Every year between five and ten people in the Netherlands die as a result of a wasp sting. Is a sting really that intense? The poison is so toxic and dangerous that it enters your body directly through your skin. You don’t even have to be allergic to it.
What else do you need to know about this insect? We list everything for you:
How poisonous are wasps?
Hanneke Oude Elberink is an allergist who specializes in wasp allergies and has a special bee and wasp clinic at the UMCG in Groningen. On RTL News she explains how poisonous a wasp sting is. That’s how it works: a wasp’s venom sac contains a lot of toxic proteins. They can work in all kinds of places in your body, but they can also cause neurological complaints. But such complaints are not caused by just a sting. This only happens if you get stung more than a hundred times. It then takes days before someone dies from these consequences. Dialysis can then save someone’s life.
About one in a hundred people in the world is allergic to wasps. If you’ve never been stung, you can’t know. But if you’ve been stung once, you can have this tested. Even if you were stung by a wasp years ago, you can still get tested. If you only have a swollen hand when you’ve been stung there, that doesn’t mean you’re allergic. The allergic reaction to a wasp sting is more severe. You can then get hives all over your body, have to vomit or even go into shock. If you do not recognize these symptoms, you do not need to be tested.
What does a wasp sting look like?
You can tell you’ve been stung by a wasp when you see a small white spot with a red dot in the middle. Not long after, the skin around it begins to swell and turn red. This whole place can feel itchy and burning.
Symptoms
In addition to an itchy, swollen spot with a red tip, there are other symptoms that you can recognize a wasp sting. Most people will show only mild symptoms after a wasp sting. Others have an allergic reaction, which makes the symptoms a lot worse. We list the symptoms from mild to progressively worse:
- Itch
- redness
- Swelling
- Burning feeling
- sharp pain
- Extreme redness
- Extreme swelling
- Nausea
- Vomit
Allergy Symptoms
The most severe allergic reaction to a wasp sting is called anaphylaxis. This occurs when your body goes into shock in response to wasp venom. It is then important to go to the emergency room immediately.
Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction to wasp stings include:
- Severe swelling of the face, lips or throat
- Hives or itching in areas of the body not affected by the sting
- Difficulty breathing, such as wheezing or panting
- Sudden drop in blood pressure
- Dizziness
- Loss of consciousness
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- abdominal cramps
- Weak or fast pulse heart rate
What to do
If you have been stung by a wasp, do the following:
- Cool the sting site with a wet compress or a cold pack†
- If necessary, use an ointment against skin irritation, for example ointment with menthol, aloe vera or calendula.
- When stinging a finger, remove any rings from that finger.
- Is the place where you were stabbed very thick? Then call the doctor.
But what do you do if it turns out that you are allergic? You can then do two things. There is a treatment in which the venom of a wasp is injected with a trick. This helps your immune system fight it. You can also opt for the well-known EpiPen. You should always carry it with you in case you get stung.
Do you recognize severe symptoms such as intense shortness of breath, shock symptoms or swelling in the neck? Then call 112. Does the victim have an adrenaline pen (EpiPen) and does the victim have swollen lips or tightness? Then you can help him or her by administering that pen. The pen can be administered through clothing.
In case of a sting in the mouth or throat, according to the Red Cross always call 112 immediately. In the meantime, have the victim suck on an ice cube, this will counteract the swelling.
What not to do
There is not much you should absolutely not do if you have been stung by a wasp. Still, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Never remove the stinger with tweezers, as this may open the venom gland and spread more venom. Remove the stinger with a nail or the blunt side of a knife. What else is not wise is to just drive. You never know how you will react to the wasp sting, so be patient. You also have to be careful with frozen cooling elements. Never put it directly on the skin, but put a towel around it. Otherwise they will stick to your skin.
> Read also: The Day After – my son (12) ended up in hospital after a wasp sting
sucking out
You cannot suck out the wasp venom, because after the sting it has already been absorbed into the connective tissue and the nerves are already activated. Sucking can destroy the skin around the sting, which may further spread the venom and increase the risk of inflammation. An ice cube or cold pack works better. Then the pain really goes away after a few hours.
The wasp will die if it stings
Unlike the bee, a wasp has no barbs on its sting, meaning it usually retains its stinger when it stings. The wasp can therefore sting several times in a row and will not die after one sting.
Since pets are often extra curious, dogs and cats can also be stung by wasps. To prevent the situation from getting out of hand after the wasp sting, do the following:
- Check if the stinger is still in the skin. If so, try to widen the stinger with your nail. Please do not use tweezers.
- To reduce pain and swelling, you can cold pack or hold a cloth soaked with cold water on the sting site.
- If the mouth or throat swells, the animal becomes short of breath or appears ill, contact the vet urgently.
It is of course not really the month of the wasp, but in August they are there more often than in the rest of the year. And that has to do with the life course of this animal. As we often know, these are social insects. They live in a nest where the workers take care of the larvae. The larvae are fully grown at the end of July and the beginning of August. This means that the workers no longer have to provide the food for the larvae. They are now looking for sugar sources for energy. With the nice weather in this month, many sugary foods can be found among the people.
Source: Healthline† Red Cross† RTL News† Antidote Center