Why do bees sting?
By: Nathan Gupton
About bees and their stingers.
What they do when threatened.
Symptoms from bee stings or things to do when around bees.
When you get a bee sting you can have different reactions. Mild bee stings can have symptoms such as:
- redness
- a white spot where the bees sting happened
- swelling
This can last for up to 2 hours. Moderate bee stings can last for about 5 - 10 days and also have symptoms.
- a lot of redness
- continued swelling for 2 days
A severe allergic reaction can include:
- skin reactions
- breathing difficulties
- swelling in throat or tongue
- a weak but rapid pulse
- nausea
- vomiting
- dizziness
- chance of fainting or being unconscious
If you do have a severe allergic reaction you 30 - 60% chance of being anaphylaxis after the next bee sting. If you get stung more than a dozen times you could also have some symptoms and they are:
- nausea
- headache
- vertigo
- being faint or fainting
- convulsions
- fever
Vocab
Vertigo: A sensation of whirling and loss of balance.
Anaphylaxis: An acute allergic reaction to an antigen to which the body has become hypersensitive.
Symptom: A physical or mental feature that is regarded as indicating a condition of disease.
Pheromone: A chemical substance produced and released into the environment by an animal.
venom: A poisonous substance secreted by animals.