Anaphylaxis and Insect Stings

This is a big and important topic - please visit our links section for further great sources of information! This is a really serious condition and can lead to death - the author of this website suffered and survived this allergic response himself and so can speak from real experience!

An anaphylactic reaction is usually triggered by a limited number of allergic exposures.

These include injection, swallowing, inhaling or skin contact with an allergen by a severely allergic individual.

Examples of injected allergens are bee, hornet, wasp and yellow jacket stings; latex; certain vaccines which have been prepared on an egg medium; and allergen extracts used for diagnosis and treatment of allergic conditions.

Antibiotics such as penicillin and insect stings can trigger a reaction by injection - literally the body has the offending substance injected into the system.

Typically, a severe reaction caused by a food allergy occurs after swallowing that particular food, even a small bite. Skin contact with the food rarely causes anaphylaxis. Foods most commonly associated with anaphylaxis are peanuts, seafood, nuts and, in children particularly, eggs and cow's milk.

An anaphylactic reaction from an inhaled allergen is rarer. An increasingly recognizable example is when an allergic individual inhales particles from rubber gloves or other latex products. For some people, two or more factors may be needed to cause anaphylaxis.

Recently, it has been recognized that some persons have experienced an anaphylactic reaction if they eat a certain food, and then exercise. Neither the food alone nor exercise alone causes any problem for these individuals.

When exposed to a foreign substance, some people suffer reactions identical to anaphylaxis, but in which no allergy is involved. These reactions are called anaphylactoid (meaning anaphylaxis-like) reactions. While the immune system must be "primed" by previous exposure to cause anaphylaxis, anaphylactoid reactions can occur with no previous exposure at all. An example of something that can bring on this kind of reaction is radiographic contrast material (the dye injected into arteries and veins to make them show up on an X-ray). Fortunately, health care providers don't need to distinguish between anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reactions during an emergency because the treatment is the same.

SYMPTOMS

In a severe allergic reaction, or anaphylaxis, after exposure to the triggering antigen, you may suddenly

• feel a tingling or burning sensation on the skin particularly extremities like fingers
• develop hives over large areas of the body
• begin having breathing difficulties and experience swelling of the throat
• experience a rapid and severe drop in blood pressure
• find that thinking becomes muddled as the brain and other vital organs become oxygen-starved.
• experience a sense of doom and disaster

People seem to have their own anaphylactic route map - so any one or more of these symptoms may occur in any order. Interestingly, once an order has been determined for any one individiual, that individual will often follow the same route on the next shock with very similar time intervals.

Hundreds of people die annually from anaphylactic shock in the U.S. alone.

What the Body is Doing

In anaphylaxis, cells of the immune system release massive amounts of chemicals - particularly histamine. As a result, blood vessels dilate and begin to leak fluid into surrounding tissues, producing swelling. Several organs can be affected: The skin frequently shows symptoms first. Hives, itching, swelling, redness or a stinging or burning sensation may develop. The loss of fluid from blood vessels causes a drop in blood pressure and the individual may feel light-headed or even lose consciousness. Anaphylaxis can cause obstruction of the nose, mouth and throat. Individuals may first notice hoarseness or a lump in the throat. If the swelling is very severe, it shuts off the air supply and the individual experiences severe respiratory distress. The airways in the lungs can constrict, causing chest tightness, shortness of breath and wheezing - the classic symptoms of asthma. The person may experience nausea, vomiting, cramping and diarrhea. The gastrointestinal tract often reacts, especially if the allergen is something that was swallowed. Women may experience pelvic cramps due to contractions of the uterus. It's worth repeating that anaphylaxis is rare.

The vast majority of people with allergies will never have an anaphylactic reaction.

Please visit the Anaphylaxis Treatment section of this website for information on how to cope with anaphylactic shock.