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Bees are gregarious, highly organized animals and often attack people when they feel threatened. The stinger of bees contains venom that can be dangerous to people who are stung by bees. Depending on the case, the severity of the reactions when being stung by bees to consider whether or not to use antidote for bee stings.
1. Clinical symptoms of bee stings
Bee is a poisonous animal that affects human health. Bee toxins cause neurotoxicity, rhabdomyolysis, cell necrosis, and inflammatory reactions and strong allergic reactions.
Bee toxins are stored in the abdomen and released through the stinger into the tissues when the body comes into contact with the stinger. After stinging, the stinger will be severed and retained in human tissue and cause clinical symptoms.
When being stung by a bee, the symptoms of each person will be different, the severity depends on the type of bee, the number of stings, the response location as well as the patient's condition. And in the same patient, the response that occurs between different stings will also be different.
Mild reaction to bee stings:
Mild inflammatory reaction at the sting site, with signs of swelling, heat, redness, pain. Cold compresses may help ease the pain. In mild cases, most symptoms will subside on their own and disappear within a few hours without the need for medication. Moderate reaction:
The sting is swollen and red, spreading to the surrounding area. Pain is severe, angioedema appears quickly. Blood pressure remains stable, possibly arrhythmia. Symptoms usually increase gradually in the first one to two days after being stung and can last for several days (usually it takes about 5-10 days depending on the location of each person). Anaphylaxis is one of the severe symptoms of a bee sting, often seen in patients who are allergic to bees or bee toxins. Anaphylaxis, if not treated promptly, can be life-threatening. Symptoms of anaphylaxis in people with bee stings include:
Common skin reactions such as itching, redness with rash, may be pale. Shortness of breath, rapid pulse, low blood pressure, dizziness. Nausea, vomiting, digestive disorders, diarrhea. Fainting, loss of consciousness, or confusion. According to actual research and clinical statistics, for patients with a severe first sting, the risk of anaphylaxis in the second sting is up to about 25-65%.
When being stung by many bees at the same time, the amount of venom put into the body too much will lead to bee venom poisoning causing serious reactions that occur immediately:
Headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting , diarrhea. Fever, feeling dizzy, convulsions, even fainting. Too many bee stings at once can lead to acute kidney failure. Some studies have shown that 50 stings can cause respiratory failure or intravascular hemolysis. From 100 or more stings, the patient has a high risk of death. In children or the elderly, symptoms progress quickly, can cause breathing difficulties, respiratory failure or serious problems related to the heart, need to be treated promptly so as not to be life-threatening.
2. Antidote when stung by bees and notes when using
Bee venom poisoning damages internal organs, if not detoxified in time can cause multi-organ failure.
How to deal with bee stings:
The first thing to do when being stung by a bee is to quickly move out of the bee-free area to avoid further stings. Remove bee stings containing venom. Immediately after being stung, the stinger will be broken and left in the skin tissue. Use fingernails or tweezers or other tools to gently pull out the stinger, this early will help relieve symptoms. Be careful not to squeeze when withdrawing because it will cause more toxins to be secreted into the tissue. Wash the burned area with soap, disinfect with a medical antiseptic solution if available. Applying cold at the sting for about 20 minutes helps reduce pain, reduce swelling, and at the same time raise the burning position (if it is burned in the limbs) higher than the heart. If the patient feels itching at the sting site, an antihistamine can be applied to the sting. Take the patient to the nearest medical facility if the patient has severe reactions as described above for further treatment support. Talking about the antidote for bee stings, there are a few studies on bee venom that have shown that bee venom contains many neurotoxins:
Melittin toxin: a substance that causes hemolysis, causing a painful reaction when being stung by bees, and at the same time destroys cell membranes leading to the risk of cell necrosis. The enzyme phospholipase A2 has the ability to dissolve red blood cells. The peptides in the bee toxin cause the granules of basophils to degrade, stimulating the release of histamine, which causes an allergic reaction. The enzyme hyaluronidase present in bee venom breaks down hyaluronic acid molecules in connective tissue, creating favorable conditions for toxins to spread faster. Apamine is an active substance that has a strong toxic effect on the nervous system, acts strongly on the spinal cord, increases stimulation causing muscle spasms. In addition, bee venom also contains other inflammatory and painful substances such as catecholamines, kinins, serotonin... Currently, there is no specific antidote for bee stings, mainly treating symptoms:
Sugar antihistamines orally or intravenously. Epinephrine is used by inhalation, intramuscularly in the treatment of laryngeal edema. Beta 2 agonist drugs. In addition to the above drugs, there are some simple tips that can be used to reduce the toxicity of bee venom such as applying it to the sting with toothpaste, honey, crushed garlic, baking soda... However, these tips are only suitable for someone who has a mild reaction to a bee sting.
Note when using drugs to reduce the toxicity of bee venom:
Use drugs according to symptoms, should not be used indiscriminately, not only ineffective but also make the poisoning worse. Using folk remedies or tricks can only temporarily stabilize symptoms, not to treat the venom. Therefore, if the patient has a mild reaction to a bee sting, it can be monitored at home. If the patient has a severe or severe reaction, after giving first aid, the patient should be taken to a medical facility immediately for treatment as soon as possible. Being stung by a bee is an accident that happens frequently in everyday life. Mild can be self-healing, severe affects health, there is a risk of death if the progression worsens. Therefore, when being stung by a bee, do not underestimate it, contact your doctor or medical professional for timely advice and support.
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