Mumbai Man Dies After Being Stung By Honey Bees: Can Their Stings Kill?
Honey bee stings can be painful. But can they kill a person? Yes they can.
A 54-year-old man succumbed today at a local hospital due to complications that arose from honey bee stings. The victim Pankaj Shah was admitted to the hospital with two others after they were stung at Veer Savarkar Garden in Borivili on June 27. Today, BMC officials revealed that Shah had died of the stings but the two others were recuperating. The incident has come has a shock to many since the fatalities of bee stings were not known before. But the fact remains that bee stings can be fatal under certain circumstances.
Allergic Reaction
It’s common knowledge that honey bee stings can be very painful. But not many know that their stings can also cause deaths in some cases. This is especially true if the victim is allergic to honey bee stings. In such cases, he or she may die due to anaphylactic shock.
Bee venom or Apis mellifera is a potent chemical that could trigger severe allergic reactions. Bee poisoning refers to a severe reaction due to the venom. But even wasps and yellow jackets are known to create the same kind of reaction.
Symptoms include hives, flushed or pale skin, headache, dizziness, nausea, abdominal cramps, breathlessness, decreased blood pressure, loss of consciousness.
Cardiovascular Problems
Another casualty of bee stings is cardiovascular collapse. A study in the BMJ stated that suffering from multiple bee stings can cause cardiovascular problems due to the Kounis syndrome, a delayed reaction due to bee stings. The massive amount of bee venom injected into the body during can cause cardiovascular collapse even in people who don’t have a history of heart problems.
The reactions may not be immediate but problems like slow heart rate, repeated fainting and cardiac arrests may follow in the days after the attack.
What To Do In The Case of Bee Stings?
In most cases, bee stings don’t require medical attention. Common symptoms at the site of the bee sting include a mild pain or itching, a white spot at the exact spot and a redness or swelling.
Use a pair of tweezers and remove the embedded stinger and the venom sack of the bee. Clean the area with soap and apply ice to the area to ease the pain.
But if the symptoms get more severe, it means an immediate hospitalisation is required. Call the doctor or visit the hospital immediately if you experience difficulty swallowing or breathing.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 29, 2018 05:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).