Ocean Watch

Monday, December 21, 1998

Many beach stings
can be cured in a pinch;
ice helps

Recently, while riding a boogie board at Waimanalo Beach Park, I got stung by one of the most common stinging creatures at the beach. No, not a Portuguese man-of-war. My attacker was a honeybee.

Anyone who walks Hawaii's Windward beaches knows that dead or dying honeybees are common along the surf line. I've heard two explanations for this.

One is that worker bees fly here and there foraging for pollen, then take the most direct route back to the hive.

When this path involves getting near the ocean, the salt spray sometimes covers the bees, thus bringing them down. Onshore winds wash the crippled bees to the beach.

Another beekeeper told me that the bees we see struggling at the shoreline are simply too old to make it home. Worker bees live only a few weeks, then drop in flight, sometimes over the ocean.

But whether injured or old, downed bees are still a hazard. These insects are built to deliver a powerful sting, even on their deathbeds.

A honeybee stinger consists of two curved, pointed blades bearing eight to 10 backward barbs on the outside. The blades, along with the base that holds them, create a central duct. At the top of this duct is a venom sac.

When a bee stinger pierces skin, two pairs of muscles push the barbed blades deep into the victim's tissue. At the same time, a muscular pump pushes venom from the sac into the wound.

During a bee sting to a human or other mammal, the entire end of the bee's abdomen detaches from its body. Because nerves and muscles are included in this section, venom can still pump into the wound after the insect has flown away to die.

From the time the stinger enters the skin, it takes two minutes for the venom sacs to empty completely.

And that's why, when you get stung, it's important to remove the bee's stinger as quickly as possible in the fastest way possible, including pinching the tip with your fingers and pulling.

The former belief that a person should never pinch a bee stinger, on the theory this would push more venom into the wound, is wrong.

One study showed no difference in welt size in stings either scraped or pinched off.

Quick removal, without concern for method, is the key to minimizing the reaction caused by a bee sting.

If a person is not allergic, removing the stinger is the only treatment necessary. An ice pack may help relieve pain.

However, the old treatment of applying meat tenderizer does not. Several studies show this has no beneficial effect.

Other unproven treatments for bee stings include aluminum sulfate (sold commercially as Sting Aid), dissolved aspirin, ammonia and Epsom salt soaks. None of these have been scientifically tested for effectiveness.

Always see a doctor for a bee sting to the throat, mouth or eye.

Everyone who has experienced a generalized allergic reaction to bee stings should always carry injectable epinephrine (adrenaline) during outdoor activities.

This comes in an easy-to-use device called an Epi-pen, available by prescription. Use this Epi-pen at the first sign of any difficulty breathing, then call 911 for help.

Anyone with hives, overall redness, weakness or any breathing difficulty after a sting should also call 911. Death from allergy to bee stings can occur in as little as 30 minutes.

Since I'm not allergic, I treated my beach bee sting like I treat my Portuguese man-of-war stings: Yank the offending part of the creature off my skin, then ignore it and continue what I was doing.

It's simple, but it's scientifically sound and works amazingly well.