Is this your symptom?
- Sting from a scorpion with pain, tingling, and numbness at the sting site
- Onset of local pain and tingling after a scorpion is seen in the area
Scorpions
- Scorpions look like tiny lobsters from the front. In back, they have a long tail with a stinger at the end. It curls up and over their bodies. They have 8 legs, like spiders.
- Venom: the stinger has venom. The venom causes pain and other symptoms when it is shot into the skin.
- Size: average size is 3 inches (7.5 cm). Range in size from 1 - 7 inches (2.5 to 18 cm).
- Scorpions are most active at night. They like dark, moist places.
- There are about 40 types of scorpions in the US.
- All scorpions can sting, causing pain, tingling, and numbness at the sting site. Note: some stings do not inject venom.
- The only US scorpion that can cause serious symptoms is the bark scorpion.
- Older adults are more likely to have severe symptoms. People with chronic medical problems are also at higher risk.
Bark Scorpion
- The only US scorpion that can cause serious symptoms is the bark scorpion.
- Color: bark scorpions are yellow-brown (tan) or orange in color.
- Size: 2-3 inches long (5-7.5 cm)
- They are found mostly in Arizona. Also can be found in New Mexico, Nevada, California, and Texas. They also live in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
- Deaths in the US from a scorpion sting are rare.
- Note: most people cannot tell a bark scorpion from a harmless scorpion. Catching or saving the scorpion to show your doctor is not helpful. Treatment is based on symptoms. Just kill the intruder.
Types of Reactions for Bark Scorpion Stings
- About 85% cause only local symptoms at the sting site.
- About 10% cause painful shock waves in the same arm or leg as the sting.
- Less than 5% cause any serious symptoms.
Mild Symptoms of a Scorpion Sting
- All scorpion stings cause pain, tingling, and numbness at the sting site.
- Pain starts right away. The pain can be severe for the first 2 hours. Symptoms around the site start to go away over the next 24 hours.
- There is often no swelling or redness at the sting site.
- About 10% of stings also cause waves of tingling. The tingling travels up the stung arm or leg. It feels like an electric shock.
- Most scorpion stings do not need to be seen.
Serious Symptoms of a Scorpion Sting
Most people will not get any serious symptoms. If they do occur, they will start in the first 2-3 hours after the sting. First signs of a serious sting can be muscle twitching or rapid eye movements. Pain, tingling and numbness can also spread to all the arms and legs. Other serious symptoms include:
- Trouble swallowing
- Trouble breathing
- Blurry eyesight
- Roving or jerky eye movements
- Slurred speech
- Muscle twitching
Expert Reviewers:
- Anne-Michelle Ruha, MD, and Min Kang, MD, toxicologists
When to Call for Scorpion Sting
Call 911 Now
Go to ER Now
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
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Call Poison Center Now
Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
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Self Care at Home
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Call 911 Now
- Trouble breathing or wheezing
- Passed out (fainted) or too weak to stand
- Hives or swelling all over the body
- Seizure or muscle jerking
- Drooling or trouble swallowing
- You think you have a life-threatening emergency
Go to ER Now
- Feeling very restless (can't sit still)
- Jerky or wild eye movements
- Mild muscle twitching
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
- Spreading redness with fever
- Scorpion sting and No past tetanus shots
Call Poison Center Now
- Any symptoms that occur in other parts of the body. Note: symptoms that only spread up the stung arm or leg are safe.
- Very painful sting
- You feel weak or very sick
- You think you need to be seen, and the problem is urgent
Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
- Last tetanus shot was more than 10 years ago
- Spreading redness that started more than 48 hours after the sting
- You think you need to be seen, but the problem is not urgent
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
- You have other questions or concerns
Self Care at Home
- Waves of tingling and pain only up the arm or leg with the sting
- Questions about how to prevent scorpion stings
- Scorpion sting with symptoms only around the sting
Care Advice for Stomach Pain
What You Should Know About Stomach Pain:
- Mild stomach pain can be caused by something simple. It could be from gas pains or eating too much.
- Sometimes, stomach pain signals the start of a viral infection. This will lead to vomiting or loose stools.
- Watching your child for 2 hours will help tell you the cause.
- Here is some care advice that should help.
Lie Down:
- Have your child lie down and rest until feeling better.
Clear Fluids:
- Offer clear fluids only (such as water, flat soft drinks or half-strength Gatorade).
- For mild pain, offer a regular diet.
Prepare for Vomiting:
- Keep a vomiting pan handy.
- Younger children often talk about stomach pain when they have nausea. Nausea is the sick stomach feeling that comes before they throw up.
Pass a Stool:
- Have your child sit on the toilet and try to pass a stool.
- This may help if the pain is from constipation or diarrhea.
- Note: for constipation, moving a warm wet cotton ball on the anus may help.
Do Not Give Medicines:
- Any drug (like ibuprofen) could upset the stomach and make the pain worse.
- Do not give any pain medicines or laxatives for stomach cramps.
- For fever higher than 102° F (39° C), acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can be given.
What to Expect:
- With harmless causes, the pain is most often better or gone in 2 hours.
- With stomach flu, belly cramps may happen before each bout of vomiting or diarrhea. These cramps may come and go for a few days.
- With serious causes (such as appendicitis), the pain worsens and becomes constant.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Pain becomes severe
- Constant pain lasts more than 2 hours
- Mild pain that comes and goes lasts more than 24 hours
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse
Extra Help - Worried Stomach:
- Help your child talk about events that trigger the stomach pain. Talk to your child about how to cope with these the next time around.
- Help your child worry less about things she can't control.
- To treat the pain, help your child get very relaxed. Lying down in a quiet place and taking slow deep breaths may help. Make the belly go up and down with each breath. Then try to relax all the muscles in the body. Think about something pleasant. Listening to audios that teach how to relax might also help.
- Make sure your child gets enough sleep.
- Make sure that your child doesn't miss any school because of stomach pains. Stressed children tend to want to stay home when the going gets rough.
- Caution: your child should see her doctor for an exam. Do this before concluding frequent stomach pains are from worrying too much.
