Lessons in Innate and Allergic Immunity From Dust Mite Feces and Tick Bites
What To Know About Bee Sting Allergies
A bee sting may cause an allergic reaction or a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can vary, but may include hives, a swollen throat or tongue, flushed skin, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and more.
For most people, a bee sting only produces temporary pain and irritation at the site of the sting.
For others, bee stings cause an allergic reaction that can range from mild to severe. In extreme cases, a bee sting can cause life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Approximately 5% to 7.5% of people will experience a severe allergic reaction to insect stings in their lifetimes. In beekeepers, this risk rises to 32%.
Many people who react to insect stings will experience a mild to moderate irritant reaction in the form of pain, localized skin discoloration, and swelling. This is not an allergic reaction.
For a small minority of people, bee stings can cause systemic allergic reactions, which spread all over the body, including to the skin and respiratory system. The allergic reaction can be severe, requiring emergency medical treatment. Fatal reactions are rare.
Anaphylaxis: Symptoms and what to doAnaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can be life threatening. The symptoms develop suddenly and include:
If someone has these symptoms:
Some people may need more than one epinephrine injection. If the symptoms do not improve in 5 to 15 minutes, or they come back, use a second pen if the person has one.
When a bee stings, its sharp, barbed stinger remains lodged in the skin. This stinger releases venom.
Bee venom contains proteins that affect the skin cells and immune system, resulting in pain and swelling at the site of the sting, even if a person is not allergic to the venom.
In those who are allergic to bee stings, the venom triggers a more severe immune system reaction. These people may not have an allergic reaction the first time they are stung but may have an allergic reaction to a second bee sting.
If a person is allergic, the bee sting will cause the immune system to produce a type of antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). Usually, IgE protects the body from dangerous substances, such as viruses and parasites.
However, in response to a sting, the body produces IgE that then causes inappropriate immune responses, such as hives, swelling, and respiratory problems the next time a person is stung.
Reactions to bee venom can range from mild to severe. In less severe cases, the reaction occurs around the site of the sting. In more severe cases, the allergic reaction affects other parts of the body.
How one individual reacts to a bee sting can also differ from one occasion to the next. Some people may find they have a localized reaction each time they are stung.
It is helpful to know the symptoms associated with different degrees of reactions so that a person can receive the appropriate treatment.
The symptoms of a bee sting vary depending on how allergic the person is. A person can have a mild, moderate, or severe reaction shortly after being stung by a bee.
Mild reaction
The majority of bee sting symptoms are very mild and do not require medical attention. They are limited to the site of the sting itself, and include:
Moderate reaction
In a person with a moderate bee sting reaction, the body has a stronger response to bee venom, called a large local reaction (LLR). In such cases, the symptoms can take over a week to heal completely.
Symptoms include swelling, skin discoloration, and increased warmth around the sting, which may gradually increase in size to a diameter of 10 centimeters (cm) or more over a period of 2 to 3 days.
If a person experiences a LLR, there is a 5% to 10% risk that they will develop a systemic allergic reaction to a sting in the future.
Severe allergic reaction
In certain individuals, a bee sting can cause anaphylaxis, which is a life-threatening allergic reaction requiring emergency medical treatment. The following symptoms of anaphylaxis develop rapidly:
The treatment for bee sting reaction will depend upon the severity of the allergic reaction.
Treating a mild to moderate reaction
After a bee sting, remove the stinger as soon as possible, taking care to avoid squeezing the venom sac. Removing the stinger will limit the amount of venom released into the bloodstream.
Tweezers should not be used to remove a stinger, since squeezing may release more venom. A person can use a scraping action with their finger nail or a piece of gauze to remove the stinger instead.
Use a cold compress, apply steroid ointments, and take antihistamines to help reduce itchiness and inflammation.
Symptoms should subside over the course of a couple of days.
For an LLR, a person may require coritcosteroids.
Treating a severe reaction
Severe, systemic reactions require an urgent shot of epinephrine, which will help to reduce the severity of the allergic reaction. Doctors may also administer oxygen and intravenous fluids.
If someone has an epinephrine injection device (EpiPen), they should use it immediately. Epinephrine temporarily reverses the symptoms of a severe allergic reaction. A person with a severe allergy should carry an EpiPen with them at all times.
Anyone experiencing one or more symptoms of anaphylaxis should get to an emergency room as soon as possible, even if they have self-administered epinephrine.
While waiting for the emergency services to arrive, the person should lay on their back with feet elevated. Doing so will help to counteract weakness and dizziness by assisting blood flow to the heart.
Long-term treatment
Desensitization immunotherapy is a treatment designed to reduce a person's sensitivity to particular allergens. Someone who has had a severe allergic reaction to bee stings, or has other risk factors, can receive a form of this treatment known as venom immunotherapy (VIT).
VIT involves a course of injections of increasingly high doses of bee venom. Gradually increasing the dose over about 3 to 5 years helps the immune system build up a tolerance to the venom.
Those whose allergic reactions are severe should ask their doctor or allergist for further information about the treatment.
Learn more
Learn more about treating bee stings:
Most bee stings will produce only mild and temporary symptoms that people can treat at home.
Even those who experience moderate reactions do not usually need to seek urgent medical attention. However, they may wish to speak with a doctor if they are concerned about future reactions to bee venom.
A person who experiences anaphylaxis after being stung by a bee is more likely to experience anaphylaxis when stung in the future. Doctors should prescribe an EpiPen for these people to use in emergencies. They may also wish to speak with their doctor about the possibility of venom immunotherapy treatment.
