Bee sting: first aid and how to avoid it

Morsus apis – this is the Latin word for a bee sting. There is no actual sting, as the bee can only sting, and this can carry various emotional and physiological loads.

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 another nuance - no matter what result the bite brings, the bee dies in any case. The poison secreted by the hard-working insect contains cytostatics, including histamine, acetylcholine, mellitin and others. In addition, the poison contains 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 bee sting

A bee sting or, more accurately, a bee bite is the second most common cause of anaphylactic shock caused by allergies. The reaction to a bee sting occurs quickly and can cause as much trouble as a drug allergy, which is the leading cause of anaphylaxis. There are statistics stating that over 500,000 people suffer from bee stings worldwide each year, and in the United States alone, anaphylaxis caused by bee venom kills about 100 people each year.

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How does a bee sting allergy develop?

Allergen-provoking substances are found in the bee sting, when biting, the insect injects 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 on humans, thus, the diffuse, non-localized nature of the allergy is the main, primary danger for the victim.

Symptoms of bee sting allergy

Symptoms develop as quickly as a person is sensitized to the poison, that is, as sensitive as the body is to the components of bee venom. In a mild degree, the allergy manifests itself as local swelling and urticaria localized at the site of the bite. If hyperemia and swelling spread throughout the body, a dangerous complication is possible - anaphylactic shock, which develops within a few minutes, rarely hours.

Signs that characterize a bee sting:

• Acute pain, burning at the site of the sting (caused by orthophosphoric and hydrochloric acids contained in the venom).
• Swelling and a characteristic white dot at the site of skin damage.
• Redness at the site of the sting.
• Progressive swelling that spreads throughout the body.
• Itching spreading throughout the body.
• Hives.
• Rapid breathing, dry cough.
• Difficulty breathing, asthma attack.
• Rarely – nausea and vomiting.
• Headache.
• Impaired consciousness (delirium).

Symptoms of anaphylactic shock caused by an allergy to a bee sting:

• Difficulty breathing.
• Rapidly developing swelling (especially in the neck and larynx).
• Dizziness.
• Paleness of the skin (cyanosis).
• Threadlike pulse.
• Drop in blood pressure.
• Cramps.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Asphyxia.

Bites to the arm, neck, and especially to the tongue are the most dangerous and manifest themselves with acute, rapidly developing symptoms. A bee sting to the back, chest, or leg can also cause an allergy, but it is much milder and rarely ends in anaphylaxis.

It is believed that the sting of one bee does not pose a serious threat to human health, all signs of the sting disappear after 3-4 days. More dangerous are multiple stings, which can provoke intoxication and lead to death even in a non-allergic person. From 200 to 350 stings at the same time are considered incompatible with life in a healthy person, although there are such extreme sports enthusiasts who gradually accustomed themselves to the poison and can endure up to 1000 stings at once.

Allergy to bee stings is most often diagnosed in small 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 rest of the allergy sufferers react to natural histamine, which is found in the contents of the bee sting.

Consequences of a bee sting

The most dangerous complication after a sting is considered to be anaphylaxis. For a sensitive allergy sufferer, even one sting from a worker bee can be fatal.

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

• Encephalopathy.
• Malignant myasthenia.
• Mononeuritis.

The consequences of a bee sting can be divided into the following degrees of severity:

1. Mild severity of the reaction – fever, itching, urticaria and Quincke's edema.
2. The second degree of severity is respiratory failure, cardiac arrhythmia, spasms of the bronchi, intestines, swelling of almost all mucous membranes of the body, anaphylaxis.

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

The dose limit that the human body can cope with is from 1 to 1.4 milligrams per kilogram of weight.

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Does a bee die after stinging?

Even if an angry victim does not take its life, the bee is forced to die one way or another. In a sense, a stinging bee is a disposable syringe or a kamikaze insect. The sting is designed in such a way that after a bite, its barbs cling to the subcutaneous tissue and skin, and it is impossible to pull it back without effort. The bee, however, tries to get its weapon back, but in this action it dies, since the sting is torn from the body, along 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 sting. The legend says that in ancient times, bees turned to the Gods for help with a request to give them the opportunity to protect their honey. The ancient deities rewarded the bees with stings and poison, but with one condition: if the poison is directed against a human being, the bee is doomed to perish, and the person to recovery. It is not known how many bitten people have recovered since then, but today many of the victims are asking themselves:

What to do if you get stung by a bee?

First, remove the bee's "weapon", i.e. the sting, from the body as quickly as possible. The bee is unable to do this process, which is why it dies, but it is not by chance that man is called the "king of nature", he has more strength and the right tools at his disposal.

The sting is carefully removed with tweezers, grasping it as close to the bite as possible. Care must be taken not to damage the fragile reservoir with the poisonous contents. It is much more difficult to remove the sting with fingers, and, as a rule, the poison spills under the skin.

The wound should be lubricated with any antiseptic - alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, tincture. If there are no medicines at hand, the wound can be moistened with a saline solution (per glass of purified or boiled cooled water - 1 teaspoon of table salt). A solution of water and soda can also help (a glass of purified water - 1 teaspoon of soda).

A cold compress or ice should be applied to the injury site. This will help stop the spread of poison under the skin and reduce swelling.

The victim of a sting should drink a lot. Alkaline mineral water without gas, plain purified water, weak green tea, in a word, any drink that is “non-aggressive” in the sense of allergy will do. You should not give honey tincture, hot tea or milk on the advice of casual acquaintances. If you are sensitive to bee venom, these drinks can provoke or aggravate an allergic reaction.

