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simianboy
Mar 16, 2004, 6:17 AM
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Probably a dumb question, but definitely not a troll.
Sorry to hear about Jeff and Keith.
Being the gumby that I am, I had always assumed that I wasn't allergic to bee stings until the recent posts started me thinking, and it suddenly occured to me that I don't actually know if I am allergic or not. How do I tell?
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flying_dutchman
Mar 16, 2004, 6:25 AM
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go kick a bee hive
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reprieve
Mar 16, 2004, 6:38 AM
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Well, I believe everybody is to some extent. That's why skin swells, etc. But some people are REALLY allergic to them...and if you've never been stung before (which is weird, because bee stings were a regular part of my childhood summers), then there's really no way to tell.
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curt
Mar 16, 2004, 6:42 AM
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If you get stung by a bee and you die as a result--you were allergic to bee stings. I hope this helps.
Curt
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tc
Mar 16, 2004, 6:59 AM
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The typical mild reactions would includes symptoms such as skin flushing, itchy skin, and headaches whilst more severe reactions would include difficulty in swallowing, chest wheezing, nausea, abdominal cramps, palpitations, faintness and lack of blood pressure.
For the very sensitive victim, severe symptoms can present themselves in minutes and without treatment life can be seriously threatened. It is very important to note that once a person has had an allergic reaction to an insect sting (they have become sensitized) then they will probably suffer increasingly difficult symptoms on each subsequent sting.
Hope this helps about one in a thousand are alergic to bee stings...but lucky enought only the females sting or maybe not. :)
T
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overlord
Mar 16, 2004, 7:36 AM
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thats easy. if you a stung and you die, youre probably alergic.
anyway, your md can put you to some tests. if you think that youre alergic, i think it would be a good idea to do them.
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andyw
Mar 16, 2004, 9:49 AM
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TC i beg to differ, this ussualy only happens to people who are stung by more than one bee, more like a hive of them and you do this. And if you do this just by geting stung once you really shouldnt be out doors.
I myself am allergic to bee stings but dont have any of the symptoms you are reffering to. I usualy get stung once every summer, unfortunatly, and where ever i was stung i would puff up. This swelling itchness are quite obviourse as they are totaly outa proportion. the sting would stay puffed up for about 2 weeks and die away slowly. So you know if you are prone to bee stings if you puff up.
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azeini
Mar 16, 2004, 9:58 AM
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I used to be fine, just the "normal" reactions. But then I got stung more and more and my body developed an allergy. The symptoms were huge swellings and high fever.
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far_east_climber
Mar 16, 2004, 11:07 AM
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I have wondered the same aswell... but when you get down to it, you have to find out the hard way. No point worrying yourself if you are as there are more important things to worry about i.e. the local serial rapist at the crag, savage monkeys and little kids pelting stones on your head from above whilst climbing. You could go and get yourself stung... just don't bother them and they wont bother you.
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drrock
Mar 16, 2004, 11:45 AM
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Call an allergist (subspecialty of Internal Medicine). People that are immediately allergic to penicillin (another life threatening one) can be tested with skin patches, and if positive, can be desensitized to the allergy. I have no idea if the same is true for bees/wasps. But it would be worth an ask. Also if you suspect this to be true, you should ask your doctor for an epinepherine "pen", which is a single-shot dose of epinepherine that might prevent you from dying if you were stung. You just jab it into your thigh or somewhere when you feel an allergic reaction coming on.
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brittamac
Mar 16, 2004, 12:33 PM
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In reply to: TC i beg to differ, this ussualy only happens to people who are stung by more than one bee, more like a hive of them and you do this. And if you do this just by geting stung once you really shouldnt be out doors. I myself am allergic to bee stings but dont have any of the symptoms you are reffering to. I usualy get stung once every summer, unfortunatly, and where ever i was stung i would puff up. This swelling itchness are quite obviourse as they are totaly outa proportion. the sting would stay puffed up for about 2 weeks and die away slowly. So you know if you are prone to bee stings if you puff up.
Believe me, you don't need a hive of bees to land you in the hospital - bee allergies can present themselves in a number of fashions, and yes, you can land in the hospital in a critical state with the sting of one bee. However, allergies can be to certain types of bees and not to others. I am severely allergic to yellowjackets, and one sting will land me in the ER in short order, I carry an EPI-pen to inject myself if I do get stung (to buy more time to get to the ER). Surprisingly, I am not allergic to wasps, hornets, and any other myriad of bees, just yellowjackets. I was stung by a honey bee in 29 Palms last year and nothing happened.
Bee allergies also tend to me cumulative, meaning the reaction will continue to worsen each time you are stung, so its important to keep an eye out if you think you are allergic. If you are losing a lot of sleep over this, get an allergist to test you for bees and wasps - about 20 types of venom (in small quantities!) are injected under your skin and they monitor you for reaction. If you are positive to any, you can choose to get allergy shots to build up your immunity, and get an EPI-pen to put in your pack.
