Title: Bee Stings, Burns, Bug Bites and Diabetes - Diabetes Self-Management
Headings: Bee Stings, Burns, Bug Bites and Diabetes
Bee Stings, Burns, Bug Bites and Diabetes
Coping with summertime menaces
Bee stings and diabetes
Bee stings: What to do
How to prevent bee stings
Bug bites and diabetes: Mosquitoes
Mosquito bites: What to do
How to prevent mosquito bites
Sunburns and diabetes
Sunburns: What to do
How to prevent sunburns
Fungal infections and diabetes
Fungal infections: What to do
How to prevent fungal infections

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When a bee stings, it inserts its stinger into the skin, and that stinger releases a venom called apitoxin. The stinger tears loose from the bee, but it continues to release apitoxin. As if the pain weren’t bad enough, many people are allergic to the venom: they may have trouble breathing, have chest tightness or develop swelling elsewhere on the body. A severe allergic reaction, called anaphylaxis, can occur within minutes, and requires immediate medical attention. Sometimes the venom can lead to non-allergic symptoms, such as nausea, dizziness, faintness and seizures. Luckily, for most people, the swelling and pain from a bee sting will disappear in a few hours after being stung. A bee sting in and of itself may not directly affect blood glucose levels, but the reaction to the sting may. It’s possible to develop an infection from a sting, which, in turn can lead to high glucose levels. Interestingly, bee venom is being studied as a way to lower blood sugars and possibly prevent complications in people with diabetes.