The Best Remedies To Treat A Bee Sting And Stop The Pain Quickly
If you get stung by a bee, a normal reaction can include redness, swelling, and pain near the wound. These symptoms should subside within a few hours, and you can use ice, anti-itch cream, and Advil or Tylenol to help relieve them sooner.
If you experience a normal, localized reaction, you should be able to effectively treat your bee sting at home, says David Cutler, MD, family medicine physician at Providence Saint John's Health Center.
But if you have an allergic reaction to a bee sting, you may want to seek medical attention. Here's what you should know to treat your bee sting.
How to treat a bee stingFirst, it's important to immediately remove the stinger from your skin, if it's still there. You'll see a small black dot at the sting site, if so.
Some types of bees — like honey bees — have barbed stingers that remain in your skin. Other types — like carpenter bees, or venomous insects like wasps — have smooth stingers that stay attached to the insect, and they can sting you multiple times before flying away.
You won't need to remove a stinger if you're stung by a wasp, hornet, or carpenter bee. But if a honey bee stings you and the stinger remains in your skin, it can continue to pump toxins into your body, which will make symptoms worse if it's not removed.
Here's how to remove the stinger:
1. Use a scraping motion with a flat, blunt object like a credit card across the affected area to remove the stinger.
2. Don't try to pull the stinger out with tweezers or your fingers — this could result in even more venom squeezing into the skin.
3. Once the stinger is removed, wash the site with soap and water.
After you remove the stinger, you can use a few remedies to treat the pain, itchiness, and swelling that can accompany a bee sting.
Bee sting remedies A cold compress is one of the best ways to treat a bee sting. Josh Anderson/APAbout 5% to 7.5% of Americans will experience an allergic reaction to an insect sting at some points in their lives, according to the Journal of Asthma and Allergy.
Signs of an allergic reaction from a bee sting include:
According to Cutler, most allergic reactions are mild or moderate, and can still be treated at home with antihistamines and ice. But some allergic reactions are more severe.
In fact, about 3% of adults who experience insect stings develop a life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis, which does require immediate medical attention. It's estimated that 90 to 100 Americans die every year due to anaphylaxis from an insect sting.
Signs of anaphylaxis can occur within minutes of a sting and include:
In the case of anaphylaxis, you must be treated with an adrenaline injection, known as epinephrine. This counteracts the hormones your body releases in response to the sting and prevents your body from going into shock, Cutler says.
If you've had a mild or moderate allergic reaction to an insect sting before, you should discuss this with your doctor, as this may increase your risk for anaphylaxis in the future. Those at risk can get a prescription for an epi-pen, which allows you to administer epinephrine yourself if you have a severe reaction.
Insider's takeawayMost of the time, you should be able to treat your bee sting at home. However, it is still important to monitor symptoms and seek medical attention immediately if you experience any signs of anaphylaxis, like difficulty breathing or lightheadedness.
And if you do experience a moderate allergic reaction to a bee sting, you should discuss it with your doctor afterward, because you could be at a higher risk of having a more severe reaction if stung again.
Allergy Or Anaphylaxis: What's The Difference?
The difference between allergies and anaphylaxis-- anaphylaxis can be the life-threatening type, meaning-- allergies, when people think about it, could be sneezing, hayfever, or even asthma. But anaphylaxis could be those symptoms as well as more, including hypotension-- or low blood pressure; wheezing to the point where you can't breathe; loss of consciousness or passing out. So anaphylaxis is life-threatening or very severe allergies.If it's a food allergy, most people discover that when they're younger once they had the first or second time of introduction to, let's say, peanuts or some type of tree nut. Possibly other sources of anaphylaxis, like insect sting, like, you know, people could be life-threatening allergic to bee stings. That could be later because you might not have been stung by a bee earlier or it could be your second time that you got stung that you had this significant life-threatening anaphylaxis.
So it depends on what you're allergic to. Most of the time you don't grow out of anaphylaxis. With food allergies, about 20% to 25% of patients may grow out of it. That means the vast majority-- 80-- 80% or so-- will keep it. So most people do not outgrow anaphylaxic reactions. I would say the mortality rates are not going up, meaning we are better now at identifying anaphylaxis and people are much more aware. So people aren't dying as much from anaphylaxis.
Unfortunately, there still are deaths but not as much in the past because we're better at being aware of it as well as treating it.","publisher":"WebMD Video"} ]]>
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THOMAS CHACKO
The difference between allergies and anaphylaxis-- anaphylaxis can be the life-threatening type, meaning-- allergies, when people think about it, could be sneezing, hayfever, or even asthma. But anaphylaxis could be those symptoms as well as more, including hypotension-- or low blood pressure; wheezing to the point where you can't breathe; loss of consciousness or passing out. So anaphylaxis is life-threatening or very severe allergies.If it's a food allergy, most people discover that when they're younger once they had the first or second time of introduction to, let's say, peanuts or some type of tree nut. Possibly other sources of anaphylaxis, like insect sting, like, you know, people could be life-threatening allergic to bee stings. That could be later because you might not have been stung by a bee earlier or it could be your second time that you got stung that you had this significant life-threatening anaphylaxis.
So it depends on what you're allergic to. Most of the time you don't grow out of anaphylaxis. With food allergies, about 20% to 25% of patients may grow out of it. That means the vast majority-- 80-- 80% or so-- will keep it. So most people do not outgrow anaphylaxic reactions. I would say the mortality rates are not going up, meaning we are better now at identifying anaphylaxis and people are much more aware. So people aren't dying as much from anaphylaxis.
Unfortunately, there still are deaths but not as much in the past because we're better at being aware of it as well as treating it.
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