Stings and contact with venom are inherent elements of beekeeping. Even if we apply the highest safety measures, stings cannot be completely eliminated. However, for healthy people this is not a problem. Some sources say that a healthy person can survive up to 500 stings. However, other sources indicate a much lower dose of venom, so you should certainly not check on your own skin how many stings can harm you. Especially since each person has an individual immunity threshold, what may be harmless to one organism may pose a health and life threat to another. Therefore, you should do everything to limit contact with venom to a minimum.
Its limited doses bring positive effects to human health – constant contact with a small amount of the toxin causes the body to become resistant to it, and in the case of many people, after some time, the symptoms accompanying the stings become significantly weaker. It has also been shown that controlled venom therapy brings measurable effects to our health. According to the literature, it works well in the treatment of, among others, rheumatic diseases, nervous system ailments, and cardiovascular diseases. However, such treatment must be carried out under the supervision of a doctor, and exposing yourself to the venom on your own is certainly irresponsible.
What happens in the body after a bee sting?
Bee venom is a toxin consisting of, among others, peptides (mainly mellitin, constituting 50% of the dry weight of the venom), enzymes (mainly phospholipase, constituting about 12% of the dry weight of the venom) and amines (histamine, dopamine). In addition, the venom contains certain amounts of minerals.
Injecting venom into the human body first causes a local reaction. It is associated with severe pain and burning at the time of the sting, followed by swelling, hyperemia and itching of the stung area. In a healthy person, the limited number of stings basically ends with the symptoms listed above.
The situation is worse in the case of numerous stings, and the worst in people allergic to Hymenoptera venom. Then, in addition to the local reaction, general symptoms appear. In mild cases, they are limited to weakness, drowsiness, headache and fever. Skin lesions may also appear in places distant from the stung area. However, in severe cases, life-threatening symptoms appear. This results in a drop in blood pressure, rapid pulse, shortness of breath and bruising. In a very severe allergic reaction, blood hemolysis (breakdown of red blood cells), convulsions and loss of consciousness occur. This is a directly life-threatening condition.
Much also depends on the location of the sting. Critical points are the neck, and especially the inside of the mouth – the tongue and throat. Then, even in a healthy person, the upper respiratory tract may swell, which in extreme cases may result in suffocation.
What to do if a bee stings us?
The first thing to do after being stung is to remove the stinger. Even after it is detached from the bee’s abdomen, it tends to make pulsating movements that pump the venom into the human body. Therefore, if we do not remove the sting, the dose of venom absorbed will be higher.
If the local reaction is mild, it is enough to disinfect the sting site, or local preparations that soothe the allergic reaction can be used. In the event of a more severe allergic reaction, seek medical help immediately.
It is a good idea to have people particularly vulnerable to stings (especially children) undergo a blood test for the presence of bee venom-specific antigen. Such an analysis costs about PLN 50, and it will also tell us whether we are in a risk group where a sting may result in serious consequences.
It is also good practice for every beekeeper to have a dose of adrenaline in the refrigerator. In the event of a severe allergic reaction, its administration may save the life of the stung person.
Source: B.Kędzie, E.Hołderna-Kędzia; Apitherapy. Treatment with honey and other bee products, SMB publishing house 2020
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