Nobody really enjoys coming into contact with stinging insects like fire ants or wasps. However, it is next to impossible to completely avoid them all of your life. The thing is, you may have never actually been stung by one of these insects before. And because of this, you might find yourself worrying about the possibility of having an allergy to those stings. There are things that you can do to take the best possible care of yourself and ensure that if you are, in fact, allergic to insect stings, you know what to do. Get to know some of these steps to take and then, you will be able to deal with your fear of stinging insects more effectively.
Visit an Allergist
What you may not yet know is that there are tests available to determine if you have a stinging insect allergy. If you schedule an appointment with an allergist (a doctor that specializes in the treatment of allergies), you can get a simple skin test for allergies performed.
In this skin test, you will have several different potential allergens placed on your skin in liquid form. Then the doctor will use a small needle to essentially inject those potential allergens into the top layers of your skin. They will wait several minutes and then check the injection sites. Those that have visible redness or swelling are the allergens that you are indeed allergic to.
Thus, you will be able to tell if you are allergic to stinging insects as well as other things. If you test positive for a stinging insect allergy, you will then need to take some precautions to protect yourself.
Get a Treatment Plan
If you and your allergist determine that you have a stinging insect allergy, the next step will be to develop a treatment plan in case you do get stung by a bee, wasp, hornet, fire ants, or yellow jacket (the stinging insects known to cause allergic reactions). The best step that you can take for your safety and health when you have such an allergy is to get an epinephrine auto-injector.
Epinephrine auto-injectors are devices that are used if you have been stung by one of the aforementioned insects. It is essentially a pen that has a needle on the end. In the case you have been stung, you take the auto-injector out, place it on your thigh and press the plunger down. This will inject the epinephrine into your system and will have an immediate effect to prevent full anaphylaxis until you can get to an urgent care center or hospital.
In addition to carrying an ephinephrine auto-injector with you at all times, you should try to always remain aware of where the closest urgent care center or hospital is so that you can get there quickly if anything does happen. And, of course, do what you can to avoid coming into contact with those stinging insects in the first place (i.e. avoid flower gardens in the spring and summer, do not go into heavily wooded areas, etc...). This will help in the prevention of stings.
Now that you know what to do when you are afraid that you may be allergic to insect stings, you can get started taking steps to protect your health right away. For more information, contact local professionals or visit sites like http://www.oakbrookallergists.com.
