When to seek further medical advice after a stingĪll people who develop a systemic reaction to a sting (symptoms remote from the site of the sting) should attend their GP’s surgery and request referral to an NHS allergy clinic for further assessment and advice – such reactions in the future could be life-threatening. Reactions may occur in a few minutes, with most severe life threatening reactions occurring within 30 minutes. This is why it is so important to know the symptoms and to call 999 immediately and say anaphylaxis and, if available, give adrenaline immediately when the diagnosis is suspected. a drop in blood pressure resulting in faintness, dizziness collapse and loss of consciousness (anaphylactic shock).Severe breathing difficulty (shortness of breath) due to swelling of the tongue and throat resulting in difficulty swallowing, hoarse voice, stridor (noisy breathing in) and /or wheezing and bronchospasm and / or.A feeling of being suddenly very ill (people sometimes report this as a ‘sense of impending doom’). There can be itching around the eyes, a warm feeling or coughing, hives breaking out, followed by vomiting and swelling. There may be stomach cramps and diarrhoea. Person may feel dizzy (light headed), nauseated and weak. Severe allergic reaction: Can commence rapidly (within minutes) after the sting occurs. Sting site is more painful, swelling and itching may be present both at the sting site and in surrounding areas. Sting site is painful, reddened, may swell and itch. Remember that if you are stung on the hand and your face begins to swell or hives break out all over your body, this is a systemic reaction and it can result in a serious reaction that requires immediate emergency medical attention. Check for a medic alert bracelet that may confirm the allergy. If the person carries adrenaline this should be administered immediately and without delay. Call 999 immediately and tell them the person has been stung and having anaphylaxis (pronounced ana-fil-axis). If the reaction progresses quickly from the sting site or is followed by difficult breathing or choking, fainting or collapse the person is experiencing a “systemic” allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) requiring emergency medical treatment. However, if you get stung on the face or neck and the swelling goes to the tongue, throat or airways then you need to seek emergency medical help as your airway may become blocked. If the swelling becomes large (10cm or more) or if it extends up or down an arm or leg then visit your GP/ nurse practitioner or walk-in medical centre as they may prescribe medication to help the swelling go down. Smaller swellings will often go down without medical treatment after a few days. The reaction that most people experience after a wasp or bee sting is pain, discomfort and redness around the sting site, with swelling that may increase over a few hours. People who are allergic to wasp stings may very rarely also be allergic to bee stings.( 1) Each year there are approximately ten reported deaths from wasp or bee sting reactions, but it is likely that many more deaths may be occurring, mistakenly diagnosed as heart attacks, stroke or attributed to other causes. Most people, unless they have a specific occupational risk, are rarely stung by wasps, perhaps once every 15-20 years. You may not have an allergic reaction the first time you are stung but there is a small risk that subsequent stings could lead to a serious allergic reaction. However, there are some people who may develop life threatening allergic reactions, called ‘ anaphylaxis’, where breathing and circulation are affected, so it is important to be able to recognise the symptoms and know what to do when this happens. Most people are not allergic to these stings. There are also many species of wasps and wasp stings are far more common. There are many species of bees in the UK of which only the honeybee commonly stings (and it is usually bee keepers, their family or neighbours who get stung). Wasps and bees fly around our countryside, cities and occasionally indoors usually from spring to autumn.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |