Loading

Scorpion Stings

Scorpion stings can be painful, but the vast majority of them are harmless. Some species, however, can inflict potentially fatal stings. Stings are most serious in young children and the elderly.

Mild symptoms include pain and swelling at the sting site. Severe symptoms include muscle twitching, sweating, and drooling.

Most stings don’t need treatment. Severe cases may need anti-venom.

Most scorpion stings cause only localized signs and symptoms, such as pain and warmth at the site of the sting. Sometimes these symptoms may be quite intense, even if you don’t see redness or swelling.

Signs and symptoms at the site of the sting may include:

  • Pain, which can be intense
  • Numbness and tingling in the area around the sting
  • Slight swelling in the area around the sting

Signs and symptoms related to widespread (systemic) venom effects usually occur in children who are stung and may include:

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Muscle twitching or thrashing
  • Unusual head, neck and eye movements
  • Drooling
  • Sweating
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Low blood pressure (hypo tension)
  • Accelerated heart rate (tachycardia) or irregular heart beat (arrhythmia)
  • Restlessness or excitability or inconsolable crying (in children)

As with other stinging insects, such as bees and wasps, it is possible for people who have previously been stung by scorpions to also have allergic reactions with subsequent stings. These subsequent stings are sometimes severe enough to cause a life-threatening condition called anaphylaxis. Signs and symptoms in these cases are similar to those of anaphylaxis caused by bee stings and can include hives, trouble breathing, and nausea and vomiting

Continuously apply ice to the sting area.

If there is no danger to other people, carefully collecting a dead or injured scorpion into a sealed container to show to the physician may be helpful.

Antivenom therapy is available for the many scorpion species. The antivenom has been made by immunizing horses with the venom and then the antivenom (immunoglobulin) is harvested from horse blood. The antivenom may stop all symptoms within about 4 hours after administration. Other researchers are developing antivenom to other species of scorpions. All but the mildest of symptoms require hospital admission for 24 hours of observation, especially for children.

Fusce mauris leo, luctus ac ultricies et, eleifend quis tortor. Donec dictum metus ac convallis rhoncus. In a turpis in nibh maximus convallis pendisse blandit ligula turpis, ac convallis risus fermentum

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adi pisi cing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor exercitationemut labore. Love life’s sweetest reward Let it flow it floats back to you.

Fusce mauris leo, luctus ac ultricies et, eleifend quis tortor. Donec dictum metus ac convallis rhoncus. In a turpis in nibh maximus convallis pendisse blandit ligula turpis, ac convallis risus fermentum

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adi pisi cing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor exercitationemut labore. Love life’s sweetest reward Let it flow it floats back to you.

Fusce mauris leo, luctus ac ultricies et, eleifend quis tortor. Donec dictum metus ac convallis rhoncus. In a turpis in nibh maximus convallis pendisse blandit ligula turpis, ac convallis risus fermentum

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adi pisi cing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor exercitationemut labore. Love life’s sweetest reward Let it flow it floats back to you.