Table of contents
- effect of wasp venom
- No allergy after the first bite
- Wasp sting treatment
- Wasp allergy – when can and should immunization take place?
- Emergency kit for wasp allergies
The fear of dying from a wasp allergy seems to be omnipresent in Germany. By far the largest number of wasp stings is a harmless impairment, despite the short, severe pain, only if a Wasp sting causes unusually severe reactions, it is checked for each individual case whether the reaction is caused by an allergic reaction is.
effect of wasp venom
Everyone shows a local reaction to the poison cocktail with which a supposedly threatened wasp defends itself. First of all, wasp venom acts directly on the bite site, where it irritates and damages the tissue. Redness and inflammation can occur here, itchy wheals and swelling can occur, and there may also be blisters and a feeling of heat at the sting site. These acute symptoms appear very quickly and have almost always exceeded their maximum after a few hours. If you get poked in one joint, the swelling can limit mobility. Rapid medical treatment is recommended for a sting in the throat or larynx, where the swelling can lead to acute shortness of breath. Permanent damage due to the death of affected cells is possible, but rare, the sting is then usually inflamed by other influences. It is possible for the wasp to bring bacteria when it visits your cake, but it is rather unlikely if it stings: the bacteria are usually killed by the wasp venom. These local symptoms subside after a few days at the latest. If the injection site becomes red and swollen and stays that way for a long time, it is usually a local allergic reaction (in However, the German Society for Allergology and Clinical Immunology does not yet have a specific immunotherapy recommends).
The insecticide also contains some substances that affect the whole human system. In particular, the respiratory and circulatory systems can show reactions, and the insect venom also releases pro-inflammatory substances from the stores of the body's mast cells. These substances can cause symptoms similar to allergic reactions (such as swelling or circulatory problems) but are caused by the venom. These symptoms rarely affect healthy, strong people. If there were serious reactions here, the victims were usually stung several times, and there was a particular individual willingness to react to a general physical weakness. Patients suffering from the rare mastocytosis are particularly at risk.
No allergy after the first bite
The allergic reaction that so many people fear only occurs in about four percent of those who are bitten. However, not if it is your first wasp sting - this sting only increases awareness set in motion, the premise is that some people develop an allergy at the next sting developed. Since only about every second German has ever been stung by a wasp in his life, this fact may put the fears into perspective.
However, if you have ever been stung by a wasp, caution is advised, especially if the local reaction to the first sting was severe. The next sting does not have to have any bad effects either, this is where it develops Insect venom allergy first and then becomes progressively worse with repeated stings from the same species of insect worse.
Wasp sting treatment
If you only react very lightly, you can simply cool the sting and wait. The treatment of the somewhat more violent wasp sting consists initially in the treatment of the local reaction, which is usually the case cooling compresses with elevation of the affected extremity prescribed, sometimes also antiphlogistic cream or a cortisone ointment. Antihistamines, antiphlogistics or decongestants are prescribed for further treatment of the swelling. If the patient shows physical (non-allergic) reactions beyond the puncture site, the doctor decides depending on the extent of these toxic reactions Reaction via cortisone administration, possibly administering antihistamine directly and prescribing antihistamine tablets and a decongestant for later Medication. In the case of cardiovascular problems, patients can also be placed under inpatient observation.
Only in the case of very serious consequences of the wasp sting will the doctor put the patient in a shock position and provide venous access put, through which he can administer funds that are required in the event of a circulatory failure, the patient may get Oxygen. Such a severely affected patient remains under observation for at least 24 hours.
If there is a suspicion of an allergy, a precise medical history is taken, which includes numerous questions. The doctor must determine which insect caused the symptoms, whether there are multiple bites and whether one A stinger is found in the skin (that would be an indication of a bee sting) before showing the symptoms thoroughly picks up. Every detail, including the timing, is recorded and the patient is sent to the allergist with this finding.
Wasp allergy – when can and should immunization take place?
Only when the allergist determines through tests that an allergic reaction is actually present, hyposensitization occurs, which frees the patient from unpleasant reactions in the future can. Depending on the patient and the circumstances, several vaccination schemes are available for this hyposensitization. These vaccination schemes differ in duration and dose: The slow vaccination scheme works with careful increases in the dose over a longer period of time, with the shortened vaccination scheme the dose is increased in in short time intervals, the rush hyposensitization is carried out in urgent cases during a hospital stay, here the maximum dose is in a few days reached.
Emergency kit for wasp allergies
If a wasp allergy is diagnosed, the person affected is given an emergency kit that they should carry with them whenever they are outdoors. Included are antihistamines (tablets or drops), cortisone tablets and an adrenaline injection, which the patient can administer himself in the event of impending circulatory failure or anaphylaxis. Incidentally, even after using the emergency kit, you must see a doctor immediately, as the allergy symptoms can reoccur.
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