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Coldwell Banker
Residential Brokerage presents
Bites and Stings
in the Valley of The Sun
| RATTLE SNAKES | CORAL SNAKES | GILA MONSTERS | BLACK WIDOW SPIDERS | BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER | BROWN SCORPION | AFRICANIZED HONEY BEE |
INSECT BITES
Insect bites and stings are common, and most are considered minor. It is only when the insect is poisonous or when the patient has an allergic reaction and runs the risk of developing anaphylactic shock that the situation becomes an emergency. Even under those conditions, accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment can save lives and prevent permanent tissue damage.The normal reaction to an insect sting is a sharp, stinging pain followed by an itchy, swollen, painful raised area. The swelling may be there for several days but usually goes away within 24 hours. Local reactions are rarely serious or life-threatening and can be treated with cold compresses.
However, there are some people who have allergic reactions to "normal" insect stings. Approximately 50 people die each year in the United States from insect stings. This is more than all other bites combined including snakebites. Thousands of people are allergic to bee, wasp, and hornet stings. Insect stings can be deadly for those people, on the average, within 10 minutes of the sting but almost always within the first hour.
The stinging insects that most commonly cause allergic reactions belong to a
group of the hymenoptera, the insects with membranous wings. These include bees,
wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets. Stings from wasps and bees are the most
common.
