Sting sensitivity

[Dave Burrup]

I have been very lucky and bee stings have not had any reaction for me. No welt or even redness. An hour after the sting there is not even any pain. I got stung twice this week and three days later the stings are mildly swollen and hard. They itch like crazy. My wife is worried that I am becoming sensitve to the stings and will have to give up bees. How often does sensitivity develop to the point that we would have to give up on the bees?

[sqkcrk]

I'm not sure. But you and your wife need to get stung more.

[Eaglerock]

I use to get that from time to time. Just depends on how much poison really gets pumped into you I think. Iching is a good sign- healing. Throw some mud on it.

[MichelinMan]

From what I have read and learned by talking to my doctor is you don`t have to worry as long as you are not allergic. You can suspect allergy to venom if you develop symptoms away from the sting site. Pain, itch, redness, swollen at the sting site are all normal. It doesn`t mean you`re allergic. Generalized swelling (not at the sting site), hives, difficulty breathing are signs of allergy. This is rare from what I have heard. It calls for epipen and a trip to the doctors.

[Mathispollenators]

Most people aren't alergic to stings. If you had a serious reaction problem most likely it would be soon after the stings. However it would be best you having bees to have something on hand for company that may be. What you are telling are normal reactions. Word of warning all stings aren't the same. For lack of other words for it it depends on how pissed off the bee is at the time. Like sometimes you'll get a light hit and others will be like a Mike Tyson from left feild or somewhere. Also it depends on where you get it some areas are more sensitive than others. After some time you won't get more than a mosquito bite but it will still hurt when they hit like it first did. Don't let anyone fool you there you do get imune but not to the pain. I didn't get this information from a doctor it took several years worth of stings to find it out.

[cow pollinater]

My allergist informed me that reaction to the sting and allergic reaction are two completely different things. Sometimes my hands still swell when I get stung on the fingers, but not always. I sting my shoulder a couple times a month for pain relief and have no reaction beyond the initial pain from the sting. A true allergy consists of symtoms away from the sting site.
That being said, there is always the risk of developing an allergy but there really isn't any way to see it coming.

[Ravenseye]

Every sting is different, every sting area is different, every bee is different. I've been stung up to eight times on the arm within a few minutes and just had a little redness and the standard itching the next day and I've been stung once, below the eye, that caused me to break out in a rash from the waist up. If you're worried about an allergic reaction that is systemic....occurring some distance from the sting site....then ask a doctor. DON'T automatically assume that my experiences will be the same as yours. I worried that I was becoming more sensitive based on that one sting. Today, I would say that I was LESS sensitive. But, if I got stung again in the same place where I was stung when I had the reaction, who knows. I'm not working hard to find out!!!

[mac]

There was some information here a while back about the use of Ibuprofen and allergic reactions to stings. I guess there is some scientific research on the subject. It might be prudent to check it out if you use it.

[knadai]

Almost all of us are "allergic" to honebee stings. The difference is in degree of reaction, whether the reaction is local or systemic, and if the reaction is life threatening.

I had an unusually severe local reaction (for me) to a sting this year and did a lot of research. Not only is each sting different, so is the "mood" of your immune system. I had just come off a wicked virus when I was stung. My hand looked like a bright red balloon animal, and I though the skin on the back of my had was going to split.

I read a recent paper that showed evidence that we all are capable of a severe systemic reaction at any time and that many (not all) people labeled as "allergic" really aren't; they just got hit on their lucky day. The Dr. also presented evidence that many (not all) allergic reactions were actually panic attacks.

One paper, one doctor's research and opinion.

[Eyeshooter]

I just now returned from an appointment with an allergist. I have had escalating reactions to honey bee stings this year (my 1st as a beek) and mentioned it to my doc. Presto! Two epi-pens and an allergist. I've gone from no reaction to stings to swelling of the area for 3 -4 days and the usual itching. The allergist didn't even bother with a skin test. He agreed my reaction was localized as it did not cross a major joint, suggested I wear gloves and also mentioned that this does not mean I will not become allergic later – just that I haven't yet. Two more hives next year!

John

[Fuzzy]

Eyeshooter,

Your reactions mimic mine until April this year. Then a systemic reaction. Thankfully I got 2 spoonsfull of Benadryl in 5 min before it started. Now I'm on allergy shots working up the ladder. Am up to 1/20th of a full sting. It begins itching in less than a minute and keeps itching for 36-48 hrs.

Keep liquid benadryl with you when working the hives and do not wait to take it once stung.

Fuzzy