When they sting, they inject venom into the skin. Allergic reactions to stings usually don't happen when a child is stung for the first time. Most happen when the child is stung for a second time, or even later.
A few have life-threatening symptoms, even if they've never before had an allergic reaction to a bee sting. That's a dangerous condition called anaphylaxis. The riskiest symptoms to watch for are: Itching, hives, or swelling over a large part of your body -- not just where you got stung.
Sometimes you may not experience a reaction until 4 hours or longer after the sting occurs. At that point you may begin to experience hives, fever, joint pain, swelling, and headache. Allergic reaction. An allergic reaction can occur in just minutes up to several hours after the sting.
If you're allergic to bee stings, you'll develop a raised bump on your skin at the test site. Allergy blood test. A blood test can measure your immune system's response to bee venom by measuring the amount of allergy-causing antibodies in your bloodstream.
Causes of the allergic reaction
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.
Like we shared before, the time frame for bee sting allergic reactions is different for each person. Sometimes, anaphylaxis is delayed, occuring up to 12 hours after contact with an allergen. Stay aware of your symptoms and don't dismiss any concerns.
Severe allergic reaction
Skin reactions, including hives and itching and flushed or pale skin. Difficulty breathing. Swelling of the throat and tongue. A weak, rapid pulse.
Call 911 if you've been stung more than 25-50 times, are having difficulty breathing, feel lightheaded or are having an allergic reaction.
If you have any of the following conditions when stung by a bee, call 911 and then use your EpiPen: Red welts on your skin (hives) Throat closing; unable to breathe well. Swollen tongue and throat.
The faster they get medical help, the better the chance for recovery. The chances of future total body reactions increase when local reactions become more and more severe. People who are not allergic to bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets usually get better within 1 week.
Pain and other symptoms of a bee sting can worsen if you don't get the stinger out quickly. The longer the stinger stays in your skin, the more venom it releases, adding to your pain and swelling. This can also increase the chances of an allergic reaction.
Only about 1 percent of bee stings result in anaphylactic shock, with it more likely to happen in people over the age of 25. This is because the more an allergic person is stung, the more severe the reactions get. Children, who likely have only been stung one or two times, will rarely experience such extreme reactions.
Moderate Bee Sting Allergic Reaction Symptoms
Sometimes, people who are stung by bees and other insects have a more intense reaction. If you have a moderate bee sting allergy, you may experience: Reasonable swelling at the sting site. Itchy and watery eyes.
Bee Sting Allergy
However, people can be allergic to the poison of all different kinds of stinging insects. Someone can be more sensitive to the venom of yellow jackets than to honey bees. Or, they can be equally allergic to all types of stinging insect venom.
What Happens if You Use an EpiPen® When You Don't Need it? Your blood vessels at the injection site will constrict, leading to decreased blood flow. You may experience a “pins and needles” sensation, and pain and bruising at the injection site are also common.
If you're with someone having symptoms of anaphylaxis, don't wait to see whether symptoms get better. Seek emergency treatment right away. In severe cases, untreated anaphylaxis can lead to death within half an hour. An antihistamine pill, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), isn't enough to treat anaphylaxis.
Anaphylaxis symptoms occur suddenly and can progress quickly. The early symptoms may be mild, such as a runny nose, a skin rash or a “strange feeling.” These symptoms can quickly lead to more serious problems, including: Trouble breathing. Hives or swelling. Tightness of the throat.
Therefore, 50–500 stings can cause the death of an adult man. Simple stings are responsible for a mild reaction such as skin rash and urticaria, even occasionally with anaphylaxis, and multiple stings cause toxic shock syndrome with systemic symptoms.
You probably won't have a severe allergic reaction the first time you are stung. But even if your first reaction to a sting is mild, allergic reactions can get worse with each sting. Your next reaction may be more severe or even deadly.
Pain, swelling, and itching at the site of the bite are common. An allergic reaction includes trouble breathing, chest tightness, and swelling on the body someplace other than the bite site.
Protracted anaphylaxis may occur, with symptoms persisting for days. Death may occur within minutes but rarely has been reported to occur days to weeks after the initial anaphylactic event.
The symptoms include: feeling lightheaded or faint. breathing difficulties – such as fast, shallow breathing.
Take just the antihistamine pill at first if the reaction is mild and you don't have breathing difficulties or circulation problems. Depending on the severity of the skin reaction around the sting, take the steroid medication too.
If there's a stinger in the wound, remove it quickly — within a few seconds if possible. Scraping the stinger out rather than squeezing or pulling it out may reduce the amount of venom that is injected. However, it is more important to remove the stinger quickly than to be overly focused on technique.