If the victim develops allergic symptoms, he should be given an antihistamine as soon as possible - Claritin, Zestra, Suprastin, Telfast, Zyrtec. This will help to stop and sometimes even relieve the allergic reaction to a bee sting.

What to do if you are stung by a bee and the symptoms develop quickly after the sting? You need to call an ambulance immediately. You should have cardiac medications and preferably ampoules with glucocorticosteroids on hand. However, it is advisable not to take any independent actions until the doctors arrive.

First aid for a bee sting

In summer, especially in areas where honey plants, flowers and trees grow, no one is immune from bee attacks. Therefore, the algorithm of actions that involves first aid for a bee sting should be known by almost everyone, this information is especially relevant for allergy sufferers and parents of small children.

The plan of action is as follows:

• Remove the sting. This is done with tweezers, if you don't have them, then manicured female hands will come to the rescue: long nails can play the role of tweezers. The sting is removed carefully, taking into account the risk of damaging the capsule with poison.
• The area that was stung should be washed with running water.
• It is necessary to blot the bite site and lubricate it with any corticosteroid drug, as a rule, hydrocortisone ointment is available in many home medicine cabinets. If there is no such remedy, an antiseptic will do, which should be present in every medicine cabinet (hydrogen peroxide, alcohol tinctures).
• Ice and cold must be applied to the site of injury. Cold compresses must be changed as they warm up. Cold is recommended for 4-6 hours after the bite.
• If the arm or leg is bitten, a tourniquet can be applied above the site of injury.
• If itching develops, even in the absence of other signs of allergy, it is worth taking an antihistamine. Over-the-counter antihistamine syrups are suitable for children.
• If the victim has already had an allergic reaction to a sting or bee products (honey, propolis, pollen), it is necessary to use more radical drugs - autoinjectors with adrenaline-containing agents. In principle, every allergy sufferer who has a history of reaction to honey, bee stings, wasps, should have such a disposable instrument (syringe) and a special bracelet in case of loss of consciousness. These identification signs and means are needed so that people around can quickly provide the necessary assistance.

Emergency medical care for a bee sting is needed if the following symptoms occur:

• Severe shortness of breath that worsens rapidly.
• Rapidly increasing headache.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Cramps.
• Rapidly spreading swelling.
• If there are many bites at the same time (more than 10 for adults, more than 3 for children).
• If the sting occurred in the throat, eye, tongue, or oral cavity.
• If an elderly person with a history of cardiac pathologies is bitten.
• If an asthmatic or diabetic is bitten.

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Bee sting remedy

Antihistamines, hydrocortisone ointment or other medications needed for allergies or stings are not always available in the home medicine cabinet. What can be used as a remedy for a bee sting? Here is a proven list of so-called folk remedies that can be indispensable help in case of a bee sting:

• If you have a tablet of soluble aspirin, you need to put it in a glass of purified water. This solution is applied to the sting site several times.
• Baking soda solution – 1 teaspoon per glass of clean (preferably boiled) water. Moisten a gauze pad and apply to the damaged area.
• If you have aloe growing in your home, you need to tear off the fleshiest leaf and try to squeeze the juice out of it. Apply aloe juice to the bite site 3-5 times.
• Calendula tincture works well as an antiseptic (contains alcohol) and also relieves inflammation at the site of the sting.
• Suspension (crushed) activated carbon. Carbon should not be applied directly to the skin, it is better to disinfect the bite site with an antiseptic after the sting has been pulled out, cover it with a piece of bandage and apply crushed carbon (it must first be slightly moistened).
• Washed plantain leaves should be crushed and applied to the damaged area. As the leaf withers, it should be replaced with a fresher one.
• Cleanly washed leaves of garden parsley can also reduce pain and relieve swelling a little.

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

How to avoid a bee sting?

The best way to avoid a bee sting is to stay away from the places where these insects live. 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 and summer, bees actively fly out of the hive in search of nectar - a nutrient medium. Most often, they simply get entangled in human hair and, trying to break free, sting. According to statistics, every third person bitten by a bee is stung in the head. Conclusion - cover your hair with panamas, hats, scarves, especially if you are in places where bees may live.
3. If you are out of town, in nature, you should walk barefoot only where there are no flowers or other fragrant plants. A bee can collect nectar just when your bare foot is about to step on such coveted soil. You will not notice it in the petals, but it will sting you for self-defense.
4. Also, in natural conditions, any picnics and an abundance of aromatic products on the tablecloth are extremely attractive to bees. In addition, these curious insects love to fly to the smell of perfumes, deodorants. Conclusion - cover the food, forget about perfumes with sharp, trailing smells for a while.
5. If you see an insect flying straight at you, the windmill motion will not only not help, but will also harm. No amount of waving your arms can drive away an angry bee. A 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's, also attracts bees. This should be remembered by everyone who is going to relax in nature with the help of alcoholic beverages. In addition, alcohol can cause harm after a bite, as it increases the permeability of blood vessels, respectively, swelling becomes greater.

Prevention also includes a pre-prepared first aid kit, which should include antiseptics (alcohol, hydrogen peroxide), aspirin (preferably soluble), antihistamines, gauze, bandage, tourniquet, cardiological drugs (cordiamine, validol, valerian, nitroglycerin). Those who have allergies or a predisposition to them should have more serious antihistamines, up to a disposable syringe (autoinjector).

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