Stinging Insects-Allergic Blues

It is a common perception that allergic reaction stems out of exposure to unhygienic environment and intake of allergic food. The fact remains that allergy is peculiar to individuals and not the cause. What is allergic for one individual may be completely harmless for the other. Insect allergy is one of the lesser known types affecting individuals.

Insect allergy is mainly caused by stinging insects like wasp, bee, and hornets that transmit venom once it bites the victim. The venom damages the skin tissue and releases excessive amount of histamine. This is followed by redness, itching and inflammation of the affected area. Patients are sensitized by this and it stimulates their immune system to generate a kind of antibodies that bind venom protein against stings. This incident gives rise to throat troubles, difficulty in breathing, fall in blood pressure and even death. In medical terms, this is known as anaphylaptic reaction. In such a crisis, one should adopt certain first aid treatment to avoid the situation from getting worse.

First and foremost, get rid of the stinger ASAP and the venom sac should be removed from the skin immediately with some sharp object. Rub the area with ice and apply some Benadryl. This would help relief you of pain and itching. If the patient exhibit symptoms of anaphylaptic reaction, medical help should be called upon. If possible, an auto-injectable Epiphrine injection should be applied. Patients prone to sensitization are treated venom immunotherapy where they are desensitized against venom. However, this should be done only after being prescribed by an expert Allergist under strict vigilance.