ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) — Summertime in the Finger Lakes means trips to gorges and waterfalls, camping and hiking. But taking advantage of our region’s natural beauty also puts you in contact with stinging insects like bees, hornets, wasps, yellow jackets, and fire ants. For most people a sting is a painful but minor inconvenience, but if you’re allergic to stinging insects you run the risk of severe, and even life-threatening, allergic reactions.

The severity of an insect sting reaction varies from person to person. A normal reaction will result in pain, swelling and redness confined to the sting site. A large local reaction will result in swelling that extends beyond the sting site. For example, a sting on the forearm could result in the entire arm swelling. Although alarming in appearance, this condition is often treated the same as a normal reaction.

An allergic reaction, however, is very serious and requires immediate medical attention. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include: hives, itching and swelling in areas other than the sting site; abdominal cramping, vomiting, intense nausea or diarrhea; chest tightness and difficulty breathing; swelling of the tongue or throat, and difficulty swallowing. These symptoms, when combined with dizziness, a sharp drop in blood pressure, or loss of consciousness, indicate anaphylaxis, a very serious and potentially deadly allergic reaction. An allergic reaction to a sting can progress rapidly to anaphylaxis, which requires immediate treatment with injectable epinephrine (adrenaline) and seeing out medical attention.

If you believe that you may be allergic to stinging insects, visit the allergists at Asthma & Allergy Associates. Our physicians will diagnose the severity of your allergy via skin testing and will develop an emergency reaction plan tailored to your specific needs. We also offer venom immunotherapy (“allergy shots”), which is highly effective at decreasing sensitivity to venoms. Working with your allergist can help make your summer outings safer and improve your quality of life.

Photo of Dr. Flanagan at Asthma & Allergy Associates.