A swollen, itchy bite after time outdoors can usually be treated at home. The NHS says insect bites and stings should get better in a few days. If a sting is left in, brush or scrape it out sideways with your fingernail (don’t use tweezers), wash with soap and water, and if it’s swollen hold an ice pack wrapped in a cloth on it for at least 20 minutes. Don’t scratch, and don’t use home remedies such as bicarbonate of soda. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or use 111 if you were stung in the mouth, throat or near the eyes, stung more than once, or it’s getting worse; call 999 if your lips, tongue or throat suddenly swell or you’re struggling to breathe. This sets out the NHS page “Insect bites and stings”.
1. It should get better in a few days. Scrape a stinger out sideways with a fingernail — not tweezers.
2. Wash it, ice it for at least 20 minutes if swollen, and don’t scratch. No home remedies like bicarbonate of soda.
3. Mouth, throat or near the eyes, stung more than once, or getting worse: urgent help. Swollen lips, tongue or throat, or trouble breathing: call 999 (119 in Korea).
What to do straight away — NHS
| Type | What the NHS says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Do | Remove a sting or tick if it’s still there | See the table below |
| Do | Wash with soap and water | — |
| Do | If swollen, an ice pack in a cloth for at least 20 minutes | — |
| Do | Keep the area raised if you can | — |
| Do | Use a hydrocortisone cream for itching and swelling | — |
| Don’t | Scratch | It could get infected |
| Don’t | Use home remedies such as bicarbonate of soda | — |
A pharmacist can recommend treatments such as antihistamines and steroid creams.
Removing a sting or tick — NHS
| What | How the NHS says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Bee sting | Brush or scrape it out sideways with your fingernail | — |
| Bee sting | Don’t use tweezers to pull it out | — |
| Tick | Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool and grasp it as close to the skin as possible | — |
| Tick | Pull slowly upwards, taking care not to squeeze the tick | — |
Tick-borne illness in Korea in autumn is covered, from KDCA sources, in scrub typhus.
When to get help — NHS
| If | Where | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| A child under 1 has a bite or sting | GP | — |
| You think you’ve been bitten by a tick and have flu-like symptoms or a round or oval rash (it may look like a bullseye) | GP | — |
| Symptoms get worse or aren’t getting better | Urgent GP or 111 | — |
| You were stung in your mouth or throat, or near your eyes | Urgent GP or 111 | — |
| Tummy pain and being sick, or feeling dizzy or lightheaded | Urgent GP or 111 | — |
| A high temperature and swollen glands | Urgent GP or 111 | — |
| You were stung more than once | Urgent GP or 111 | — |
| You’ve had a serious allergic reaction to a bite or sting before | Urgent GP or 111 | — |
Call 999 — NHS
| If | Where | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly swell | 999 (119 in Korea) | May be a serious allergic reaction |
| Breathing very fast or struggling to breathe; throat tight or struggling to swallow | 999 (119 in Korea) | — |
| Skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale | 999 (119 in Korea) | — |
| Suddenly very confused, drowsy or dizzy | 999 (119 in Korea) | — |
| Someone faints and cannot be woken, or a child is limp, floppy or not responding normally | 999 (119 in Korea) | There may also be a swollen, raised or itchy rash |
This 999 list matches the NHS list on hives. The Korean emergency number is 119 (our gloss).
Checklist
- ☐ Scrape a stinger sideways with a fingernail — no tweezers
- ☐ Ticks: fine tweezers close to the skin, pull slowly upwards
- ☐ Wash; ice for at least 20 minutes if swollen; keep it raised
- ☐ Don’t scratch; no home remedies
- ☐ Mouth, throat or eyes, stung more than once, or worse: urgent help; swollen lips, tongue or throat or breathing trouble: 999 (119 in Korea)
Questions that remain
Why not tweezers for a sting?
The NHS says not to use tweezers on a stinger but to scrape it out sideways with a fingernail. For a tick it says the opposite: use fine-tipped tweezers.
I got a rash after a tick bite.
The NHS says see a GP if you think a tick bit you and you have flu-like symptoms or a round rash. Korean scrub typhus guidance is in the scrub typhus post.
Sources
- NHS — Insect bites and stings — source (page shows: reviewed 1 June 2023, next review 1 June 2026 — the review date has passed and we quote the page as shown; checked 19 October 2026). Symptoms and duration, 5 things to do and 2 don’ts, pharmacist, removing stings and ticks, 2 GP, 7 urgent and 7 999 reasons.
- Not read. Korean agency guidance on stings; ways to avoid insects.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the Korean care gloss.
Where else to check
- A pharmacy or clinic — if the itching is bad or it isn’t improving.
Written on 19 October 2026. The content is from the NHS; the glosses are ours.
