- Danger of wasp bites
- Symptoms of the disease
- Assisting with wasp bites
- Allergy prevention
Allergy to wasps is caused by the effects of toxins released by wasps on the human body. Often the patient's condition is complicated by anaphylaxis, which, if medical care is not provided in a timely manner, can result in the death of the patient. According to statistics, about 3% of the world's population dies from the bite of this insect.
It's no secret that people are much more difficult to tolerate a wasp sting than a bee sting. In addition, the bee dies after the introduction of the poison, and the wasps are able to sting several times and at the same time they themselves can attack a person, choosing the most vulnerable places for bites.
Wasp allergy: what are the reasons for its appearance?
During the bite, the wasp injects a certain amount of a special substance into the victim's body. It contains a number of aggressive components: we are talking about neurotoxins, acetylcholine, bradykinin, histamine, peptides, serotonin, hyaluronidase, phospholipases. Penetrating into the blood of a bitten person or animal, these substances cause severe painful sensations, surges in blood pressure, accelerated heartbeat, and in especially severe cases, suffocation.
If a stung person has an increased sensitivity to the bites of other insects, there is a high likelihood of developing an allergy to a wasp sting - a serious condition that is life-threatening.
Why bee venom is dangerous
The peculiarity of apitoxin is its individual effect on the body: for one person, a single sting of a bee is enough for the appearance of symptoms of intoxication, while the other calmly endures 8-12 stings. The therapeutic dose per course is 150 - 180 stings: 10 - 15 sessions of 8 - 12 stings.
People who work with bees for a long time believe that they develop immunity to bee venom. They endure many stings every day without discomfort.
For some people, bees are absolutely not scary.
Normal reaction to bee sting:
- severe pain and pale skin with a diameter of 2 to 3 mm;
- after a few minutes - painful redness and swelling no more than 2 cm in diameter.
All skin manifestations disappear after 1 - 2 days.
Bee Poisoning
The lethal dose of bee venom for humans is 500 single stings or 1.4 mg per kg of body weight. Bee venom poisoning in an adult can develop even from 10 stings. Bee venom is not recommended during pregnancy and children. In a large dosage, apitoxin has the following effect:
- thins the blood and promotes the development of bleeding;
- destroys red blood cells (erythrocytes), which leads to the development of hemolytic anemia; this has a heavy effect on the condition of the victim (hemoglobin of erythrocytes is the carrier of oxygen to the tissues);
- causes a sharp relaxation of the walls of blood vessels, a drop in blood pressure and collapse;
- has a toxic effect on neurons, causing neurological damage.
Bee venom poisoning is dangerous. The death of a person from a lethal dose of bee venom occurs due to respiratory arrest as a result of toxic effects on the respiratory center in the brain.
Allergic reactions to bee venom
Allergy to bee venom is common.Any component that is part of apitoxin can cause an allergic reaction. But most often it is caused by enzymes contained in apitoxin. The release of histamine by bees supports and intensifies allergies.
Wasp sting allergy: what to do to protect yourself from danger?
If you are allergic to wasps, you should avoid the places where these insects accumulate. The peak of wasp activity is observed during the hottest season - from the middle to the end of summer. It is in July and August that insects are most aggressive: during this period it is recommended to close windows with special protective nets, use less perfume and eau de toilette (especially with a floral scent), abandon colorful and bright clothes.
When wasps appear in the immediate vicinity, you cannot wave your hands, driving them away, as this will provoke an attack and attract other insects. It is also not recommended to leave sweet foods on the table - fruits, pastries and jams, as their smell attracts wasps.
Prophylaxis
The consequences of a bee sting can be the most unpredictable. To avoid the development of severe allergic reactions, you should take an antihistamine as soon as possible. People with acute intolerance to bee venom need to protect themselves as much as possible from insect aggression. To do this, it is recommended to avoid wearing brightly colored clothing when outdoors, do not use perfumery (the sweet aroma attracts insects), and eat with caution in the fresh air. When working in the garden, it is imperative to use gloves and wear the most closed clothing and a hat.
Wasp sting allergy: first aid
The severity of the atypical reaction depends on how quickly first aid is provided for a wasp sting.
First you need to remove the sting, since the intensity of the penetration of toxins into the bloodstream depends on this. It should be borne in mind that, unlike bees, whose stings have sawtooth notches, the wasp's sting is smoother, so it stays in the wound less often. If the sting is stuck in the skin, you need to carefully pull it out with tweezers. After that, treat the wound with hydrogen peroxide, iodine or any alcoholic tincture. To reduce itching and swelling, it is recommended that you cover the stung area with a clean bandage and put ice on top of it. It is important not to limit the amount of fluid you drink: the patient should drink as much as possible, as this helps to remove toxins from the body.
If a person has a tendency to atypical reactions of the immune system (especially to the bites of other insects), and also if he has been diagnosed with Quincke's edema or anaphylactic shock at least once in his life, an allergic person should always carry a set of medicines with him for emergency treatment. Depending on the nature of the manifestation and the severity of the symptoms of an allergy to a wasp sting, such a first-aid kit may include broad-spectrum antihistamines, vasoconstrictors, medicines to improve heart function, disposable syringes with adrenaline, local creams to eliminate puffiness and itching.
If there are signs of anaphylactic shock, you need to call an ambulance as soon as possible.
Conditions for the manifestation of an allergic response
A negative reaction of the body after an insect bite can occur in the presence of a number of provoking factors:
- With an extreme weakness of the body's immune defense due to diseases in severe form or due to the chronic nature of the course. Poisons can easily overcome the immune barrier.
- If a poison in an increased concentration has entered the body - more than 2 mg. This usually happens when several insects attack. A single bite is associated with the injection of about 0.3 mg of the substance.
