# Have You Experienced Serious Swelling By Your Eye A WEEK After a Bee Sting? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 24, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449 "2021-08-24T17:46:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/1 "2021-08-24T17:46:54Z")
There were a ton of bees on the side of my house, and they were entering my kitchen, so I couldn’t wait and had to try and get rid of them, and took my extension cord and shop-vac and tried to get as many as I could… I did this three days in a row and was stung about 6-7 times altogether, including a couple on my head, and then one right on my eyebrow. It hurt a little for a couple of days, but I couldn’t stop picking at the scab on my head, and could feel pus coming out, but I’ve had this habit - picking scabs, zits, squeezing whatever on my face. A day before yesterday, I think the area by my eye was very itchy, and I couldn’t help myself. Yesterday, I noticed it getting swollen. I barely noticed any swelling before that, and thought it was getting better… Today when I woke up, it got worse, and looks horrible. One of my worries is a memory of this guy I went to school with. It looked just like my eye, but what happened was that while he was picking at it in front of a mirror, hundreds of baby spiders were coming out, and that’s a fear I will have in bed, for many obvious reasons. I might have benadryl around, but I have problems breathing, so that’s not an option. For a little bit, I would take anything from the freezer to put it over my eye. If this has happened to you, I would appreciate your story – what you did about it, what happened. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2021, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/2 "2021-08-24T17:52:40Z")
Well, the baby spider thing is clearly a false “recovered memory.” I’ve been stung by both bees and wasps over the past few years, and I tend to get swelling that takes around a week to subside. The one concern I would worry about is that you might have infected the wound by picking at it. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2021, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/3 "2021-08-24T18:00:15Z")
I’m just shy of epi pen allergic to bee stings. I was stung on the back of my neck once and the neck swole up enough I couldn’t turn my head. I’ve never had a delayed onset in the swelling more than an hour or two. I did lose the sight in one eye due to a mesquito bite on my eyelid once but that was there in the morning after I was biten so again not days delayed. My guess is if you have puss you’ve got an infection from your picking. Time to see a doc about some medication. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2021, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/4 "2021-08-24T19:20:48Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > Time to see a doc about some medication And time to see a doc right away, not in 4 or 6 weeks when they can ‘fit you in’. Either a primary care doctor or PA or NP. An optometrist would also be able to medically treat it if it was an issue involving your eye. Often optometrists are easier to get in to see on short notice. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2021, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/5 "2021-08-24T22:56:57Z")
That guy was very honest, and there’s no reason for him to lie, and it’s not something I wouldn’t remember. I don’t have a doctor, and wouldn’t see one, anyway. I was just wondering if someone went through this, and if there was something easy I could do without having to leave my house (especially during a pandemic), or buy anything, great, if not, I’ll just deal with it. But I appreciate the concern. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2021, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/6 "2021-08-24T23:02:46Z")
> **[Myth: Baby spiders from bite wounds](https://www.burkemuseum.org/collections-and-research/biology/arachnology-and-entomology/spider-myths/myth-baby-spiders-bite)** > > Very widespread and persistent legends of spider eggs hatching under human skin, contradict all we know of spider behavior and abilities. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/7 "2021-08-25T01:57:58Z")
I second that you may have a bacterial infection, and you may also have a bit of foreign material trying to work its way out. See a doctor; if you tell them what’s wrong with you, they’ll get you right in. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/8 "2021-08-25T03:11:06Z")
Yeah. Well, the baby spider thing creeped me right out. Gah!!! Leave your hands off. Wash it well with a good soap. Apply antibiotic ointment. And DON’T touch. I’d go to a doctor myself. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/9 "2021-08-25T03:17:41Z")
> [@MortSahlFan](#): > > I don’t have a doctor, and wouldn’t see one, anyway. Why? The area is infected. Clean it, put some Bacitracin on it, and if it doesn’t improve in a day or two, go to the doctor. There’s no magical home remedy. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/10 "2021-08-25T09:00:24Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > Bacitracin I guess I’m just hoping it will eventually go away. I’ve had a headache for the 2nd day in a row… ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/12 "2021-08-25T13:34:54Z")
You need to go to a doctor/PA/NP/ urgent clinic. No home remedies and you don’t want to risk your eyesight, so go to a doctor. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/13 "2021-08-25T13:56:51Z")
Why didn’t you stop after 3 stings, till they all cleared up? Why would you think 6-7 stings is without serious consequences, even if not allergic? How can you neglect it to till it’s in this state? How can you value your eyesight so little? Wouldn’t go to a doctor if you had one? What? You are a mystery wrapped in an enigma for sure. Have you tried an antihistamine? ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/15 "2021-08-25T15:01:05Z")
Why don’t you go to a pharmacy clinic and get the nurse to prescribe you some antibiotics? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/16 "2021-08-25T16:35:51Z")
You are crazy for not going to a doctor ASAP. Infections are never to be taken lightly, but infections in the face are exceptionally dangerous, because they can easily spread to the brain. You’re not only risking your eyesight, but your life. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/18 "2021-08-25T22:27:23Z")
> [@MortSahlFan](#): > > I guess I’m just hoping it will eventually go away. & all bleeding stops…eventually, one way or the other. 😲 Get thee to a doctor or clinic ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/19 "2021-08-25T22:40:05Z")
See a doctor, NOW. If you don’t have a walk-in clinic in your area, go to the ER. You can’t afford not to. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/20 "2021-08-26T05:56:30Z")
Oh. Lordy. That’s bad. Go to the ER. An eye in a precious thing. I’m serious. Get yourself some help. Now!! ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2021, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/21 "2021-08-30T14:42:16Z")
**MortSahlFan**? Are you okay? ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2021, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/22 "2021-08-30T17:09:12Z")
Everyone, I have it on good authority that the OP is just keeping away from this thread for right now. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-experienced-serious-swelling-by-your-eye-a-week-after-a-bee-sting/949449/23 "2021-09-01T16:48:51Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > See a doctor, NOW. If you don’t have a walk-in clinic in your area, go to the ER. > > You can’t afford not to. Please please please do not go the ER. The ER is for emergencies. This can be handled by a convenient care/walk in clinic/doc in the box.