My husband is a roofer, so he’s been stung by bees many times throughout his life. It sort of comes with the territory with that type of job. Bees love to make their nests around eaves of houses and can often be found around roof areas of the house.
He was working yesterday, cleaning out gutters and got stung by a Bald Faced Hornet {one of those pesky black and white bees} when he was moving the ladder. It stung him dead center in the middle of the back of his neck and swelled up with a large lump. He drove the half hour ride home, came in the house and my brother mentioned he’d been stung. I asked to see it, but didn’t notice a stinger or anything, so we blew it off.
He soon started forming a rash around his arms. He took some Benadryl, then took a shower – thinking those two things would help. Once out of the shower, the rash had spread a bit more. We thought he should just lie down and let the Benadryl kick in, so he did. Then he came out with a rash over almost his entire body and he was really itchy – like a dog almost, he couldn’t stop scratching. So I did some Google searches on Black and White Bee Sting Symptoms and came to that article and soon saw the “Severe Allergic Reaction” symptoms. I asked if he had trouble breathing or swelling of the throat and mouth. He said his mouth felt a little numb. I asked about dizziness and he was indeed dizzy. I was on a tight deadline, so I asked my father in law to take him to the Urgent Care clinic right down the road.
As soon as he got to the clinic and started telling the admittance clerk his symptoms, they got him into a room immediately, gave him about 8 pills to speed his heart up in addition to other things and a shot in the leg. He felt so much better in just an instant.
The Dr told him that he had a sever allergic reaction and if he’d waited any longer, he would have gone into cardiac arrest and likely suffer severe consequences and possible death. He also said that it didn’t matter that he was stung before, that your body can develop the allergy over time. It is also possible that he is allergic to only that type of bee.
Now he has to to take antibiotics for 10 days and carry an Epi Pen with him everywhere he goes for the rest of his life. He’ll have to use it immediately should he ever get stung again and get to the ER as quickly as possible. He’s also got to see an allergist and may need monthly treatments.
Yesterday, our lives changed.
I realized that I could lose my husband is an instant. He realized that he could die at any time. We both realized that life is never guaranteed and our time on Earth is limited.
I feel guilty that I didn’t take him in, that I sent his dad instead. I feel guilty that I sit here and work, when my family needs my attention. But then I realize, that I have to work. We all have to work to care for our families and while we might not always be able to be there, it’s nothing to feel guilty about because it puts food on the table, clothing on our backs and allows us to live a wonderful life. But we also must treasure this life and make the most of the few moments that we do have together.
What should you do if you get stung and start seeing signs of sever allergic reaction?
The whole purpose of this article is not just to share my family’s story. It’s to educate everyone that bee stings can be serious. While most cases are a mild irritation, they can potentially be life threatening. If you ever have a severe reaction, seek emergency help immediately. Please don’t wait because it really could be a matter of life or death. It does not matter if you’ve been stung 100 times, or never been stung at all.
Here are the signs that you should watch out for and could mean that you’re having a severe allergic reaction that requires immediate medical attention:
- Skin reactions – these can include hives, itching and flushed or pale skin.
- Difficulty breathing – even if the difficulty breathing isn’t severe, it could still mean something!
- Swelling of the throat and tongue – this may be a “numb” feeling. Take it seriously!
- A weak, rapid pulse – you could be going into cardiac arrest.
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea – these aren’t symptoms of a mild bee sting!
- Dizziness or fainting – mild reactions don’t include these symptoms.
- Loss of consciousness – seek immediate help for someone who loses consciousness.
With summer in full swing, bees are out everywhere so be careful. And please, I cannot stress enough, seek immediate emergency care if you suffer even just one of these symptoms of severe allergic reaction to a bee sting.