- When the bites did not occur simultaneously, but with a short period of time.The intake of several doses of poison provokes an allergic reaction.
- Atopic dermatitis or leprosy affects the condition of the body, and therefore the nature and strength of the body's response to a bite can be unpredictable. The force of the reaction increases.
If these conditions are met in relation to the patient, then even an outwardly healthy person may experience allergies. Injection of venom by a bee can cause a local reaction in each person, however, with a non-standard reaction, the symptoms are more complex, and the rate of recovery slows down significantly.
Wasp sting allergy: symptoms
Any person stung, even if he does not have increased sensitization to wasp venom, feels severe discomfort at the time of the bite and after it. In normal cases, unpleasant symptoms disappear after 1-2 days. If an allergy is observed, a longer period of time (up to a week) may pass after a wasp sting - and the signs of an atypical reaction will still be quite pronounced.
Allergy to wasp stings is classified as an atypical reaction that has a third degree of severity. The first signs that allow diagnosing an allergy are observed within the first hour after the sting. It is believed that if the first symptoms of a wasp sting allergy are noticeable within two minutes after the sting, this is the most dangerous type of atypical reaction, which in half of the cases can be fatal.
Symptoms of wasp allergy include the following:
- swelling of the skin at the site of the bite;
- severe itching and burning;
- hyperemia of the skin around the stung area;
- Quincke's edema;
- accelerated heartbeat;
- dizziness and headache;
- shortness of breath, up to wheezing and choking;
- temperature increase;
- chills;
- loss of consciousness;
- jumps in blood pressure.
In some cases (if there have been a large number of bites or if the patient has a very high sensitivity to wasp venom), anaphylactic shock may develop.
Actions immediately after an insect attack
Actions after an insect bite
There are several options for first aid:
- The wound is washed under running water or warm water is used.
- Wipe the bite site with ammonia, medical, any herbal tincture based on alcohol.
- Apply a foam of laundry soap for a few minutes, rinse with cold water.
- Wipe with a vinegar solution - 1 tbsp into a glass of water. spoon of funds.
- Processed with a slice of lemon, plantain juice, dandelion, celandine.
- Apply a baking soda paste - dissolve with water, stir, leave on the body until it hardens.
On a note!
If it is not possible to use a medical antiseptic, they wash the wound, wipe the affected area with their own saliva.
Wasp sting allergy: treatment
The appointment of therapy should be dealt with by a specialist, therefore, it is advisable to deliver the victim to the hospital as soon as possible. Usually, the treatment of an allergy to a wasp sting consists in the use of antihistamines, decongestants, vasoconstrictor drugs, hormonal and non-hormonal local agents, as well as enterosorbents. In addition, your doctor may advise you to take a course of immunotherapy. The patient is given small doses of the allergen so that the body gradually gets used to it and ceases to perceive it as hostile.
How to treat pathology?
Traditional antiallergic treatment consists of taking medications, which include:
- antihistamines - aimed at relieving the symptoms of pathology, as well as maintaining the normal functioning of the immune system;
- to reduce the amount of toxins that have entered the body with the poison, calcium gluconate is injected intravenously;
- decongestants - necessary in case of severe edema of the tissues adjacent to the bite, as well as in case of damage to the larynx and face;
- for injection blockade of the affected area, novocaine (0.5%) is injected intramuscularly;
- in case of severe intoxication of the body, alkalinization of the blood is carried out.
In the future, symptomatic treatment is carried out, in which pain relievers are used (to eliminate headaches), Rehydron (with dehydration after vomiting), activated charcoal or Smecta (for diarrhea and to remove toxins).
For the speedy healing of wounds, you can apply compresses of medicinal herbs (string, chamomile, celandine).
Consumer reviews
Laragvred about La Cree cream for sensitive skin
“In the pharmacy, this cream was recommended to me by the pharmacist, for which I am very grateful to her. The cream is absorbed quite well, it contains herbal ingredients. It relieves irritation very well. Does not cause allergies. Has a pleasant herbal scent.
At one week of age, the baby developed skin irritation. I tried many remedies, they helped, but slowly. And after the application of La-Cree, the irritation passed in two days.
In addition, I used it myself to eliminate redness and flaking in the corners of the lips. After a week, the problems disappeared.
On the downside, a brownish color can be noted, which can leave stains on clothes and diapers, but these stains are easy to wash off. Well, it’s a little expensive. ”
Nurcheska on La-Cree Cleansing Gel
“The whole series of La Cree was presented to me after the birth of a child (since cosmetics are suitable not only for an adult, but also for a baby from the first days of life). After the first wash with ordinary baby bar soap, the baby developed dry and slightly reddish areas on the legs and arms, which the Baby Cream could not cope with. After washing with a cleansing gel (plus applying a moisturizer from the same series after an evening bath on dry skin), the situation changed in just two applications - redness and dryness disappeared!
But most of all I liked this gel when washing my daughter's hair - in three times the entire seborrheic crust peeled off from the crown and along the hairline (before that I tried to use baby shampoos, solid soap, applying cream 15 minutes before the bath and washing with a sponge - no effect there was no).
For adult skin, I think the cosmetics will be rather weak in action, but La-Cree position themselves more as cosmetics for babies - and it performs all its functions. "
Sources:
- Recken Martin, Schaller Martin, Sattler Elke, Burgdorf Walter, Atlas of Dermatology, MEDpress-inform, 2018
- Bonifazi Ernesto, Differential Diagnostics in Pediatric Dermatology, Panfilov Publishing House, Binom. Knowledge Lab, 2014
- Churolinov Petr, Phytotherapy in Dermatology and Cosmetics, Medicine and Physical Education, 1979
