- Stinging insects include yellow jackets, hornets, bees, paper wasps, and fire ants
- Most insect stings cause a small local reaction that self-resolves within a few days without treatment
- Some people may experience a larger local swelling
- 0.4-0.8% of children and 3% of adults will have a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to an insect sting
- Patients with a history of anaphylaxis to a sting have an almost 50% chance of severe reaction to a subsequent sting
- Therefore, it is important that any patient with a history of a prior severe allergic reaction to a stinging insect be evaluated by an allergist for testing and to consider treatment with allergy shots to stinging insect venom (venom immunotherapy, VIT)
- VIT is proven effective in reducing the risk of subsequent severe reaction from an insect sting to less than 5%
How we help:
- Perform thorough history and physical exam
- Review prior sting reaction in detail
- Perform stinging insect allergy testing if indicated
- We offer skin allergy testing and blood allergy testing to stinging insect venoms
- Review stinging insect allergy treatment plan in detail
- Offer venom immunotherapy when indicated
We will provide a thorough evaluation of your stinging insect allergies, discuss avoidance of potential triggers, review an emergency treatment action plan, and discuss allergen immunotherapy to decrease the risk of subsequent severe reactions to insect stings.
