Wasp sting

A wasp sting is much harder for a person to bear than a bee sting. Firstly, unlike a bee, which dies after stinging, wasps can sting multiple times. Secondly, while bees rarely attack first, they rather defend themselves, wasps are incredibly persistent and can get into the most unexpected places - bags, under clothes, and often fly into transport.

The sting of a wasp is basically intended for laying eggs, but at the slightest danger, the wasp releases a toxin from it that is dangerous to the environment. By the way, only females have a sting, and they are the most aggressive insects of their kind. At the beginning of the warm period, wasps are a kind of orderlies, as they feed on small insects, including garden pests and even large flies. But this is where their positive activity ends. With the onset of heat, a swarm of wasps rushes in search of food to distant territories, destroying not only purely human food products on their way, but also entire families of bees. The most “favorable” period in a figurative sense for wasp stings is considered to be the summer season, when everything around is fragrant with aromas, replete with bright colors, a lot of sweet fruits and open food. Female wasps behave especially aggressively in the hot July and August months. Statistics show that 1.7-2% of the world's population are so sensitive to wasp and bee stings that they can die from anaphylactic shock.

Does a wasp die after stinging?

Unlike a bee, which dies in the fight for its existence after stinging a person, a wasp can sting and sting a person many times. There are frequent cases when a wasp repeatedly damages the skin with its jaws, eventually leaving a sting in the wound when they try to neutralize it. A wasp is not able to part with a sting on its own, it is attached to its abdomen quite well. So, to the question of whether a wasp dies after a sting, we have to answer with regret - no, it continues to live and possibly sting other people. It is fair to note that even after the first sting, you can avoid repetitions if you simply leave the place where the wasp is buzzing or try to carefully see it off with the help of improvised means - a newspaper, a towel. And you can get a sting in your body only by killing a wasp right on yourself. Therefore, multiple stings of wasps are more likely aggression or unreasonable behavior of a person, and not insects.

Allergy to wasp sting

Wasps are extremely aggressive and can sting a person repeatedly, as their sting is devoid of the barbs characteristic of a bee sting. The most dangerous stings are hornets, their venom contains a high concentration of acetylcholine and bradykinin. An allergy to a wasp sting as a true allergic reaction is quite rare, most often a wasp attack provokes a so-called false allergy. The composition of a wasp venom is not much different from apitoxin, a bee venom, the main danger lies in the repeated introduction of active biological components. The fluid secreted by the wasp, in addition to histamine, serotonin, peptides, amino acids, contains a strong neurotoxin (presynaptic orientotoxin), which quickly penetrates the bloodstream and affects hepatocytes and erythrocytes. There is especially a lot of neurotoxin in the hornet venom. A wasp sting feels much more painful than a bee sting because wasp venom contains more histamine and acetylcholine, which explains the pain at the site of the sting.

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Causes of Allergy to Wasp Stings

Indeed, not all people develop an allergic reaction to a wasp attack; some simply bravely endure temporary discomfort and forget about the incident in a day or two. What are the causes of allergies to wasp stings?

1. The first and fundamental factor is genetic, that is, heredity. If one or both parents suffer from allergies to insect bites, then most likely their offspring will also be at risk of developing an allergic reaction.
2. Sensitization or primary "acquaintance" with an allergen - one of the many components of wasp venom. This is a typical case of the so-called false allergy or aggressive response of the immune system to similar antigens. Thus, the wasp venom may not contain a true provocateur, but one of the substances resembles in structure an antigen that the immune system has already encountered. The system immediately, without understanding, begins to attack it by producing antibodies.

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Symptoms of a Wasp Sting Allergy

The clinical picture of a wasp attack depends on the location of the injury, the person's general allergic predisposition, the amount of poison, and the number of stings. When the poison gets into an area with many blood vessels, the allergy manifests itself as itching, urticaria, and in severe cases, Quincke's edema. The reaction develops very quickly - within half an hour. A more serious degree of intoxication of the body looks like a classic picture of developing anaphylaxis. The general symptoms of an allergy to a wasp sting are as follows:

• Itching and redness (erythema) at the site of the bite.
• Severe pain.
• Local swelling or developing edema (from the bite site up or down depending on the area of damage and the blood flow system). Cases of giant edema are not uncommon.
• Quincke's edema.
• Headache, dizziness.
• Temperature increase.
• Difficulty breathing, dry mouth.
• Increased heart rate.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Anaphylactic shock.

Separately, it is necessary to identify the signs of anaphylactic shock, which can be provoked by an allergy to a wasp sting:

Stage of development of symptoms	Signs
First stage	Itching, not only at the site of the bite, but also in the palms, feet, and scalp. Dysphonia also develops, the voice becomes hoarse, and a lump is felt in the throat.
The final stage	Blood pressure drops rapidly, acute vascular insufficiency (collapse) develops, uncontrollable vomiting is possible. The face and neck swell greatly, breathing becomes difficult, asphyxia develops.

