With
Summer Comes Bug Bites and Bee Stings
Experts Advise On Precautions
The sounds of summer bring
thoughts of hamburgers sizzling on the grill, cold tea quenching thirsts,
and laughter at the pool. But with these pleasures come the ever present
challenges of dealing with the insects that are a seasonal scourge.
An estimated 2.4 million eye
injuries occur in the US each year, with most occurring during the summer
months.
Mosquitoes, bees, yellow jackets, and fire
ants are all out enjoying the summer, along with the rest of Americans.
For most people, bug bites and stings are
more an annoyance than anything else, causing swelling or itchy rashes
at the site of the bite or sting.
Don't
Look or Smell Like a Flower
And simple precautions such as repellents,
bug zappers, and long-sleeved tops and pants can cut the chances of
serving as an unwitting snack, according to the American College
of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).
"Don't look like a flower, smell like
a flower, or act like a flower," says Dr. Richard D. deShazo, director
of the Division of Allergy at the University of Mississippi Medical
Center in Jackson. "Bees are attracted to flowers and they'll be
attracted to you if you dress in bright colors, wear strong perfumes,
and walk barefoot in the clover that bees like."
Around the house, the ACAAI
recommends keeping window and door screens in good repair, and making
sure garbage cans stored outside have tight lids.
For picnics, keep food covered and avoid
drinking from soda cans because stinging insects are attracted to the
sweetness and may crawl inside.
"Don't swat at yellow jackets,"
Dr. deShazo adds. "It makes them angry and more likely to sting."
Most people will weather their stings and
bites with few ill effects. But an estimated 2 million Americans are
allergic to various insects, and are prone to potentially serious health
problems.
Know
When the Reaction Is More than Minor
The key, says Dr. deShazo, is to recognize
the difference between a local reaction to a bite or sting, which is
what happens to most people, and a systemic response, which means the
whole body is reacting.
Symptoms of a systemic response can include
generalized itching, hives all over the body, shortness of breath, difficulty
swallowing, and a sudden drop in blood pressure. In severe cases, loss
of consciousness or cardiac arrest can occur.
Get help immediately if any of these symptoms
are present, Dr. deShazo says.
"In 75 percent of the cases, these
symptoms occur within 20 minutes of the bite or sting," he says.
"And once these reactions get rolling, they are difficult to control."
While the majority of allergic reactions
are not severe, about 40 to 50 Americans die each year from untreated
bites and stings, Dr. deShazo says.
It is important that people allergic to
insects take advantage of the medical options available to prevent illness.
Allergy shots are 97 percent effective
in protecting people from severe reactions to stings and bites. And
everyone who is allergic should always carry an emergency kit containing
epinephrine (adrenaline), which can be injected immediately to stop
allergic reactions, Dr. deShazo says.
Always consult your physician for more
information.
How
To Care for a Sting
Specific treatment for stings will be determined
by your physician. Large, local reactions usually do not lead to generalized
reactions. However, they can be life threatening if the sting occurs
in the mouth, nose, or throat area. This is due to swelling that can
close off the airway.
Treatment for local skin reactions may
include the following:
- Calm the individual and let him/her
know that you can help.
- Remove the stinger by gently scraping
across the site with a blunt-edged object, such as a credit card or
dull knife. Do not try to pull it out, as this may release more venom.
- Wash the area well with soap and water.
- Apply a cold or ice pack wrapped in
a cloth to help reduce swelling and pain (10 minutes on and 10 minutes
off for 30 to 60 minutes).
- If the sting occurs on an arm or leg,
elevate the limb to help reduce swelling.
To help reduce the itching, consider the
following:
- Apply a paste of baking soda and water
and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Apply a paste of non-seasoned meat
tenderizer and water and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Apply a wet tea bag and leave it on
for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Use an over-the-counter product made
to use on insect stings.
- Apply an antihistamine or corticosteroid
cream or calamine lotion.
- Give acetaminophen for pain.
- Give an over-the-counter antihistamine,
if approved by your physician.
Observe the individual closely for the
next hour for any signs of allergic reaction that would warrant emergency
medical treatment. Call 911 or your local emergency medical service
(EMS) and seek emergency care immediately if the individual is stung
in the mouth, nose, or throat area, or for any signs of a systemic or
generalized reaction.
Online
Resources
American
Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
American
Psychological Association
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
National
Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
National
Institutes of Health (NIH)
US
Department of Heath and Human Services
|
August 2003
In
This Issue:
With
Summer Comes Bug Bites and Bee Stings
Don't
Look or Smell Like a Flower
Know
When the Reaction Is More than Minor
How
To Care for a Sting
People
Look for Partners with Familiar Qualities
Online
Resources
Other
Resources:
Find
a St. John's Mercy Physician
St.
John's Mercy Center for New Health Options
Mental
Health Information
St.
John's Mercy Classes and Programs
People
Look for Partners with Familiar Qualities
If you want to know the kind of partner you're looking for, try
looking in the mirror.
Researchers at Cornell
University have concluded people look for mates who have traits,
physical and otherwise, that are similar to their own.
These findings, which
appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
differ markedly from the so-called "parental investment"
theory of mate selection, which posits that people pick partners
who possess qualities important to successful child-rearing.
Not all experts agree
with the study.
"Just because they
[the study participants] tell you they are attracted to people
who have those attributes doesn't mean they would actually choose
those people," says Dr. Kate Wachs, a Chicago psychologist
and author of Relationships for Dummies. "Self perception
is very different."
The researchers asked
978 college-age heterosexual men and women to fill out a two-part
questionnaire. The participants were all located in the Ithaca,
N.Y., area and many were students at Cornell.
The first part of the
questionnaire required the respondents to rate the importance
of 10 different qualities in a potential life partner. The qualities
were grouped into four "evolutionarily relevant" categories:
wealth and status, family commitment, physical appearance, and
sexual fidelity.
In the second part of
the questionnaire, the respondents rated their own perceptions
of themselves for each of these same attributes.
A clear pattern emerged
from the responses: People who indicated that a particular attribute
was important in a partner tended to rate themselves highly in
that same category.
Experts say the common
wisdom that "opposites attract" does not always hold
true.
"A simple, summary
statement like opposites attract or similars attract is always
going to be fundamentally flawed and wrong part of the time,"
asserts Dr. Michael Cunningham, a psychologist in the department
of communications at the University of Louisville.
"It's always impossible
to summarize the process of mating in a single principle."
For example, the opposites
attract rule has many exceptions, Dr. Cunningham notes.
On the other hand, outgoing
people tend to like other outgoing people, quiet people tend to
be attracted to quiet people, and smart people tend to gravitate
towards other brainy types, Dr. Cunningham says.
Always consult your
physician for more information.
|
