Want more iVillage? Sign up for our
Newsletters
Allergies to Insect Stings - Topic Overview
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS
What are allergies to insect stings?
When you are stung by an insect, poisons and other toxins enter your skin. It's normal to have some swelling, redness, pain, and itching around the sting. But you may have an allergic reaction if your immune system reacts strongly to allergens in the sting.
You probably won't have a severe allergic reaction the first time you are stung. But even if your first reaction to a sting is mild, allergic reactions can get worse with each sting. Your next reaction may be more severe or even deadly.
What causes an allergic reaction to insect stings?
An allergic reaction occurs when your immune system reacts strongly to the allergens in the sting.
A few types of stinging insects cause most allergic reactions. They are:
- Bees.
- Wasps.
- Hornets.
- Yellow jackets.
- Fire ants.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of an allergic reaction can range from mild to severe.
Mild reactions may cause:
- Redness, pain, and swelling around the sting.
- Itching around the sting or anywhere on your body.
Large, local reactions may cause the same symptoms as mild reactions, plus:
- Redness and swelling that affects an entire arm, leg, or large part of your body.
- Fever.
- Nausea.
- Fatigue.
Severe reactions may cause:
- Hives.
- Swelling of your tongue, throat, or other body parts.
- Anaphylaxis, which is a severe, life-threatening reaction that requires emergency treatment. It causes confusion, trouble breathing, and other symptoms.
How are allergies to insect stings diagnosed?
Your doctor may do a physical exam and ask you questions about your symptoms and past health. He or she also may want you to have allergy tests after you get better from the allergic reaction. Allergy tests, such as skin prick tests or blood tests, can help you find out which types of insect stings you are most allergic to.
How are they treated?
If you are stung
- For a severe reaction, such as confusion and trouble breathing:
- Call
if you don't have an allergy kit. - If you have your allergy kit, use the antihistamine medicine and epinephrine shot. Then go to the emergency room.
- Call
- For a large, local or mild reaction, you can usually treat it at home.
- Use an ice pack to reduce swelling. If you can, raise the body part where you were stung.
- Take a nonprescription pain reliever, such as aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol, for example), or ibuprofen (Advil, for example). Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than age 20 because of the risk of Reye syndrome.
- Take an antihistamine to help with the itching. Read and follow the warnings on the label. And don't give antihistamines to your child unless you've checked with the doctor first.
Other treatment
If you or your child has severe reactions, your doctor may prescribe epinephrine, such as an EpiPen, and antihistamine medicine that you keep in an allergy kit. Keep the kit with you or your child at all times. Teach others, such as teachers, friends, or coworkers, what to do if you're stung and how to give the shot. Also, be sure to wear a medical alert bracelet or other jewelry that lists your allergies. During an emergency, these can save your life.
You may also want to try allergy shots, called immunotherapy, to help prevent worse allergic reactions in the future.
Preventing stings
To reduce your chances of being stung:
- Stay away from places where insects nest.
- Wear shoes, long sleeves, and long pants when you are outdoors.
- Don't wear perfume or scented lotions.
If you are stung, stay as calm and quiet as you can. Then move away from the insect and leave the area, because the nest may be close by.
Remove the stinger from your skin. It may be best to scrape or flick the stinger off your skin—squeezing or gripping the stinger to pull it out may inject more venom into your wound. If you were stung in your arm or leg, lower it to slow the spread of venom. Then treat the insect sting based on the type of reaction you have.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: May 25, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Rohit K Katial, MD - Allergy and Immunology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
Welcome to Care Circle, an exclusive tool to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. Here's how it works:
- Create profiles for yourself and your loved ones.
- Select the topics and conditions that interest each of you.
- Get customized news updates, original content, tools, and expert advice for each Care Circle member delivered directly to your personalized homepage.
The information you input is strictly private; you choose who has access to your Care Circle.
How do I add myself or someone else to my care circle?
Click on "Add someone." Fill out the short profile. Choose an avatar. Select the topics and conditions that interest this person from the pulldown menu. You can select as many as you want, but you must choose at least one. Click on "Add Someone" again. You should start getting updates immediately.
How do I save content to my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab of the person for whom you're saving content. Put your cursor over the piece of content that you want to save; a disk icon will appear in the righthand corner. Click on the disk and the piece of content will be moved to a save folder.
How do I add additional topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Add More to Follow," select additional topics and conditions.
How do I delete topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Follows," scroll over the topic or condition you want to delete. An "X" should appear on the righthand side. Click on the "X" and the topic or condition will be deleted from the list.
To manage your Care Circle, Please
Sign In.
