Bee sting: first aid and how to avoid

Morsus apis - so in Latin sounds a bee sting. Actually, the bite does not occur, as the bee can only sting, and it can carry a variety of both emotional and physiological load.

On the one hand, bee venom is considered useful, possessing many healing properties, on the other hand, the bee can be the culprit of a strong allergic reaction. In addition, there is one more nuance - no matter what result the bite brought, the bee dies in any case. The poison, which secretes a hardworking insect, contains cytostatics, including histamine, acetylcholine, mellitine, and others. In addition, the poison has many amino acids, protein compounds, hydrochloric and orthophosphoric acid, all this extremely active mixture can provoke an allergy in a person.

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Allergy to a bee sting

A bite or, more accurately, a bee sting takes the second place in the sad list of the causes of anaphylactic shock caused by allergies. The reaction to the bee sting manifests itself quickly and threatens with the same serious troubles as the allergy to medicines, which leads in the rating of the factors provoking anaphylaxis. There are statistics stating that more than 500,000 people are affected by bee stings worldwide every year, only in the US each year anaphylaxis caused by bee venom takes about 100 lives.

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How does the allergy to bee stings develop?

Allergic provocative substances are in the bee sting, when bitten, the insect injects the poison under the skin, and it spreads very quickly through the bloodstream, without lingering in the subcutaneous tissue. This explains the systemic effect of bee venom per person, so the diffuse, non-localized nature of the allergy is the main, the main danger for the victim.

Symptoms of an allergy to a bee sting

The symptomatology develops as quickly as a person is sensitized to the poison, that is, how sensitive the organism is to the components of the bee venom. In an easy degree, the allergy is manifested by local edema and localized at the bite site by urticaria. If the hyperemia and swelling spreads through the body, a potentially dangerous complication is anaphylactic shock, which develops within a few minutes, less often hours.

The symptoms that characterize the bee sting: 

• Acute pain, burning at the place of stinging (caused by orthophosphoric and hydrochloric acids contained in the poison).
• Puffiness and a characteristic white dot at the site of skin damage.
• Redness in the place of stinging.
• Progressing, spreading throughout the body puffiness.
• Itching all over the body.
• Hives.
• Rapid breathing, dry cough.
• Difficulty breathing, asthma attack.
• Rarely - nausea and vomiting.
• Headache.
• The disturbed consciousness (delirium).

Symptoms of anaphylactic shock, which causes an allergy to a bee sting: 

• Labored breathing.
• Rapidly developing puffiness (especially in the neck, larynx).
• Dizziness.
• Pale skin (cyanosis).
• Threadlike pulse.
• Falling blood pressure.
• Convulsions.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Asphyxia.

Bites in the hand, neck, especially in the language are most dangerous and manifest acute, rapidly developing symptoms. A bee sting in the back, chest, leg can also cause allergy, but it flows much easier and rarely ends with anaphylaxis.

It is believed that the stinging of one bee does not pose a serious threat to human health, all signs of a bite disappear in 3-4 days. More dangerous are multiple stings, which even not in an allergic person can provoke intoxication and lead to death. From 200 to 350 bites is simultaneously considered incompatible with life in a healthy person, although there are such extremals that have gradually accustomed themselves to poison and can tolerate up to 1000 stings at once.

An allergy to a bee sting is most often diagnosed in young children, women and the elderly. According to statistics, all 1.5% of people in the world have a true allergy to bee stings, that is, they are extremely sensitive to the components of bee venom. The remaining allergens react to natural histamine, which is found in the contents of the bee sting.

Consequences after a sting of a bee

The most dangerous complication after stinging is anaphylaxis. For a sensitive allergy sufferer, even one bite of a worker's bee can be fatal.

In addition, in allergology reactions to bite are divided into toxic, when the general intoxication of the organism develops, and the usual. Toxic in turn are divided into the following groups: 

• Encephalopathy.
• Malignant myasthenia gravis.
• Mononeurrites.

The consequences after a bee sting can be divided into such degrees of severity: 

1. The mild severity of the reaction is fever, itching, hives, and Quincke's edema.
2. The second degree of severity is a violation of breathing, cardiac arrhythmia, spasms of the bronchi, intestines, edema of almost all the mucous membranes of the body, anaphylaxis

In rare cases, general intoxication, which can cause bee stinging, ends with glomerulonephritis, and persistent lymphadenitis is also possible. If the bee stings in the eye, persistent blepharitis can lead to cataracts or glaucoma, but fortunately, such cases are extremely rare.

