Bee Sting Allergic Reaction – How To Avoid Anaphylactic Shock?
Ask anyone who has been stung and they’ll tell you that bee stings are no laughing matter. Even normal and localized reactions can be painful, itchy, and downright uncomfortable. For people suffering from a bee sting allergic reaction however, their discomfort is enormously magnified, and without fast intervention and treatment, that bee sting allergic reaction can become life threatening, and even lead to anaphylactic shock within a matter of minutes.
Normally, the effects of everything from a wasp to a honey bee sting create similar symptoms. Redness, itching, pain and swelling (the amount of bee sting swelling varies from person to person and large amounts are not always indicative of an allergic reaction.) For people who encounter a bee sting allergic reaction however, their basic symptoms are much more dramatic, and are combined with typical allergic reaction symptoms such as having a hard time breathing, wheezing, hives and swelling of the mouth and throat.
Bee sting treatment such as baking soda paste or hydrocortisone is not adequate for someone who is suffering from a bee sting allergic reaction. In order to prevent the symptoms from becoming exacerbated and potentially anaphylactic shock, the afflicted individual will typically receive epinephrine (adrenaline.) For severely allergic people, this is normally administered through a pen or other quick inject device that they carry, for others it is done by a physician once the individual has been sent for emergency care.
It’s important to remember that bee sting and insect bite treatment is ineffective for people who are allergic to bees. The only way to stop the progression of symptoms is prompt medical treatment (within minutes). An Epipen (prescribed by your doctor) should always be on hand if you experience severe allergies to bees. Another helpful precaution to reduce the risk of anaphylactic shock in a highly allergic individual, is to make sure that they have something with them to identify that they need emergency medical care in the event of a sting. Bracelets are useful for this type of identification. The best method of shock avoidance however, is to steer clear of bees altogether, and don’t put yourself in situations where you will frequently encounter them.