An allergy to a wasp sting is most dangerous for people with a history of bronchial asthma, cardiac diseases, and diabetes. In clinical practice, there have been cases of diabetic coma after a hornet attack, since their venom contains a component that increases blood sugar levels. The sting is also dangerous for small children, pregnant women, and the elderly. In addition, anaphylaxis can develop rapidly if the wasp sting is in the lymph nodes (neck).

Child wasp sting

Children are most often attacked by wasps, either because of their natural curiosity when they try to study wasp nests, or because little ones love sweets, which also attract insects. In addition, children are extremely sensitive to insect bites in general, which is why they are so often diagnosed with an allergic reaction.

Actions that parents can take to help neutralize a wasp sting in a child:

• If the wasp only bites but does not sting, you need to treat the wound with an antiseptic and apply cold (ice, cold compress).
• It is advisable to give the child an antihistamine syrup, even if there are no primary symptoms of allergy. Syrups of Erius, Claritin, Kestin, Edem are effective.
• If the wasp was killed at the scene of the "crime", then most likely the stinger remains in the wound. It must be removed with tweezers.
• To reduce swelling and relieve some pain, compresses with a soda solution will help - 1 teaspoon of baking soda per glass of clean water.
• Lubricating the damaged area with anti-allergic ointments – Fenistil, Ketopin – helps well.
• If you have Panthenol at home, you can apply it to the bite site.
• Lubricating the bite site with regular baby cream will be effective.

If threatening symptoms appear - difficulty breathing, swelling of the neck and face, extensive hives, pale skin - you should immediately call an ambulance.

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Why is a wasp sting dangerous?

The danger of a wasp sting is the possibility of multiple injections of poison, and wasps have plenty of it. Unlike bees, wasps, especially hornets, are capable of inflicting more than one sting, each time injecting toxin into the human body.

What is dangerous about a wasp sting? The unusually high concentration of biologically active components in the venom, when administered once, usually does not have a toxic effect. However, repeated entry into the bloodstream can provoke a strong allergic reaction, the consequence of which will be Quincke's edema at best, and anaphylaxis and death at worst.

In addition, wasps are considered predatory insects, they do not engage in productive activity like bees. On the contrary, wasps willingly not only attack living fellows - flies, spiders, other insects, they also happily eat carrion in various garbage dumps and other unattractive places. When attacking a person, a wasp damages the skin with a sharp sting, forming a small, but still a wound. Various bacteria can get into it, which most likely covers the wasp's weapon. This is how inflammation develops at the site of the bite, which often develops into a purulent infectious process.

An allergic reaction to a bite, which in clinical practice is diagnosed as a grade III reaction, also looks threatening. Vascular collapse, myocardial ischemia, bronchospasms, hemiparesis (partial paralysis), damage to the central nervous system, systemic necrotizing angiitis (vascular pathology), Henoch-Schonlein syndrome (hemorrhagic vasculitis) - this is far from a complete list of answers to the question - what is the danger of a wasp bite. In order to avoid these threats, you should be careful and try to minimize the possibility of attracting wasps. This is quite simple - cover food, do not use aromas that provoke insects and close windows with a net, at least during the summer.

Consequences of a wasp sting

The wasp sting itself, especially if it is a single one, of course, causes pain and discomfort, but in healthy people it disappears without a trace after two or three days.

The consequences of a wasp sting are much more dangerous for small children, allergy sufferers, those suffering from diabetes, asthma, pregnant women and the elderly. Hornet stings are especially dangerous in this regard. Firstly, they are larger than ordinary wasps, therefore, they have more venom. Secondly, their venom contains neurotoxins and substances that can quickly cause suffocation. Anaphylactic shock, hypoglycemia or diabetic coma, purulent inflammation in an infected wound, general intoxication of the body with multiple stings - this is far from a complete list of the consequences of a wasp sting. They can be completely avoided if you try not to attract wasps with open food, sweets, trailing perfumes, strong-smelling deodorants.

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Treatment for a wasp sting

How to treat a wasp sting? The basic rules are not much different from the actions for a bee sting. Treatment of a wasp sting consists of the following measures:

• It is necessary to make sure that the wasp did not leave its sting in the wound. It is clearly visible and it will not be difficult to detect the wasp's weapon.
• If the sting remains in the wound, it must be carefully removed with tweezers. Squeezing or other actions (cutting, scratching) are prohibited under any circumstances, as this promotes the spread of the toxin into the subcutaneous tissue, and the wound may become infected.
• The damaged area should be treated with any available antiseptic - alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, tincture.
• After treatment, the wound should be covered with a gauze pad and cold (ice, compress) should be applied on top. Cold compresses should be changed within 2 hours until the swelling subsides.
• A victim of a wasp sting needs to drink a lot to quickly remove toxic substances from the body with urine. Mineral water, weak tea with sugar, Regidron solution, simply purified water - this is what the body needs. You cannot drink alcohol, milk, or other liquids that are questionable in terms of their therapeutic effect on a sting.
• If the affected person is prone to allergies or signs of an allergic reaction have begun to appear, an antihistamine should be taken as soon as possible.
• An antihistamine in the form of an ointment or gel can be applied to the bite site; a corticosteroid ointment – hydrocortisone, fluorocort, diprosalic – will also be effective.

