Bee Stings - Bad reactions

[itma]

The emergency services are quite happy to be given a location in any format,
Street Address,
GPS Lat/Lng,
National Grid Reference.
Their mapping systems will accept any format, what matters is that what you give them is accurate.
...

Many thanks for posting that so clearly.

 

[theeggman]

IF you can give them accurate directions to the location.
Recently, locally a neighbour called an ambulance and they followed Sat-Nav up a dead farm track into a very muddy field. The brilliant Devon Air Ambulance got to the scene whilst the farmer was still towing the road vehicle out of the mud.

Why is the NHS relying on charities to provide the service they don't?

We live under the flightpath of the local air ambulance, most days it goes over but why should they have to? We're a rural area and NO way are the land vehicles going to meet time targets on the road, especially during the "holiday" season so let the NHS pay for the air service.

Sorry Again.

 

[Glenviewbee]

Is loosing your temper and saying lots of rude words a bad reaction?

I think that comes under the 'normal' set of reactions

 

[Karol]

It is clear from the way you talk that you understand the biological pathways and how chemical processes work on them. I can only say that we did what we could and it wasn't enough. The majority of us never face a true emergency. Those of us who do, do the best we can with what we have and pray that it will be enough. We live with the consequences when it isn't.
It isn't easy for me to talk about this but I know Simon would have wanted me to help others understand how dangerous bee stings can be and how quickly they can become deadly.

Sorry B+. I didn't mean to be insensitive in any way. I have spent the best part of the last two decades trying to help protect people from the dangers of wasp stings primarily motivated by a patient of mine who turned up with anaphylaxis (whilst pregnant). One of the most harrowing experiences I've had. Fortunately both mum and child did OK. Don't want to see it happen to anyone else.

 

[B+.]

Don't want to see it happen to anyone else.

No apology necessary. I don't think anyone could live through that twice

 

[Ginger19]

I have had little or no reaction since starting 2 years ago. Then when tending to a hive of nasties I was stung on the chin through the veil. It took me 5 minutes before I could safely remove the sting - guess I took a full dose. Within 2 minutes my eyes had a very tired feeling and I was rubbing them like it was bedtime. Within half hour they had really swollen up!
Have been stung since through the glove and no reaction. Highlights the importance of getting the stinger out and the location of the sting as crucial factors

 

[chickendave]

Hi Mike

There's a descentization department at Southmead Hospital Bristol
I'm currently half way through the treatment

At first I had little or no reaction to bee stings, but over a few seasons the reactions started getting worst until finally I was laying a patio and randomly got stung in my ear which lead to hives all over my body and a tightness to my chest. I went to the doctor who told me to give up beekeeping and had no ideal of the descentization treatment or didn't want to offer it due to the cost
I insisted and went for the test which turn out positive and now carry a eppipen when I tend to my bees I was also advised to take a antihistamine before I inspected the bees just in case I get stung

All I'm saying is monitor your reactions and act accordingly and don't put of seeking medical attention if needed better to be safe than sorry as no hobby is worth losing you life over

 

[nantmoel]

I picked up my first two stings both on my forehead on Thursday after a break of over 20 years of bee keeping, I took a antihistamine straight away, god did it hurt! No swelling Thursday, Friday and Saturday just felt someone had hit me with a hammer. Today I got up and the bridge of my nose and both eyes were swollen (not closed). I took a long lasting antihistamine that the doctor gave me a few years back when I reacted to a suncream. Seems to be going down very slowly! hmmmm

 

[BeeJayBee]

Your reaction doesn't seem anything unusual, because stings to the head often seem to take a long time to go. Try an ice pack, it might help speed things up.

 

[itma]

The time to be worried is when a sting produces an effect elsewhere in the body or overall.

Disfiguring strong local reactions are (comparatively) minor league stuff.

 

[Dishmop]

take a antihistamine before I inspected the bees just in case I get stung

I always do..
last year I checked with doctors at hospital if bee stings would have any inter reaction with any medication I was on....They said no......Shortly after that I got stung on my back, right near the left hand kidney and never felt a thing after the sting went in.........

 

[dancingbee]

Re: Letting emergency services know where you are

With isolated rural locations there may be some difficulty communicating your location.

Most phones have sat nav facilities these days, but does anyone know precisely HOW one can best convey a GPS location to a 999 operator? (Pretty sure you can't text to 999 ...)

