Insect sting allergy
Encyclopedia
Insect sting allergy is the term commonly given to the allergic response
of an animal in response to the bite or sting of an insect
. Typically, insects which generate allergic responses are either stinging insects (wasp
s, bee
s, hornets and ant
s) or biting insects (mosquito
es, tick
s). Stinging insects inject venom
into their victims, whilst biting insects normally introduce anti-coagulants into their victims.
The great majority of insect allergic animals just have a simple allergic response - a reaction local to the sting site which appears as just a swelling arising from the release of histamine
and other chemicals from the body tissues near to the sting site. The swelling, if allergic, can be helped by the provision of an anti-histamine ointment as well as an ice pack. This is the typical response for all biting insects and many people have this common reaction to one extreme or another.
Mosquito allergy may result in a collection of symptoms called Skeeter Syndrome
that occur after a bite. This syndrome
may be mistaken for an infection such as cellulitis
.
In anaphylactic patients the response is more aggressive leading to a systemic reaction where the response progresses from the sting site around the whole body. This is potentially something very serious and can lead to anaphylaxis which is potentially life threatening.
Venom Immunotherapy is a course of treatment which is now well established in North America and Europe and offers patients with a systemic allergic response a considerable reduction in the level of their allergic response.
Allergy
An Allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system. Allergic reactions occur when a person's immune system reacts to normally harmless substances in the environment. A substance that causes a reaction is called an allergen. These reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid...
of an animal in response to the bite or sting of an insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
. Typically, insects which generate allergic responses are either stinging insects (wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
s, bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s, hornets and ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s) or biting insects (mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
es, tick
Tick
Ticks are small arachnids in the order Ixodida, along with mites, constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites , living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians...
s). Stinging insects inject venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
into their victims, whilst biting insects normally introduce anti-coagulants into their victims.
The great majority of insect allergic animals just have a simple allergic response - a reaction local to the sting site which appears as just a swelling arising from the release of histamine
Histamine
Histamine is an organic nitrogen compound involved in local immune responses as well as regulating physiological function in the gut and acting as a neurotransmitter. Histamine triggers the inflammatory response. As part of an immune response to foreign pathogens, histamine is produced by...
and other chemicals from the body tissues near to the sting site. The swelling, if allergic, can be helped by the provision of an anti-histamine ointment as well as an ice pack. This is the typical response for all biting insects and many people have this common reaction to one extreme or another.
Mosquito allergy may result in a collection of symptoms called Skeeter Syndrome
Skeeter syndrome
Skeeter Syndrome is a localized allergic reaction to mosquito bites, consisting of inflammation and fever. It is caused by allergenic polypeptides in mosquito saliva and is therefore not contagious....
that occur after a bite. This syndrome
Syndrome
In medicine and psychology, a syndrome is the association of several clinically recognizable features, signs , symptoms , phenomena or characteristics that often occur together, so that the presence of one or more features alerts the physician to the possible presence of the others...
may be mistaken for an infection such as cellulitis
Cellulitis
Cellulitis is a diffuse inflammation of connective tissue with severe inflammation of dermal and subcutaneous layers of the skin. Cellulitis can be caused by normal skin flora or by exogenous bacteria, and often occurs where the skin has previously been broken: cracks in the skin, cuts, blisters,...
.
In anaphylactic patients the response is more aggressive leading to a systemic reaction where the response progresses from the sting site around the whole body. This is potentially something very serious and can lead to anaphylaxis which is potentially life threatening.
Venom Immunotherapy is a course of treatment which is now well established in North America and Europe and offers patients with a systemic allergic response a considerable reduction in the level of their allergic response.