A bee will sting you if aggravated.
A bee, hornet, wasp or yellowjacket sting will trigger allergies in those who are sensitive to them. About two million Americans suffer from the venom of these insects, and the symptoms vary from person to person. Most people will have a mild, local reaction to a hornet sting, whereas others may have a severe reaction, including anaphylactic shock. About 50 people die each year, in the United States, because of a severe reaction to a hornet sting.
About Hornets
Hornets feed on flower nectar.
Hornets sting to defend their nests and their colony. Stinging involves the injection of venom that can cause pain and swelling. Hornets can sting multiple times without harming its stinger. Hornets build nests near yards, lawns, bushes, trees and under house overhangs. They are black with yellow-white markings on the face, chest and abdomen. They abandon their nests every winter and and make new nests in the spring. There are three types of hornet sting reactions.
A Normal Reaction to a Hornet Sting
Most people react to a sting in the normal way, with pain, swelling and redness around the site of the sting. The site feels warm, erects pimple-type spots that look like hives and itches. The person might also experience sneezing, tiredness and feeling sick.
A Local Reaction to a Hornet Sting
Most of the symptoms will go away after the exposure to the sting has stopped but some people might experience further, more severe reactions including swelling extending beyond the site of the sting, hives, wheezing, burning, itching, flushing of the skin, restlessness or anxiety, a fall in blood pressure, nausea and vomiting.
A Severe Reaction to a Hornet Sting
An extremely allergic person who has been stung by a hornet could experience shock, cardiac arrest and unconsciousness within 10 minutes or less. A severe reaction from a hornet sting is called an anaphylactic reaction, and about 3 percent of people experience this type. This reaction will requires immediate medical attention; call 911 or take the person to the hospital. Symptoms might include hives; itching all over; difficulty breathing; wheezing; shortness of breath; difficulty swallowing; hoarseness and swelling of the throat, face and mouth; tingling in the hands, feet, lips, or scalp; joint pain; dizziness; and fainting.
Once a person has been stung by a hornet, the next time the reaction is about 60 percent more likely to be worse that the previous sting.
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