In summer, children run barefoot on the grass, pointing to the water that attracts insects. It’s not hard to get stung. Until this happens, parents do not know if their child is allergic to insect venom. Anaphylactic shock, which is a strong and violent reaction of the body, can be fatal in extreme cases. The pediatrician reminds you that help must be immediate.
- Insect stings in children most often end in local pain and slight swelling. In such cases it helps to put something cold on
- In a few cases, anaphylactic shock occurs after an insect sting. Immediate help is then needed – an adrenaline injection
- It is a matter of minutes, at most an hour. These processes are progressing very quickly – warns Dr. Aneta Górska-Kot, LUX MED pediatrics expert, working in a children’s hospital in the emergency department
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Sting, insect bite – how to react?
Insects fly into fresh or water, especially on hot days. In such situations, it is not difficult for a wasp or a bee to sting a child. How to behave then?
Dr. Aneta Górska-Kot, LUX MED pediatric expert says that if it is the first time, it is important to observe the child’s body reaction. Most of the time, nothing serious happens. It is enough to make a cold compress of some product in the package, even taken from the refrigerator. The most important thing is to cool this place down for relief.
– If the place becomes swollen, you can make a compress of acidic water or Altacet. You can also put onions on it, use everything that is a tried, grandmother’s way – says the pediatrician.
Anaphylactic shock is a state of emergency
If an anaphylactic shock occurs, we are already dealing with a life-threatening condition. In such a situation, you need to react immediately, give an injection – if we have – of epidephrine (adrenaline) and not wait a minute to call an ambulance.
– This is the trait of shock that occurs very quickly. It is not that the baby will be stung by the bee during the day and the baby will die from it at night. It is a matter of minutes, at most an hour. These processes progress very quickly – the specialist warns.
Do you want to check if you are allergic to insect venom or someone close to you? We recommend a mail-order allergy test, which is performed on the basis of a blood test. This is an easy-to-perform test to reduce the risk of severe symptoms.
As the doctor explains, if there is such a shock, it drops blood pressure. This can be felt, for example, in the carotid artery. If you know in your family that someone is allergic to insect venom, you can ask your pediatrician to write a prescription for adrenaline and have it with you.
However, if there is no such case in the family, the doctor has no reason to do so.
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