I was recently at my bees when the friend who was with me had an anaphylactic reaction. Luckily he is OK now. One of the paramedics who attended gave me details of an app (downloadable for free from Play store or Apple store) developed by Devon Air Ambulance Trust, but useable all over the country. When you open the app, a map appears with your location marked, and your grid reference at the top. It also has a single red button, which once pressed takes you directly through to the emergency services - and tells them where you are. It even activates a torch if you have that facility on your phone!

http://www.daat.org/blog/2012/10/26/our-iphone-app

Now when I go up to the bees, I have this app open and have the phone in my pocket so I could just press the button if needed. I think this app is brilliant and useful for anyone - but particularly beekeepers who are often out in remote places.

 

[itma]

I was recently at my bees when the friend who was with me had an anaphylactic reaction. Luckily he is OK now. One of the paramedics who attended gave me details of an app (downloadable for free from Play store or Apple store) developed by Devon Air Ambulance Trust, but useable all over the country. When you open the app, a map appears with your location marked, and your grid reference at the top. It also has a single red button, which once pressed takes you directly through to the emergency services - and tells them where you are. It even activates a torch if you have that facility on your phone!

http://www.daat.org/blog/2012/10/26/our-iphone-app

Now when I go up to the bees, I have this app open and have the phone in my pocket so I could just press the button if needed. I think this app is brilliant and useful for anyone - but particularly beekeepers who are often out in remote places.

Nifty!

And for us non-iPhone types there IS an Android version
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rokk.daat&hl=en_GB

Thanks for sharing this useful info.


/// ADDED just loaded the Android version on my Moto G LTE (v1).
Reviews say "location is miles out" ... well duh ... you have to tap the circular "reload" button to get your PRESENT location.
It does put me on the opposite side of the road, but hey, its close enough to be VERY useful to many.

/// /// Google maps puts me on the right side of the road immediately, but it is only when zoomed right in that the DAAT app shows my exact location correctly. Perhaps it just (for speed?) does the six numeral OS reference, and initially displays that reference's location rather than the greater precision that GPS provides.

 

[Dishmop]

I like the sound of that.....

Just need a 10 year old child to download it onto my phone.........and try and remember what username and passwords are for google..

 

[Dishmop]

Nifty!

And for us non-iPhone types there IS an Android version
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rokk.daat&hl=en_GB

Thanks for sharing this useful info.


/// ADDED just loaded the Android version on my Moto G LTE (v1).
Reviews say "location is miles out" ... well duh ... you have to tap the circular "reload" button to get your PRESENT location.
It does put me on the opposite side of the road, but hey, its close enough to be VERY useful to many.

Just tried it.Google says its downloaded but it hasnt.


Ah! It has now..........

 

[drstitson]

"When our son was stung, she gave him Piriton liquid but his throat was already begining to close (within about a minute of being stung) and he had problems swallowing. Anything that goes through the digestive system takes too long to take effect."

sure - this is an anaphylactic reaction that needs emergency response rather than normal ant-histamine.

did you know son was allergic to bee-stings?

 

[irishguy]

Just skimmed over this thread and would like to have any treatments or emergency stuff in my kit incase i or my kids get stung bad but dont know what to get so can anyone recommend me stuff to get in.

 

[itma]

Just skimmed over this thread and would like to have any treatments or emergency stuff in my kit incase i or my kids get stung bad but dont know what to get so can anyone recommend me stuff to get in.

Piriton tablets.
From the pharmacy.
http://www.boots.com/en/Piriton-Allergy-Tablets-30-Tablets_11235/


If your concern is beyond the casual, my suggestion would be to carefully read rather than skim the thread.
You'll discover how to best use Piriton tablets, and how to tell if its really serious.

 

[MartinL]

Loratadine, Cetirizine or (for the fit & healthy)Acrivastine.

I tend to keep Acrivastine for the first 24 hrs (straight after being stung) as you can take up to 3 times within 24 hours, you get a better start with it.

However, when chewed they all taste diabolical!

 

[bingevader]

Just skimmed over this thread and would like to have any treatments or emergency stuff in my kit incase i or my kids get stung bad but dont know what to get so can anyone recommend me stuff to get in.

As Itma has said, there's no emergency treatment (unless you have already been diagnosed and carry an epipen) other than to dial 999 if you suspect anaphylactic shock.