Help! I got stung by a scorpion! What do I do?!

This section is for information purposes only. If you or someone you are with experiences a scorpion sting, your local poison center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States.

According to Mayo Clinic: “A scorpion sting is painful but rarely life-threatening. Young children, and sometimes the very old, are most at risk of serious complications.

In the United States, the bark scorpion, found mainly in the desert Southwest, is the only scorpion species with venom potent enough to cause severe symptoms.

Healthy adults usually don’t need treatment for scorpion stings. But if a child is stung, the same amount of venom may have more-serious consequences, so seek immediate medical care.

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. Sign 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.

Seek prompt medical care if you’ve been stung by a scorpion and begin to experience widespread symptoms.”

The MedlinePlus database in the U.S. National Library of Medicine states: “In mild cases, the only symptom may be a mild tingling or burning at the site of the sting.”

In severe cases, symptoms in different parts of the body may include:

 

Eyes and ears

Double vision

 

Lungs

Difficulty breathing

No breathing

Rapid breathing

 

Nose, mouth, and throat

Drooling

Spasm of the larynx (voice box)

Tongue that feels thick

 

Heart and Blood

Increased or decreased heart rate

Irregular heartbeat

 

Kidneys and bladder

Inability to hold in urine

Decreased urine output

Muscles and joints

Muscle spasms

 

Nervous system

Convulsions

Paralysis

Random movements of the head, eye, or neck

Restlessness

Seizures

Stiffness

 

Stomach and intestinal tract

Abdominal cramps

Inability to hold in stool

 

If you or someone you are with is stung by a scorpion and experiencing any of these symptoms, call an emergency service (such as 911).

Before calling emergency have this information ready:

The stung person’s age, weight, and condition
Exact type of scorpion if possible
What time the scorpion sting occurred

Your local poison center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.