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How to treat scorpion stings

scorpion-300x222Scorpions, part of the arachnid class, can look like something out of a horror movie.  Like spiders, they have eight legs, thin pinchers (called pedipalps), and a venomous stinger on their tail.  The average size of a scorpion is about 6 cm, but the largest known scorpion grows up to 21 cm! There are hundreds of types of scorpions.  Thankfully, most of them are harmless, but a small handful – yikes! – of them can be dangerous and even potentially lethal to humans. Scorpions are found on all continents besides Antarctica, though in some places such as New Zealand and Great Britain they are not naturally occurring.  Scorpions may be found in, basically, every ecosystem, as they are incredible adapters and are able to survive on even just one insect a year by altering their metabolism!

Let’s shed some more light on scorpions:  Did you know that they glow when placed under ultraviolet light?  No one is quite sure why this occurs; it may be a warning signal to possible predators or even a way to lure their prey.  Either way, it is definitely pretty creepy.

For the most part, the scorpion’s venom is adapted to their lifestyle, and since their diet mostly consists of insects, their venom is typically relatively harmless to humans.  Only about 25 species of scorpions are known to be lethal to humans; the majority of these are part of the Buthidae family.  The two most common lethal scorpions found in the United States are the Arizona Bark Scorpion and the Striped Bark Scorpion.  The Arizona Bark Scorpion is mainly found in the Southwest United States; fatalities from the sting of this scorpion are rare and the greatest risk is for the elderly and young children. The Striped Bark Scorpion is found more in the Central South and the Midwest of the United States; death is also fairly rare with the Striped Bark Scorpion, but the sting can be extremely painful.

So what happens if a human gets stung by a scorpion?  Some common symptoms of a scorpion sting are a tingling or burning at the sting site, numbness, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, blurry vision, or seizures.  In some rare cases, pancreatitis – a painful inflammation of the pancreas – may occur.  Some symptoms of pancreatitis are abdominal pain, chills, fever, sweating, and nausea.  Onset of symptoms is usually quite rapid and can last for between 24 to 48 hours.

If stung by a scorpion, the first thing to do is to make sure you get yourself out of harm’s way and avoid another sting.  If possible, try to remember what color the scorpion is or snap a photo with your smartphone; do NOT try to catch the scorpion because you might end up getting stung a second time!

Once out of harm’s way, call 911 and then wash the sting site with soap and water, apply a cold compress for “10 minutes on, then 10 minutes off.”  Importantly, avoid aspirin or ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin) because these can cause the venom to spread through the body more quickly.  Acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can be taken to help relieve the pain at the site of the sting.  Sometimes even more powerful pain medications, like opiates, are required to help alleviate pain. Taking an oral antihistamine such as diphenhydramine (such as Benadryl) can help reduce some of the swelling and itching, as well.  Immobilize the area so as to protect the wound and to help delay spreading the venom through the blood more quickly.  Do not attempt suction, and do not cut into the wound; these are just great ways to ensure an infection!

In general, it is a good idea to go and get checked out at the nearest hospital or health clinic if stung by a scorpion – especially if the species of scorpion is unknown.

10 Comments on How to treat scorpion stings

  1. I just got stung on my finger by a scorpion. Extremely painful. I rushed to a facility and was given an injection and medication. It still hurts one hour after the sting. I wonder how long this pain lasts.
    Paul

  2. Scorpions-A Natural // June 5, 2022 at 12:17 am // Reply

    I’m not scared of Scorpions, but I can feel the pain of it hitting me

  3. Do not like scorpions

  4. I just get stung by a black scorpion and it very painfull

  5. Weeeeewoooooo // July 6, 2020 at 3:50 am // Reply

    It woke me up after it bit me. But I got a glimpse. I’m just glad I didn’t decide to get up and ignore the pain.

  6. Surest Etin // April 29, 2020 at 7:59 am // Reply

    I was beaten by a scorpion today and i took garlic and some other medications. Do i need more treatment

  7. Its ability to hide itself is amazing. .It kills children. ..and causes unbearable pain to adults. ..isn’t there a vaccine against its venom?

  8. scardy cat chris // March 15, 2020 at 12:57 pm // Reply

    Literally just now, there was like a red-brown scorpion and it was a BABY. I’m 12 (which i would say only 12 because I’m scared of them) and I had to kill it. I had a shoe at first, which led to a metal baseball bat. With the shoe, I hit it the 2nd time and it fell, but it wasn’t dead. It crawled very fast, since it was a baby scorpion, and went underneath a dog bed. It then came out and surprisingly killed it with the shoe on carpet. The scorpion blended in with the carpet, which was difficult to find it, but I luckily killed it with a shoe on carpet. I ran downstairs to grab the metal bat and ran fast as I could to smash it really hard, which I did. Thankfully, I killed it, but some scorpions want to get into your bed for some reason. (I’m being serious) The worst thing that can happen is when you go to bed and get stung by it, blindsided if under the sheets. All I can say with a bunch of others, if you see a scorpion, KILL it. 🙂 (Even a scared 12 year old boy did)

  9. a black scorpion stung my leg 4 days ago and I have not taken any medication..but am experiencing little pain…could it cause any damages

  10. I got stung by a small scorpion yesterday night,I applied salt to it but I actually don’t feel any pain…Do I need to see the doctor…

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