Self Care Articles

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