Take a potential allergy to bees seriously, a severe reaction can be extremely frightening, and depending on whether you can get medical care quickly, can be fatal.
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cliffchick
Mar 16, 2004, 1:12 PM
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Because an allergy like that tends to get worse each time you're stung, if you've never been stung you probably won't react too badly... at least not to the point where you need to get to a hospital. I found out that I'm allergic to wasps last summer...the hard way. I haven't been stung since I was a little kid so I didn't react too badly but I now have to carry an epi-pen. My throat started to close up and I couldn't breathe that well. My temperature shot through the roof and I got quite dizzy. I was pretty sick for several hours. I didn't go to a hospital because I was in the middle of no where, but in hindsight I probably should have gotten back to the city. anyways, apparently next time I'm stung I will probably have a reaction that is much worse...so if you've never been stung, you might react but probably not bad enough that you will die...unless you get stung by a whole swarm of bees.
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imnotclever
Mar 16, 2004, 2:00 PM
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I'm allergic to Honey Bees and as far as I know that is it. I have been bitten by wasps and they do nothing to me. My dad is a bee keeper.
Apparently when I was three I stepped on a bee and had my first reaction. From then until I was 20 I got stung many times a year. Usually reacting only from the first sting of the season, after going the winter with out getting stung. After that first reaction of the year my body would produce enough anti-bodies to ward off subsequent reactions. So getting stung more often meant more resistance to reactions.
For a couple of years my mom would drive me to Mayo Clinic every week or month, I can't remember which. She'd bring along some bees and the doctor would take one out and place it on my arm and flick its head until it stung me. Then they would watch my reaction. I'd get a treat at the end. Even with the treat it was not fun.
My reactions can come from a single sting, but don't seem to increase in severity with multiple stings. They cause complete body itching, hives, general body swelling including my eyes, and very reduced breathing. The muscles in my back constrict and it feels like somebody has placed a bar from one shoulder blade to the other. The reactions usually clear up within 12-18 hours.
As soon as I am stung I can feel the start of the reaction, if I'm going to have one. I just carry benedryl, mostly because I know the time duration of my reactions, I'm pretty familiar with them, but it has been 10 years. If I ever do multi pitch, I think I'll get an epi-pen.
I feel bad for Jeff and Keith. I don't know what I'd do.
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far_east_climber
Mar 16, 2004, 2:12 PM
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I think we're all mis-interpreting the meaning of an allergic reaction... I think what's being asked here is if he will go into anaphylactic shock if he's stung by a bee. Technically you can't say someone is allergic to bee stings because a sting is intended to cause a reaction and irritation everyone and everything.... if you get fibreglass dust on your skin... it puffs up and goes red... was that an allergic reaction? no... just an irritation. Make sense? or no?
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j_ung
Mar 16, 2004, 2:27 PM
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In reply to: Because an allergy like that tends to get worse each time you're stung, if you've never been stung you probably won't react too badly... at least not to the point where you need to get to a hospital.
An old EMT instructor of mine once told me that an alergic reaction is learned response, but some people are fast learners. It is possible to die with your very first sting. It's happened before, though thankfully never to the same person more than once ( :lol: I slay me!).
Also, local reactions (swelling around the sting site or other parts of the extremity) are completely unrelated to systemic reactions (hives, anaphylactic shock). If you swell badly from bee stings, you may never develop a tendency for systemic reactions. If, however, you were stung on the throat... :(
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narb
Mar 16, 2004, 2:42 PM
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A normal reaction would be localized to the sting. If you're allergic you could get hives all over or even go into anaphylactic shock. The problem is your body's reaction to stings can change. It's unpredictable. So it might be worse next time around or it might not be as severe next time around. Go get yourself some skin patch tests. They can test for many types of bees, wasps, hornets, etc. I did that (because I got stung by a hornet and was covered with hives within minutes) and now I get an cocktail of bee/wasp/hornet venom once a month to hopefully desensitize myself. I still have to carry epi-pens though. If they expire, try 'em out by jamming them into an orange or something.
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simianboy
Mar 17, 2004, 12:32 AM
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In reply to: I still have to carry epi-pens though. If they expire, try 'em out by jamming them into an orange or something.
Huh? I don't get it.