Treatment of a wasp sting may require both medical assistance and more drastic measures, including resuscitation. To prevent this, you need to take all measures to reduce the risk of stings, this applies to both bee stings and wasp attacks.

Wasp Sting Remedy

Every person prone to allergic reactions should have a first aid kit. A remedy for a wasp sting, as well as preparations for the stings of any other insects, is an effective antihistamine. In addition, the arsenal must necessarily include disposable syringes, preferably a special autoinjector with a ready-made effective solution. Adrenaline or preparations containing it, corticosteroids in injection form are usually used as first aid. People who have at least one case of Quincke's edema in their anamnesis should develop an action plan in case of an insect bite. You should not wait for the reaction to develop, you should immediately inject 3 milligrams of adrenaline or prednisolone subcutaneously, directly into the bite site. Sublingual (under the tongue) isoprenaline acts a little slower.

Those who suffer from asthma should have an inhaler to stop an asthma attack in time. Heart patients should have emergency medications to stimulate cardiac activity.

In all other cases, the remedy for a wasp sting is a regular antiseptic (alcohol-containing tinctures, hydrogen peroxide), it is also good if the first aid kit contains a tourniquet, syringes, painkillers in tablet form, aspirin and validol.

Help with a wasp sting

How to help if a wasp stings? Of course, with immediate action.

Their algorithm is simple and should be remembered, as the hot summer season is approaching, when wasps begin to become active and the risk of being bitten increases many times over.

1. If a bite has already occurred, the first thing to do is to immediately leave the place where the wasps are circling. When biting, the wasp secretes specific substances that seem to call other insects. In addition, the same wasp can sting a person more than once, it is better to brush the insect off carefully, but in no case press on yourself, which happens quite often.
2. The wound needs to be disinfected. It is better if these are pharmaceutical preparations, if they are not available, simple water and soap will do.
3. A piece of sterile bandage or gauze should be applied to the wound, and any cold object should be placed on top. If there is none nearby, a stream of cold water or just a wet compress will do.
4. If a limb is injured - an arm or a leg, a tight bandage should be applied over the bite. This will localize the toxin and prevent it from spreading throughout the body.
5. You can relieve swelling and puffiness using a soda or saline solution (1 teaspoon of table salt or baking soda per 200 ml of water).

Help with a wasp sting consists of careful observation of symptoms. At the first alarming signs - headache, poor health - you should immediately consult a doctor.

In what cases is medical assistance needed:

• If a person is stung by wasps, and not just one wasp.
• If there are more than five bites (for a child, even two bites are already considered a threat).
• If the bite occurred on the neck area, the face, throat, and eyes were bitten.
• If a person suffers from allergies.
• If signs of allergy appear.
• If an inflammatory process has begun in the wound.

What to do if you get stung by a wasp?

First of all, you should know what you should never do, since unreasonable actions can not only cause harm, but also provoke new wasp bites.

If you or someone close to you has been stung by a wasp, you should not take revenge on it and try to kill it at the scene of the “crime”. Firstly, the sting will remain in the wound along with its poisonous contents. Secondly, when the wasp dies, it releases a specific smell that attracts its relatives. A massive attack of wasps and poison in the wound is the result of a war with an aggressive wasp.

You must not scratch or rub the damaged area. Firstly, this will promote the spread of the toxin in the subcutaneous tissue. Secondly, the wound itself may become infected.

You must not try to squeeze out the remaining sting. This will allow the poison to penetrate not only into nearby tissues, but also into the bloodstream.

Wasp sting - what can and should be done:

Treat the wound immediately. If you have an antiseptic at hand, use it. If conditions do not allow you to use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, then a plantain leaf, calendula, or parsley leaf can be a handy remedy. The plants need to be washed well, wiped, the leaves crushed in your hands, and applied to the wound. Withering leaves should be replaced with fresh ones within 3-4 hours.

The wasp does not just sting, it bites, and its sting is often seeded with bacteria, so after using improvised means (plants), it is advisable to find a way to get a real effective antiseptic and disinfect the wound well.

A tablet of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) is suitable as a local detoxifying agent. The tablet should be crushed well and slightly moistened with water. This gruel is applied to the site of injury, after covering the wound with a piece of bandage. Please note that aspirin itself can cause an allergic reaction if you are sensitive to salicylates.

The bite site needs to be cooled. This will help relieve pain and reduce the rate at which swelling spreads.

If severe itching, rash, or hives occur, you can take an antihistamine, but it is much safer if the victim receives professional medical help. Anaphylaxis sometimes develops within a few minutes, so if you realize that you have been stung by a wasp, consult a doctor - you should not risk your health.

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