergic reactions (including anaphylaxis).
In more severe cases, responses can be body wide, involving many systems. It’s urgent to seek emergency medical care immediately if a systemic reaction is suspected.
A Word From Verywell
It’s natural to worry about wasp stings. After all, allergies can develop at any age, and when they do, they can be severe. Even so, most people have only mild, localized reactions to wasp stings. But it’s still a good idea to be aware of which signs are expected and which indicate an emergency. If you develop body-wide reactions, seek medical attention.
Frequently Asked QuestionsSystemic (body-wide) wasp sting reactions are cause for concern. If you notice anything aside from localized pain, redness, and swelling, seek medical attention. Anaphylaxis can develop within minutes. Symptoms like hives and respiratory or gastrointestinal problems require emergency care.Learn MoreHow Anaphylaxis Is TreatedWasp sting allergic reactions usually come on quickly, often within minutes. However, other reactions that mimic allergies can come hours or days later. These include serum sickness and rhabdomyolysis.Fatigue is not a common wasp sting reaction. However, if your adrenaline was high during the experience, you may feel tired afterward. If you experience excessive tiredness after a wasp sting, it’s a good idea to seek medical advice.Learn MoreWhat Is Fatigue?
Systemic (body-wide) wasp sting reactions are cause for concern. If you notice anything aside from localized pain, redness, and swelling, seek medical attention. Anaphylaxis can develop within minutes. Symptoms like hives and respiratory or gastrointestinal problems require emergency care.Learn MoreHow Anaphylaxis Is Treated
Systemic (body-wide) wasp sting reactions are cause for concern. If you notice anything aside from localized pain, redness, and swelling, seek medical attention. Anaphylaxis can develop within minutes. Symptoms like hives and respiratory or gastrointestinal problems require emergency care.
Learn MoreHow Anaphylaxis Is Treated
Wasp sting allergic reactions usually come on quickly, often within minutes. However, other reactions that mimic allergies can come hours or days later. These include serum sickness and rhabdomyolysis.
Fatigue is not a common wasp sting reaction. However, if your adrenaline was high during the experience, you may feel tired afterward. If you experience excessive tiredness after a wasp sting, it’s a good idea to seek medical advice.Learn MoreWhat Is Fatigue?
Fatigue is not a common wasp sting reaction. However, if your adrenaline was high during the experience, you may feel tired afterward. If you experience excessive tiredness after a wasp sting, it’s a good idea to seek medical advice.
Learn MoreWhat Is Fatigue?
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Number of deaths from hornet, wasp, and bee stings, among males and females—National Vital Statistics System, United States.American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Serum sickness after sting.National Library of Medicine.Serum sickness.Radhakrishnan H.Acute kidney injury and rhabdomyolysis due to multiple wasp stings.Indian J Crit Care Med. 2014;18(7):470-472. doi:10.4103/0972-5229.136079Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rhabdomyolysis.UpToDate.Patient education: Bee and insect stings (Beyond the basics).American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Insect sting allergies.Mount Sinai.Wasp sting.John Hopkins Medicine.Insect stings.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Number of deaths from hornet, wasp, and bee stings, among males and females—National Vital Statistics System, United States.American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Serum sickness after sting.National Library of Medicine.Serum sickness.Radhakrishnan H.Acute kidney injury and rhabdomyolysis due to multiple wasp stings.Indian J Crit Care Med. 2014;18(7):470-472. doi:10.4103/0972-5229.136079Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rhabdomyolysis.UpToDate.Patient education: Bee and insect stings (Beyond the basics).American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Insect sting allergies.Mount Sinai.Wasp sting.John Hopkins Medicine.Insect stings.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Number of deaths from hornet, wasp, and bee stings, among males and females—National Vital Statistics System, United States.American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Serum sickness after sting.National Library of Medicine.Serum sickness.Radhakrishnan H.Acute kidney injury and rhabdomyolysis due to multiple wasp stings.Indian J Crit Care Med. 2014;18(7):470-472. doi:10.4103/0972-5229.136079Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rhabdomyolysis.UpToDate.Patient education: Bee and insect stings (Beyond the basics).American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Insect sting allergies.Mount Sinai.Wasp sting.John Hopkins Medicine.Insect stings.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Number of deaths from hornet, wasp, and bee stings, among males and females—National Vital Statistics System, United States.
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Serum sickness after sting.
National Library of Medicine.Serum sickness.
Radhakrishnan H.Acute kidney injury and rhabdomyolysis due to multiple wasp stings.Indian J Crit Care Med. 2014;18(7):470-472. doi:10.4103/0972-5229.136079
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rhabdomyolysis.
UpToDate.Patient education: Bee and insect stings (Beyond the basics).
American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Insect sting allergies.
Mount Sinai.Wasp sting.
John Hopkins Medicine.Insect stings.
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