The dose limit, with which the human body is able to cope - from 1 to 1.4 milligrams per kilogram of weight.

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Is the bee dying after the bite?

Even if the angry victim does not deprive her of life, the bee somehow has to die. In a sense, a stinging bee is a disposable syringe or an insect-kamikaze. The sting is arranged so that after a bite, its notches cling to subcutaneous fat and skin and it is impossible to pull it back without effort. The bee, however, tries to regain its cannon, but in this action it dies, because the stinger breaks away from the body, and together with the glands and internal microscopic organs of the insect. There is a legend that answers the question of whether a bee dies after a bite. The legend says that in ancient times bees appealed to the Gods for help with the request to give them the opportunity to protect their honey. Ancient deities awarded bees with stings and poison, but with one condition: if the poison is turned against a human being, the bee is doomed to perish, and the person to recover. It is not known whether many people have been cured since then, but today many of the victims wonder: 

What to do when a bee stings? 

First, as soon as possible to remove from the body "weapons" bees, that is sting. This process does not work for a bee, which is why it dies, but a person is not accidentally called a "king of nature", he has more strength, and the right tools are available. 

The stove is carefully removed with tweezers, picking it as close to the bite as possible. You need to be careful not to damage the fragile tank with poisonous contents. It is much harder to remove the stinger with your fingers, and as a rule, the poison pours out under the skin. 

The wound should be lubricated with any antiseptic - alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, tincture. If you do not have drugs at your fingertips, the wound can be moistened with saline solution (for a glass of purified or boiled chilled water - 1 teaspoon of table salt). Also, a solution of water and soda (a glass of purified water - 1 teaspoon of soda) can help. 

A cold compress, ice should be applied to the injury site. This will help to stop the spread of the poison under the skin and to remove puffiness. 

The victim of stinging should drink a lot. Alkaline mineral water without gas, simple purified water, green weak tea, in short, any, "non-aggressive" in the sense of allergy drinking. Do not give on the advice of casual acquaintances honey tincture, hot tea or milk. With sensitivity to bee venom, these drinks can provoke or aggravate the allergic reaction. 

If the affected person develops an allergic symptomatology, as soon as possible give him an antihistamine drug - Claritin, Zestra, Suprastin, Telfast, Zirtek. This will help to stop, and sometimes even remove, the allergic reaction to the bee sting. 

What to do if a bee stings, if the symptoms develop quickly after the sting? We need to call for an ambulance immediately. At hand should be heart medications and preferably ampoules with glucocorticosteroids. However, it is advisable not to conduct independent actions before the arrival of doctors.

First aid with a bee sting

In summer, especially in the areas where honey-grass, flowers and trees grow, no one is immune to the attack of bees. Therefore, the algorithm of actions, which involves first aid when biting a bee, should be known to almost everyone, especially this information is relevant for allergy sufferers and parents of young children.

The plan of action is as follows: 

• Take out the stinger. This is done using tweezers, if it is not, then manicured female hands come to the rescue: long nails can play the role of tweezers. The sting is removed carefully, taking into account the risk of damage to the capsule with the poison. 
• The place that suffered from the stinging, you need to wash with running water. 
• It is necessary to get wet the place of the bite and lubricate it with any corticosteroid drug, as a rule, in many home medicine kits there is hydrocortisone ointment. If such a remedy is not available, an antiseptic, which should be present in each medicine cabinet (hydrogen peroxide, alcohol tinctures), is suitable. 
• It must be ice, cold. Cold compresses need to be changed as they warm up. Cold is shown within 4-6 hours after the bite. 
• If an arm or leg is bitten, you can apply a tourniquet above the injury site. 
• If itching develops, even if there are no other signs of allergy, it is worth taking an antihistamine. For children, antihistamine non-prescription syrups are suitable. 
• If the victim has already had an allergic reaction to uvezhanie or beekeeping products (honey, propolis, pollen), you need to use more radical drugs - autoinjectors with adrenaline-containing drugs. In principle, every allergic person who has a history of reaction to honey, a bee sting, a wasp, must carry such a disposable tool (syringe) and a special bracelet in case of loss of consciousness. These identification marks and means are needed so that people around you can quickly provide the necessary assistance.

