About Allergies: Take the Sting Out of Summer Allergies

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Allergies Allergies Symptoms / Diagnosis Treatment Coping From Daniel More, MD, your Guide to Allergies Insect allergies are a major problem during the summer months. People are more likely to participate in outdoor activities, such as swimming, hiking and yard work, and therefore are likely to come into contact with various insects. These insects, which are enjoying the warm weather as well, can sting people. Most people experience some type of reaction after being stung by a bee or bitten by a mosquito. Usually, these reactions include pain and swelling around the sting. Allergic reactions can also occur as a result of a sting, and can even be life-threatening. Find out more about insect sting and bite allergy, who should undergo testing, and the treatments that are available. How to Treat Bee Sting Allergy If you are reading this article as a result of you or someone you know experiencing an allergic reaction as a result of a bee sting, stop reading, pick up your phone and call 911. If you, or the person you're trying to help, has a known bee sting allergy and has an Epi-Pen available, use it now if an allergic reaction is occurring. If you, or another person, is not known to be allergic to bee stings, but was just stung by a bee (or other stinging insect such as a wasp, yellow jacket or hornet), follow a few simple steps to monitor for an allergic reaction. See More About:  bee sting allergy  anaphylaxis  antihistamines All About Allergies to Insect Bites and Stings Nearly everyone has experienced an insect bite or sting at some point in their lives. Most of the time, these stings and bites lead to mild pain or itching right where they occurred. Sometimes, however, people can experience more severe reactions that could be caused by an allergic reaction to the sting or bite. Allergic reactions most commonly occur with bites or stings from these insects. Mosquito Allergies Mosquitoes are flying, biting insects that are closely related to flies and gnats. During a feeding, the mosquito bites the human skin, and injects saliva. The saliva contains various proteins that prevent the blood from clotting, as well as proteins that keep the blood flowing into the mosquito's mouth. Many of the mosquito saliva proteins can cause immune reactions, including allergic reactions. Typically, however, most people have a variety of reactions to mosquito bites, and the symptoms change over time, depending on the amount of bites a person received. These reactions can include both immediate and delayed swelling and itching around the bite area. These reactions tend to decrease in frequency after being bitten by mosquitoes over many years. See More About:  allergies  allergist  allergy testing Allergies Ads Skin Allergies Dogs Allergies Treatment Allergies Allergies Treatment Food Allergies Featured Articles Common Allergy Issues in Children Food Allergies Allergies in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Drug and Latex Allergies Insect Allergies Anaphylaxis   More from About.com Bake Sale Bestsellers Make your next bake sale a profitable one with these irresistible recipes. More> Real Recipes app Download our highly-rated app for free recipes and kitchen tools, for iPhone and iPod Touch. More> This newsletter is written by: Daniel More, MD Allergies Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Allergies newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2012 About.com   Must Reads What are Allergies? Symptoms of Allergies Diagnosis of Allergies Treatment of Allergies Preventing Allergies   Follow me on: Advertisement