Do You Have a Bee Sting Allergy?

Yes, you do. Because everyone reacts to a bee sting in some way. But do you have a SEVERE bee sting allergy? Since less than 1% of people are severely allergic, the odds are very much against it.

Confused? Well, the topic of allergic reactions to bee stings can be confusing, and is often misunderstood, so let’s try to clarify it and eliminate the confusion.

Three Possible Reactions

It’s important to understand that EVERY TIME anyone is stung by a honey bee, they will react in one of three ways:

• Local Allergic Reaction: By far the most common reaction to bee stings. It may be as mild a reaction as to a mosquito bite, especially for a beekeeper who has built up somewhat of an immunity to stings. But it might also be fairly severe, involving swelling, itching, and redness that may last for days.

  A local reaction, no matter the severity, is not life threatening, and does not indicate that the victim has a severe bee sting allergy. Doesn’t mean that it won’t hurt, though!

• Systemic Allergic Reaction: Much more rare, a systemic reaction is indicated through symptoms such as hives, stomach cramps and diarrhea, shortness of breath, lightheadedness and palpitations.

  These symptoms do not necessarily indicate a life threatening bee sting reaction, but if you experience these symptoms, play it safe and get to a doctor.

• Anaphylactic Shock: This is the rarest and most severe allergic reaction to bee stings (or other insect stings or bites). Symptoms can include wheezing, constriction of the throat leading to difficulty swallowing and breathing, and loss of consciousness. The onset of symptoms can occur within seconds, and in extreme cases, death can result within five minutes.

  Anaphylactic shock generally requires being stung on at least two separate occasions. With the first sting a susceptible person receives, the body’s immune system becomes sensitized to the venom. When a subsequent sting occurs, the immune system can overreact, leading in severe cases to anaphylactic shock.

  Obviously, any indication that might be interpreted as anaphylactic shock should be considered an extreme medical emergency.

Immunotherapy

For persons with a severe bee sting allergy, immunotherapy may offer a reduction in the likelihood of experiencing an extreme reaction to a sting. Immunotherapy, also known as desensitization, involves a series of injections of diluted bee venom. The repeated but minimal exposure to the venom trains the immune system to respond to the venom in a more moderate fashion.

Though not a sure thing, immunotherapy treatments have been shown to reduce the likelihood of experiencing a severe reaction to a sting.

Have a Safety Net

Even if you have no reason to believe that you have a severe bee sting allergy, it’s still a good idea to be prepared for a worst case scenario. Like a trapeze artist working with a safety net, every beekeeper should be ready just in case something goes unexpectedly wrong.

Ask your doctor about purchasing an EpiPen. The odds are very much against you ever needing one. But the peace of mind of knowing that you are prepared in case you or someone else has a severe reaction will alone be worth the purchase price.

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