Stung by a yellowjacket, swells up over 10 hours later?

Question

Yesterday at 1:00 pm I got stung by a yellowjacket about an inch underneath my eye. It hurt/stung pretty bad but didn't swell up, it did turn a bit red. I licked a penny & put it where I got stung for about 10 minutes. I went throughout the day with no one noticing it at all, at one point it was hardly even red. Later that evening my parents said it looked a little bit swelled up after I told them what happened, but they may have been biased since they knew about the sting, and even if they really did notice a difference it was very minimal. Anyways even though it never swelled up, I did feel the sting for the whole day, and at night I put a little bit of toothpaste on the place that got stung, and it actually alleviated the pain/discomfort in that area. At first the toothpaste being so close to my eye did make my eye feel "minty" and it made my eye tear up. After that though it was good and about 2 hours later I went to sleep. I woke up this morning looking like I got beat up. It's not as bad as a black eye, but it is very much so swelled up and when I try to open the eye up as much as possible, it won't go that much. 

I'm not worried about this problem, I feel fine and have been stung by yellowjackets before on my back, those did swell up sooner however but I know that I'm not severely alergic. I'm just curious as to why it took so long for the eye to swell up (was it the copper from the penny that kept it unswollen until now? Was it me sleeping on that side of my face? I doubt it was the toothpaste but is there a possibility that it's because of that? Any enlightenment would be greatly appreciated)

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Hey there
There are several ways to treat a yellow jacket sting. Treatment basically consists of treating the symptoms associated with sting. Yellow jacket sting treatment is similar to treating a bee sting. The most common symptoms of getting stung by a yellow jacket are pain and itching. Swelling of the sting site is also common side effect. The symptoms from the sting should only last for 24-72 hours and then diminish. The best thing to do is to treat the sting site immediately. Be sure to clean the site with soap and water then apply either alcohol or peroxide. 

Normally, yellow jackets do not leave a stinger, but if one is present, use a straight-edge, such as a credit card or flat edge of a butter knife, to scrape away the stinger. Do not squeeze to get the stinger out or you will release more venom into your system and will make the sting worse. 

To reduce swelling and help with itchy skin following a sting, try one of these remedies: 

Make a paste from a mixture of baking soda and water and apply it to the sting site 
Hold ice on the affected area to reduce swelling and ease pain and discomfort 
Dab ammonia on the area to reduce itching 
Take an over-the-counter antihistamine such as Benadryl to relieve itching 
To help with pain, take ibuprofen. This will also help with inflammation. 
Over-the-counter sting medications such as swaps or ointments may also be used to treat itching and pain 
Some other home remedies for treating stings include: 

Soak in a bath with Epsom salts to reduce pain, swelling and itching 
Apply a paste of meat tenderizer, which contains enzymes that help neutralize the venom. 
Apply vinegar to the site to ease itching 
Apply a mudpack from soil and water to help draw out the venom 
A salt paste will also help to draw out the venom 
When to Seek Medical Attention
Some people are highly allergic to yellow jacket venom, so they should always carry a sting treatment kit with them when planning on any outdoor activities. If a child is the one allergic and attending school, alert the school and have a kit at the school. Common signs of an allergic reaction to a sting include: 

Difficulty swallowing 
Slurred speech 
Confusion 
Weakness 
Trouble breathing 
Tightness in chest 
Swelling of tongue 
Fainting 
If you or someone you are with experiences any of these symptoms after getting stung, it is important to seek immediate medical attention. One of the most important things to keep in mind after getting stung is to act immediately. 

Be Prepared
Its always wise to keep medical supplies on hand in case you happen to get stung by a yellow jacket, wasp or bee. The following are a must for any first aid kit: 

Alcohol 
Peroxide 
Flat edge instrument for scraping away stingers 
Baking Soda 
Ibuprofen 
Ice pack 
Check your kit on occasion for any expired medications and replace as needed.
Hope this helps

Anonymous · Answer

Patients should be observed for delayed or protracted anaphylaxis and instructed on how to initiate urgent treatment for future episodes. (Am Fam Physician 2003;68:1325-32,1339-40.

you had a delayed reaction.  the next time you are stung by a yellowjacket or bee your reaction could be much worse.  more
people die each year from bee stings than rattlesnake bites.
you should consider carrying a bee sting kit with you at all time
when outdoors.  highly sensitive individual can die in minutes
after a bee sting.

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Stung by a yellowjacket, swells up over 10 hours later?

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