Medical Question For A Doctor

[Pedaling Fool]

Judging by various posts I’ve read I know there are some doctors out there, so here’s my question.

I’ve heard that numerous people, who are not allergic to bee stings, have died from bee stings after inadvertently swallowing a bee, which found its way into their soda can. So the question is, if these stories are true, why does the body allow swelling to the point of cutting off the air supply? Why can’t the body control the swelling at least enough to get some air through?

[Appalachian Tater]

You don't die from one bee sting unless you're highly allergic to it. It doesn't matter where it stings you, internally or externally.

Google "anaphylaxis" if you want to read about severe allergic reactions.

[Pedaling Fool]

Judging by various posts I’ve read I know there are some doctors out there, so here’s my question.

I’ve heard that numerous people, who are not allergic to bee stings, have died from bee stings after inadvertently swallowing a bee, which found its way into their soda can. So the question is, if these stories are true, why does the body allow swelling to the point of cutting off the air supply? Why can’t the body control the swelling at least enough to get some air through?
Yeah, I'm not completely sold on these stories, but stranger things have happened. But your post brings another question to mind, why does the body of a person with an allergy over react to certain allergens, such as the venom from a bee sting? From my understanding, when a person who is allergic dies from a sting, it's not the sting that kills them, rather what their body does in reaction to the sting.

[Hikes in Rain]

We have a number of design flaws. Why do we bleed to death; what's up with that? Why can't our knees take any side stress without breaking? Why don't tings regenerate, instead of just heal (mostly heal, in come cases)? Most importantly to me (as I age!), why do our cells only divide 21 times, then quit, leaving us to get by on momentum? Momentum that is quickly running out, by the way!

[Appalachian Tater]

Yeah, I'm not completely sold on these stories, but stranger things have happened. But your post brings another question to mind, why does the body of a person with an allergy over react to certain allergens, such as the venom from a bee sting? From my understanding, when a person who is allergic dies from a sting, it's not the sting that kills them, rather what their body does in reaction to the sting. Apparently people do swallow bees, I see one report in the NEJM even. Then it would also have to sting you and you would have to be severely allergic to it in order to die, so I would imagine it to be a rare occurence. The only incident I see of death reported from swallowing a bee is from the NYT in the late 1800s.

Anaphylaxis is an over-reaction of the immune system which is fighting a foreign substance. I don't think anyone really knows why it occurs but the chemical process is understood. They just call it an "abnormal" response.

[Odd Thomas]

Yeah, I'm not completely sold on these stories, but stranger things have happened. But your post brings another question to mind, why does the body of a person with an allergy over react to certain allergens, such as the venom from a bee sting? From my understanding, when a person who is allergic dies from a sting, it's not the sting that kills them, rather what their body does in reaction to the sting.

Evolution favored overactive immune systems over underactive ones. Allergies weren't much of a problem not too long ago when parasites were the norm.

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/292/5514/47a

(Weird, my spell checker is kvetching over "underactive" being a single word, but has no problem with overactive. My computer needs a tapeworm)

[orangebug]

Stuff Happens.

[Hoop]

When my allegy was revealed to me by an angry jellow jacket I did a little reading when I got home from the ER. According to the American Apitherapy Society most folks have nothing to fear from our friend the bee; the culprits in the great majority of severe reactions are wasps & YJs. As to why our bodies haven't figured out a way to stay alive longer, I dunno.

[Sly]

I got stung once on the lip drinking out of a soda can and my lip swelled up about 10 times. I looked like a caveman and scared my girlfriend's kid silly. Apologies to any cavemen out there.

[Metaphor Man]

True, people have differing reactions to allergens. The throat is very soft tissue (built for swallowing, etc.) and soft tissue will accept more "swelling" in response to trauma, allergens, etc. Like what a mosquito bite does: more allergic people will have more of a response and the bite will be more swollen. Imagine the swelling if 10 mosquitoes bite in nearly the same place. Any insect or something that causes an allergic response will cause this, more or less to an individual's tendency to respond. So, how much swelling in the throat do you need before breathing gets more difficult? Think about the swelling on a leg after a snake bite. Yellow jackets might not be so bad but wasps can cause a fair amount of swelling, espcially in a place like the throat. The swelling itself is a reaction to noxious stimuli. You can scratch some people lightly and that scratched line will swell and get red, like a welt. It's called a histamine reaction and people with more histamine in their tissue, like me, have these weal reactions and tend to have a larger allergic response to things.
I might add, some people have more histamines in their guts or respiratory systems not just their skin, so can show greater sensitivities to things by reactions in these areas, that is they can also get respiratory distress and a skin reaction.
I'm pretty sure about this info but might be a bit off on the edges.