How Does a Bee Sting Affect the Body?
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The Stinger Does All the Work
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The stinger of the bee has a stylus and two barbed parts called slides or lancets that are on the side of the stinger. When the bee stings a person, the barbs automatically moves up and down forcing the stinger in. The bee has no control over it at this point. The sting can go deep into the skin and continue burrowing in even after it is torn from the body of the bee.
Venom and pheromones are released
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As the person is stung, the bee injects a venom called apitoxin into the victim while releasing pheromones which signal other bees to sting as well. The venom apitoxin works very much like snake venom. It has several different components such as melittin, which is an acidic toxin, and also histamine. Because of the small amount of venom administered through a bee sting, it will only cause swelling and inflammation of the skin unless the person is allergic to bee stings.
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Some people have allergic reactions
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For people who have bee sting allergies, this venom can cause a life threatening reaction. The histamine in the venom signals your body to fight against the foreign organism. Your body quickly releases more histamines which attach to cell receptors in an effort to protect the body. For people who are sensitive to bee stings, the histamines in the body over-reacts and attacks the healthy cells of the body. Allergic symptoms start with a dry cough, then lead to itchy, swelling eyes, sneezing, wheezing and hives. Individuals can also have breathing problems, low blood pressure, lose consciousness and go into anaphylactic shock, which can result in death.
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- Photo Credit Image from Wikimedia commons taken by Waugsberg
