How do you know if you have bee allergies?

[Reply]

How do you know if you're allergic to bee stings? They say the second sting is usually when allergic people have their first violent reaction, correct?

If I've only been stung once, is there any way I can get tested in a controlled lab/hospital setting instead of waiting to get stung one day when I'm out in the middle of nowhere, alone?

Just wonderin'.

[Flander]

You could pee on a bee to get yourself stung on purpose and drive to the doctor.

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

You could have a RAST test for venom.

It's a blood test.

Of course, if you are allergic to a type of venom you haven't been exposed to yet, you could test negative and still develop an allergy to it later.

[Moirai]

My goddaughter had a violent reaction to her first sting, so her brother and sister got tested immediately. Anaphylactic shock is no joke.

[KneadToKnow]

Anaphylactic shock is no joke.

Can be.

"That's quite an allergic reaction you have there! What do you call that?"

The Aristocrats!







I didn't say it was a good joke.

[Quartz]

Can be.

No it can't. I had a schoolmate who almost died after being stung by a wasp.

[stuyguy]

Hmm. This thread got me thinking.

When I eat honey I often get an vaguely itchy sensation in the back of my throat. I'm allergic to crab meat, so I know what an allergic reaction feels like, and the honey itch comes close to that feeling.

Is this a sign that I'm likely allergic to bee strings?

[Ferret Herder]

Hmm. This thread got me thinking.

When I eat honey I often get an vaguely itchy sensation in the back of my throat. I'm allergic to crab meat, so I know what an allergic reaction feels like, and the honey itch comes close to that feeling.

Is this a sign that I'm likely allergic to bee strings?
My WAG would be that it's more likely you have some kind of pollen allergy.

[Oslo Ostragoth]

That reminds me of something. At one point in my life, I was making these supposedly super-healthy smoothie things with banana, bee pollen, orange juice and whatnot. The bee pollen made me a bit uncomfortable.

[Renee]

Are bee allergies and wasp allergies related? If you're allergic to one, are you likely to also be allergic to the other?

[Caveat lector]

Well if you get stung and you die you were allergic.

But to be serious this page (http://www.childrenshospital.org/patientsfamilies/Site1393/mainpageS1393P201sublevel154Flevel225.html) has some info on it.

To quote the relevant section:
How does one test for a bee sting allergy?
There are two types of tests and, unfortunately, neither of them is extremely reliable.

A blood test, called the RAST test, is the simplest test, but has about 20 percent false-negative, false-positive results.

The other, more sensitive, test is a scratch test on the skin that is performed with purified, freeze-dried venom. This is done to test for which types of insects the patient is allergic to. It can alert the patient and doctor to the severity of the allergy, while a blood test will only point to the fact that an allergy exists. Luckily, only about 20 percent of patients with positive skin test results will later experience severe allergic reactions.

Here (http://www.labsafe.com/lab-tests/test/84) is a place that does them and if this is anything like the standard price they don't look to be cheap.

[critter42]

The first (only) time I've been stung by a bee was how I found out. I was 14 and on an 8th grade field trip/picnic. I stepped barefoot on the little SOB and by the time they had me in the car to take me to the hospital, my entire leg looked like the Elephant Man's and I was having trouble breathing. Got to the hospital in time, got the cortisone shot and everything was good, but I never want to go through that again (especially when they were concerned that it may have affected the family jewels! =0 )...Epi pens for me!