Essential Oils to the Rescue

Bee & wasp stings hurt! No wonder everyone takes notice when one is flying around.

Essential oils to the rescue over the weekend when my husband was stung and a few months ago when I was stung. I reacted quickly and used what I had on hand for both stings. For me it was Indulgent Fragrances blend with Sandalwood, Jasmine, Myrrh and Neroli in Jojoba oil and KJ Hand Sanitizer. For my hubby, Indulgent Fragrances went on first, then a drop each of Lavender and Helichrysum.

After I was stung, I did a bit of research. Love it when my knowledge of essential oils comes in handy, and then it usually leads me to more questions. This time it was:

-What type of wasp stung me?—Paper Wasp, but not sure about my hubby’s though.

-Why do humans have a physiological response?—Bee & wasp venom is composed of different protein and peptide antigens. These substances elicit an immune response (i.e. histamine is released and causes that itchy feeling). Everybody’s immune system generates at least a localized reaction to the potent antigens.

-Why does it hurt more than a pinprick?— From Pain.com, Stings are painful due to neurotransmitters and chemicals present in bee and wasp venom that stimulate pain receptors and increase the frequency of nerve signal transmission, making the sting more painful than it would be without venom.

REFERENCES:

http://pain.com/library/2011/07/08-symptoms-bee-wasp-stings/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bee-stings/DS01067/DSECTION=symptoms

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/169324-overview#showall

http://www.surviveoutdoors.com/reference/beeswasps/index.asp

I was standing inside, so it was quite unexpected to be stung in the temple by a wasp.  Added to that, the rogue wasp stung me while the national anthem was being sung and I was surrounded by hundreds of silent people.  The above mentioned setting means that my “OWW” was heard loud and clear.

I had to act quickly (again I repeat OWW) because two boys and large crowds, not the place to be distracted or teary eyed over my boo boo.  Out of my purse came my KJ hand sanitizer and my Indulgent Fragrances.  The hand sanitizer went on first, then after it had a chance to absorb for a minute, the Indulgent Fragrances was rolled on to my temple.

Repeated this process three more within 20 minutes when there was a noticeable difference.  The heat was lessened and the pain not as sharp.  Over the next two hours, I reapplied the hand sanitizer and roll-on every 30 minutes (or so).

Later that night, no swelling, no pain, no heat.  I almost forgot about it!  As a just in case, I rolled on a bit more Indulgent Fragrances right before bed.  Over the next few days the area itched a couple of times, but that was the extent of it. Boo boo crisis averted.

To learn more about Indulgent Fragrances, visit www.kristajean.com.