How serious is a yellow jacket sting?

How serious is a yellow jacket sting? How serious is a yellow jacket sting depends on individual reaction. For most people, yellow jacket sting causes immediate sharp pain, redness, swelling, itching, and warmth at sting site lasting hours to few days, not medically serious beyond discomfort. Yellow jackets can sting multiple times unlike bees, and inject venom that causes local reaction. For people allergic to wasp venom, sting can be very serious, causing anaphylaxis with symptoms like difficulty breathing, swelling of face and throat, rapid pulse, dizziness, hives, and can be life-threatening requiring immediate emergency care and epinephrine. Even without allergy, multiple stings can cause serious reaction due to large venom load, especially in children or elderly. Stings near eyes or mouth are more serious. Secondary infection from scratching can occur. For most non-allergic people, sting is painful but not serious, treated with cold compress, antihistamine, and pain relief. For allergic individuals, it is very serious and can be fatal without treatment.