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ABC Medical Center > Bee stings

What is Bee stings?

21:55 - 4 May , 2021

Disease

None of us is exempt from suffering a bee sting when we are on a picnic, walking down the street, or simply when we walk in our garden.

Although it is something common that does not represent major health problems for most people and does not require specialized treatment, in some cases, a severe allergic reaction can occur if you are susceptible to bee venom, or if you get multiple stings at the same time, you will need emergency medical attention.

Signs and symptoms Bee stings

With bee stings, there is a cumulative toxicity phenomenon, that is, if you are stung by a bee you may present very mild symptoms, but the next time, the symptoms will be a little more intense, and so on.

In any case, even if it is your first sting, the reaction can be mild, regular, or severe, with the following symptoms manifesting in each of them:

Mild: the symptoms disappear in a few hours.

  • Intense pain at the time of the sting that turns into discomfort.
  • Reddish coloration around the sting.
  • Mild swelling in the affected area.

Regular: takes between three and seven days to disappear.

  • Intense pain.
  • Intense burning and redness.
  • Swelling for one or two days.

Serious: it is potentially fatal since it can cause an anaphylactic shock that must be treated urgently.

  • Itching, extreme redness, rash, and burning.
  • Breathing problems.
  • Swollen tongue and throat.
  • Pulse acceleration.
  • Nausea.
  • Vomit.
  • Diarrhea.
  • Dizziness.
  • Fainting.

If you have a severe reaction, you’ll need immunotherapy treatment to minimize the effect of bee venom on a future sting.

If you receive more than 10 stings simultaneously, the cumulative effect of the toxin will cause severe symptoms such as:

  • Headache.
  • Vertigo.
  • Seizures.
  • High fever.
  • Nausea.
  • Vomit.
  • Diarrhea.
  • Loss of consciousness.

Diagnosis and treatment Bee stings

To detect your allergic predisposition to bee venom, your doctor will perform a skin test in which you will be injected with a tiny amount of this toxin to observe your skin reaction.

They will also request a blood test to measure the antibodies created by your body to counteract the toxin.

The emergency treatment you will receive if you have a severe allergic reaction can range from cardiopulmonary resuscitation, epinephrine shots, intravenous antihistamines, cortisone, and beta-agonists.

At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.

Related centers and departments

Internal medicine
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

  • topdoctors.es
  • cun.es
  • medlineplus.gov
  • mayoclinic.org
  • msdmanuals.com
  • medigraphic.com
  • Izaguirre González AI, Martínez-Zepeda ER, Rivas-Godoy AF, et al. Falla multiorgánica secundaria a múltiples picaduras de abeja (Apis mellifera). Reporte de caso. Rev Fac Med UNAM . 2018;61(3):31-37.
  • Bocourt-Esmeiro FM, López-González B, Álvarez-Castelló M, et al. Caracterización de pacientes alérgicos a picadura de abeja que reciben inmunoterapia. VacciMonitor. 2020;29(3):129-135.
  • De Roodt AR, Salomón OD, Orduna TA, et al. Envenenamiento por picaduras de abeja. Gac Med Mex. 2005;141(3):215-222.
  • Medina FCA, Guzmán NE, Hamiduzzaman M, et al. Africanización de colonias de abejas melíferas (Apis mellifera) en tres regiones climáticas del norte de México. Vet Mex. 2015;2(4):6-9.

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					The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.