Emergency medical care when biting a bee is necessary for such symptoms: 

• Severe shortness of breath, which scrolls swiftly.
• Rapidly growing headache.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Convulsions.
• Rapidly spreading puffiness.
• If there were many bites at the same time (more than 10 for adults, more than 3 for children).
• If the stinging occurred in the throat, eye or tongue, the mouth.
• If an elderly person who has a history of cardiac pathology is bitten.
• If an asthmatic is bitten, a diabetic.

Means against the bite of a bee

Not always in the home medicine cabinet there are antihistamines, hydrocortisone ointment or other, necessary for allergy or stinging drug. What can come as a remedy for a bee stings? Here is a verified list of the so-called alternative methods that can become an indispensable aid when stung by a bee:

• If there is a tablet of soluble aspirin, you need to put it in a glass with purified water. This solution is applied to the place of stinging several times. 
• A solution of baking soda - 1 teaspoon per glass of clean (better boiled) water. Wet gauze swab and apply to the injury site. 
• If the house is growing aloe, you need to tear off the most fleshy leaf, try to squeeze out the juice from it. Aloe juice is applied to the bite site 3-5 times. 
• Calendula tincture well helps as an antiseptic (contains alcohol), and also removes inflammation in the place of stinging. 
• Suspended (crushed) activated carbon. Coal can not be applied directly to the skin, it is better after the sting is extended, to neutralize the place of the bite with antiseptic, cover with a piece of bandage and apply the crushed coal (it must be slightly moistened first). 
• Rinsed leaves of plantain should be kneaded and applied to the site of damage. As the leaf withers, it needs to be changed to a more recent one. 
• Purely washed leaves of garden parsley can also reduce pain and slightly relieve swelling.

As for raw onions or potatoes, then there is no proven data that such a means from a bee stings is effective.

How to avoid a bee stings?

The best way to avoid being stung by a bee is not to approach the habitats of these insects. Prevention has always been and will be the only effective method of avoiding possible troubles.

1. To reduce the risk of allergies and just unpleasant sensations, you should know how to avoid a bee sting. 
2. In the spring-summer period, bees actively fly out of the hive in search of nectar - a nutrient medium. Most often they simply get entangled in the human hair and, trying to break free, sting. According to statistics, every third bit bitten - it's stung into the head area. The conclusion is - to cover the hair with panamas, hats, kerchiefs, especially if you are in the places where bees can live. 
3. If you went out of town, to nature, you should walk barefoot only where there are no flowers or other fragrant plants. The bee can collect nectar just at the time when your bare foot is about to set foot on such a desired land. You will not notice it in the petals, and it will sting you for self-defense purposes. 
4. Also in natural conditions, any picnic and an abundance of fragrant products on tablecloths are extremely attracted by bees. In addition, these curious insects are very fond of flying on the smell of perfumes, deodorants. Conclusion - the food is covered, about the spirits with sharp, daisy smells for a while to forget. 
5. If you saw an insect flying directly at you, the mill movement will not only help but also harm you. No mahi hands can not drive away an angry bee. Slow retreat in this case is not a shameful escape, but a way to avoid unnecessary confrontation and possible allergies. 
6. The smell of alcohol, even yesterday, also attracts bees. It should be remembered for everyone who is going to relax on nature with alcohol-containing drinks. In addition, alcohol can also harm after a bite, as it increases the permeability of the vessels, respectively, the puffiness becomes larger. 

Prevention is also a pre-prepared first-aid kit, which should include antiseptic drugs (alcohol, hydrogen peroxide), aspirin (better soluble), antihistamines, gauze, bandage, tourniquet, cardiac preparations (cordiamine, Validol, Valerian, nitroglycerin). Those who have an allergy or a predisposition to it, you need to have more serious antihistamines, up to a disposable syringe (autoinjector).

How to avoid a bee stings? Of course, no one is insured from a meeting with this insect, bees fly in the city and in nature. They are not aggressive by nature, so stinging is either an accident or an unreasonable behavior of a person. In addition, in a sense, a bee sting can become a real medicine, especially if it is prescribed by an apitherapist.