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.
Wasp Stings: Reaction Symptoms and Treatment
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A wasp sting typically results in an itchy welt. More severe symptoms can be a sign of an allergic reaction.
Wasp stings are common, especially during the warmer months when people are outside for longer periods of time. They can be uncomfortable, but most people recover quickly and without complications.
Wasps, like bees and hornets, are equipped with a stinger for self-defense. A wasp’s stinger contains venom (a poisonous substance) that’s transmitted to humans during a sting.
However, even without a lodged stinger, wasp venom can cause significant pain and irritation. It’s also possible to have a serious reaction if you’re allergic to the venom. In either case, prompt treatment is important for alleviating symptoms and complications.
The majority of people without sting allergies will show only minor symptoms during and after a wasp sting. The initial sensations can include sharp pain or burning at the sting site. Redness, swelling, and itching can occur as well.
Normal local reactions
You’re likely to develop a raised welt around the sting site. A tiny white mark may be visible in the middle of the welt where the stinger punctured your skin. Usually, the pain and swelling recedes within several hours of being stung.
Large local reactions
“Large local reactions” is a term used to describe more pronounced symptoms associated with a wasp or bee sting. People who have large local reactions may be allergic to wasp stings, but they don’t experience life-threatening symptoms, such as anaphylactic shock.
Large local reactions to wasp stings include extreme redness and swelling that increases for two or three days after the sting. Nausea and vomiting can also occur. Find out what’s happening in your body during an allergic reaction.
Most of the time, large local reactions subside on their own over the course of a week or so.
Let your doctor know if you have a large local reaction after a wasp sting. They may direct you to take an over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamine medication (such as Benadryl) to reduce your discomfort.
Having a large local reaction after a wasp sting one time doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll react to future stings in the same way.
You could have one strong reaction and never show the same symptoms again. However, a large local reaction could be the way your body routinely responds to wasp stings.
Try to avoid being stung to prevent these uncomfortable symptoms.
Wasp Sting: How to Identify and Treat Reactions
Kathi Valeii is a freelance writer covering the intersections of health, parenting, and social justice.
Published on October 28, 2022
Corinne Savides Happel, MD, is a board-certified allergist and immunologist with a focus on allergic skin disorders, asthma, and other immune disorders.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Wasp sting reactions 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.
Klaus Schulmann / Getty Images
Between 2000 and 2017, a total of 1,109 people in the United States died from hornet, wasp, and bee 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:
- Fever
- Generally feeling unwell
- Urticaria (hives) or rash
- Itching
- Joint pain
- Swollen lymph nodes
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 the kidneys.
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:
- Persistent muscle cramps or pain
- Dark urine
- Weakness
Large Local Reaction
More commonly, wasp sting reactions include significant, localized inflammation. Up to 10% of people stung by insects develop a large, local response, which includes redness and swelling at the site of the sting.
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 developing anaphylaxis (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 an allergic reaction.
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 a severe allergic reaction and 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 911 immediately.
Symptoms of anaphylaxis after a wasp sting include:
- Hives, itching, and swelling that spread beyond the sting site
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Chest tightness
- Difficulty breathing
- Hoarse voice
- Tongue or throat swelling
- Trouble swallowing
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.
Treatment
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 wasp sting treatment measures include:
- Wash the sting site thoroughly with soap and water.
- Ice the area to reduce pain and swelling.
- Raise the affected limb to reduce swelling.
- Use a paste made of baking soda and water to reduce pain and swelling.
- Consider over-the-counter (OTC) treatments for insect stings.
- Ask a healthcare provider about using Tylenol (acetaminophen) for pain.
- Ask a healthcare provider about using OTC nondrowsy antihistamines for swelling and itching.
- Watch closely for more severe reactions.
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:
- Hives
- Swelling in areas other than the sting site
- Respiratory symptoms
- Gastrointestinal symptoms
Treatment for severe allergic reactions is epinephrine, 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 Questions
When should I be concerned about a wasp sting?
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.
Can you have a delayed allergic reaction to a wasp sting?
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.
Can a wasp sting make you tired?
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.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to 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:10.4103/0972-5229.136079
- 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.
By Kathi Valeii
As a freelance writer, Kathi has experience writing both reported features and essays for national publications on the topics of healthcare, advocacy, and education. The bulk of her work centers on parenting, education, health, and social justice.
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