How Does The Body React to a Bee Sting?
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Disturbing The Hive
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Bees are generally peaceful creatures. They help pollinate flowers and make honey for us to eat. But if you've ever disturbed a nest of bees, you've probably felt an annoying sting that caused some itching and swelling. For some people, however, one bee sting can cause death.
Your Immune System and The Sting
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Your body's immune system is a very protective system that does its best to keep outside invaders from getting in. Your skin has layers of tissue and blood vessels. It usually takes something very sharp or a high-impact event to break your skin. If something should penetrate your skin's surface, it doesn't take long for your blood to bring antibodies and clotting cells to start the healing process and keep bacteria and other germs from getting inside. Bees, however, can break your skin very easily with a very sharp barbed protrusion called a stinger. If a honeybee stings you, your skin is tough enough to rip the stinger out of his body, which causes near-instant death in the bee. The problem is that upon death, a honeybee releases a pheromone that alerts surrounding bees of imminent danger. That's not good news for you.
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What's Inside Bee Venom and Allergic Reactions
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Inside that stinger is venom called apitoxin. The deadliest part of the venom is phospholipase A2. It is an anticoagulant that keeps the blood from clotting and causes the production of cortisol, a "stress" hormone. The other components in bee venom can be just as destructive to your body. Bee venom also contains dopamine and noradrenalin which can cause your pulse rate to rise. Histamines can trigger the allergic response that sends a rush of blood and antibodies. Further increasing the inflammation is hyaluronidase, a venom component that dilates your blood capillaries. Adding fuel to the fire is the chemical called adolapin, which inhibits the pain relief chemical cyclooxygenase from reaching your penetrated skin.
With all of those painful chemical components, you could imagine that someone with an allergy to bee stings could suffer an even worse experience. They can go into Anaphylactic shock, which is when your body basically seizes up main functions in order to keep from allergens circulating further into your system. Anaphylactic shock symptoms include dramatic blood pressure drop, chest pains, intense swelling and weakness. If someone isn't treated quickly with an instant adrenaline shot, he could start having seizures and even die.
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