An insect allergy is when you have an allergic reaction to getting stung or bitten by a particular insect. While it is normal to experience some degree of pain, redness, swelling, or itchiness following an insect bite or sting, people with allergies will have more severe symptoms. In extreme situations, an allergic reaction to insect bites and stings can even be life-threatening.
Bee, wasp, hornet, and ant allergies are some of the most common insect allergies in the world. While you can technically be allergic to other insects, such as flies and mosquitos, these are far less common and severe. If you are allergic to bees, wasps, hornets, or ants, it is vital to know so that you can seek medical attention in the event of a sting. Otherwise, your allergic reaction could have life-threatening ramifications.
Not all insect allergies cause serious or life-threatening reactions. The ones that do, however, require immediate relief and treatment. In most cases, you will not have time to get to a hospital, so you will need to apply treatment yourself. You will know if you are having a serious allergic reaction if you experience sweating, rapid heartbeat, hives, or trouble breathing.
The most common emergency treatment for an insect allergy is to inject yourself with epinephrine. Epinephrine comes in a pre-packaged syringe so that all you have to do is remove the protective cover, inject the needle, and press the plunger. The epinephrine then gets into your system and reverses the reaction caused by the insect venom. If you have a serious reaction, you may need a second injection.
If you have an insect allergy that causes painful symptoms but is not life-threatening, you can treat it on your own. First, cover the site of the bite or sting with a damp cloth to ease your pain. Next, mix a concoction of baking soda and vinegar and apply it to the bite or sting. This further reduces pain, swelling, itchiness, and other painful symptoms.
You can also use ice and an over-the-counter steroid cream to ease symptoms following an insect allergy. If your symptoms do not get better, however, you should seek emergency medical treatment because your allergy might be more serious than you initially believed.
Currently, the only long-term treatment for insect allergies is venom immunotherapy. With venom immunotherapy, a medical professional will expose you to tiny amounts of whatever insect venom you are allergic to. The goal is to build up your immunity while keeping you safe so that when you get stung or bitten in the future, your reaction may not be as severe.
Also known as desensitization, venom immunotherapy is a long-term treatment that takes several years to complete safely. The concept is similar to how vaccines work, but because of the danger of the venom, it takes much longer than simply injecting a vaccine.
As with most allergies, the best treatment for insect allergies is to avoid the insect that you are allergic to. If, for example, you are allergic to bees, do whatever you need to do to steer clear of bees. However, accidents happen, and there is no guarantee that you will always stay away from bees, which is why it is important to have a backup plan to treat your allergic reaction.
While insect allergies are very rare, and it is even more rare that they can cause life-threatening complications, they can happen. Therefore, it is important for you to know whether or not you are allergic to any insects. If you are, you should carry two or three emergency epi-pens, syringes of epinephrine, with you at all times. You should also know where the closest hospital is in case of emergency.