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xanx
Mar 17, 2004, 1:26 AM
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finally someone mentioned anaphylactic shock... very serious stuff. u can go into anaphylactic shock after just one sting... happens all the time w/ fire ants in Florida and Texas. Anapylactic shock is potentially life threatening and can easily kill within the hour. It has a bunch of symptoms but (headaches i think, maybe fever, sweating, ect...) but the most marked one is difficulty breathing - the throat swells up. i think most people probably die of asphyxiation. people with such a severe allergy carry EPI-sticks which administer a premeasured dose of epinephrine, similar to adreneline and a powerful antihistamine. i'm not sure but i think an allergy causes your body to produce far too much histamine which is a vasoconstrictor? just speculation that last bit.
u can get tested for most any allergy though. i doubt treatment (e.g. attempts to develope resistence) are always effective though; those w/ severe allergies will probably always have to carry and EPI-stick. and yes, i think the reaction frequently does get worse and worse w/ each sting.
one too many discovery show specials...
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narb
Mar 17, 2004, 2:04 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: I still have to carry epi-pens though. If they expire, try 'em out by jamming them into an orange or something. Huh? I don't get it.
The epipens have an expiration date. So when it expires jam one in an orange so you can at least get an idea what it feels like to use it (short of jamming it in your own leg). Or ask your doctor if you can practice on your own leg. Sometimes they'll fill them with saline so you can practice and know what to expect if you get stung.
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thegogirl
Mar 28, 2004, 3:49 AM
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folks who develope an allergic reaction will know; after 1, 2 or 3 bee stings, wasp or other , etc. (does not need to be at the same time, can be cummulative) the reactions on your skin around the effected area will become more severe and more encompassed each time. (more redness, more swelling over a larger area) The potential for a severel life threatening reaction (difficulty breathing, etc) also becomes more possible. An epi pen contains epinephrine. If you think you may have had an allergic reaction: see a doctor, get referred to an allergist; next trip have the doc write a script for an "epi pen". Take it with you so you can give yourself a shot right away to save you time until you get to the nearest hospital. Also look for things that attract those flying rat bastards: shiny metals attract wasps, ( the aluminum trim as eg. on your roof-you'll see wasps at their own club med under there) yellow, and other bright colors. Rule of thumb: if you dress like a flower (blue, yellow, floral patterns) you will to an insect look like a flower!
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brianthew
Mar 28, 2004, 3:59 AM
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Basically what other people said...
Either have an allergist test you, or get stung. Swelling around the sting site isn't really what you're looking for; a reaction is characterized by hives, swelling of the thoat (and thus difficulty breathing), etc. Whole body, not just locallized.
In reply to: Bee allergies also tend to me cumulative, meaning the reaction will continue to worsen each time you are stung
This is presisely my case. Each time I get stung, my reaction gets worse and worse; the last time I got stung I got to take a fun ride to the hospital. Back in the day, I would just flick out the stinger and continue on with my day. I now carry an Epi-pen.
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coldclimb
Mar 28, 2004, 6:07 AM
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It's easy for me to tell. I've been stung a few times. ;) Nothing any worse than an annoying mosquito bite for me.
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safetyman
Mar 28, 2004, 10:14 PM
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:shock: The fact is there is a way to tell if you are allergic to bee stings or have other allergies, but that requires testing at a physicians office. Many people who develop allergies to certain things have this process done. This is to help them out with medications they may be able to take as well. The fact is most people just get a red spot and a little swelling from a bee sting. While others, who most the time have other allergies to insect bites will suffer a antiflaxic reaction. If you are allergic to bee sting, most the time you may be able to be perscribed a derivity of effrinephrine to counter the symptoms of shock or antiflaxsis.
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brutusofwyde
Mar 30, 2004, 2:14 AM
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Some symptoms of impending anaphylaxis or developing anaphylactic shock (which is more acute and severe) may include:
systemic itching
rash
tingling sensation around mouth
tightness of chest
intense coughing or sneezing
tachycardia
sudden onset of difficult breathing
anxiety
swelling in the face
pale or blue skin
falling blood pressure
dizziness
tunnel vision
loss of consciousness
death
First aid can include intramuscular injection of vasopressor agents such as epinepherine and (if victim is conscious) oral administration of more long acting antihistamines such as Diphenhydramine HCl. Anaphylactic shock should be treated as a severe and life-threatening emergency.
Brutus
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maculated
Mar 30, 2004, 6:29 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: I still have to carry epi-pens though. If they expire, try 'em out by jamming them into an orange or something. Huh? I don't get it.
Bad beta. The pen doesn't stop working, the half-life of the epinephrine is expired.
You'll know if you need an epi-pen. And here's the beta on those, as doctors don't ever tell you when you get one:
If you have a major reaction, it's time for the epipen. Not before. You can certainly use it if you think you need it, but unless you're dying, it's pointless. The correct course of treat ment is bendadryl, then epipen. The epipen only works for 15 minutes or so, so in theory you should carry two, which would give the benadryl time to start working (20-30 minutes), but they only make you a prescription for one. Silly, if you ask me.
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