Symptoms of an allergic reaction to insect stings vary from mild to life-threatening. The severity of your allergic reaction depends on your sensitivity to the allergens in the venom—not necessarily on the number of stings or how often you have been stung in the past. It is normal to have some immediate swelling, redness, pain, and itching at the site of an insect sting—poisons and other toxins in the insect's venom enter the skin when you are stung.

When you are stung by an insect, poisons and other toxins in the insect's venom enter your skin. It is normal to have some swelling, redness, pain, and itching at the site of a sting. An allergic reaction to the sting occurs when your body's immune system overreacts to substances called allergens that are in the venom of stinging insects. You may not always develop an allergic reaction the first time you are stung.

allergic reaction to an insect sting is diagnosed by a physical exam and a medical history. Once you have recovered from the allergic reaction, you may be given allergy tests to find which types of insect stings you are allergic to and how sensitive you are to the allergens.

Wasps, honey bees, hornets, yellow jackets and ants are the insects most likely to cause strong allergic reactions. Some biting insects (mosquitoes, flies, lice, kissing bugs and fleas) can cause allergies as well because they inject saliva to thin the blood when they bite. Finally, some caterpillars are covered with hairs that contain a substance irritating to human skin and this can sometimes cause allergic reactions.

In general there are three kinds of reactions to insect stings. The first kind, normal reactions, involve pain, redness, swelling, itching, and warmth at the site of the sting. The second kind, toxic reactions, are the result of multiple stings. Five hundred stings within a short time are considered likely to kill because of the quantity of venom involved. As few as ten stings within a short time can cause serious illness.

No one knows for sure, but it is estimated that at least 4 of every 1000 people are affected. Each year 50 to 100 people in the U.S. die from reactions to stings. Many summer deaths attributed to heart attack or drowning may actually be due to allergic reactions to insect stings, so the number may be even higher. More people are killed in the U.S.

Essentially the same thing that causes all allergies — the immune system. Some people produce antibodies in response to some substances. When this happens, the person becomes allergic to the substance. When the substance is introduced into the body at later times, there will be a more or less severe allergic reaction. In the case of insect allergies (or more correctly, insect *venom* allergies), the substance is the venom injected by the insect when it stings.

According to the Committee on Insect Allergy of the American Academy of Allergy, insect allergies occur as frequently in people who have no other allergies as in those who do. Severe reactions most often occur after the age of 30, although they have been observed at all ages. A person who has already had an allergic reaction is more likely to have one in response to the next sting suffered. However, the absence of a reaction one time doesn't mean that it won't occur subsequently.

Theoretically, desensitization or allergy shots to poison ivy can be accomplished; however, practically it cannot be done. It has been tried in the past, and the side effects have been too great to warrant widespread use. Thus, at the present time, there is no available desensitization program for poison ivy or poison oak.

Allergy clinics are available for a fee, click here for details. Students requiring allergy shots are responsible for providing their serum and medial order from their doctor.

Venom therapy involves building up a tolerance to identified allergens in insect venoms through gradually increasing doses of the specific venom causing the allergy. The therapy is delivered by injection and once tolerance is achieved, it must be maintained through periodic (usually monthly) injections. Because of the frequency and expense of repeated injections, most people will probably not find this option feasible unless they work regularly around stinging insects.

We know that allergy shots can produce a prolonged remission in symptoms even after they are stopped. We know that many patients maintain the degree of relief they have achieved lifelong, and it is not uncommon at all for this relief to last years. However relapses can occur and some patients, on occasion, resume injections after having stopped them.

Allergy shots consist of the unavoidable ariborne allergens to which the particular patient has been found sensitive in a purified and sterilized form.

The most common side effect of allergy injections is mild soreness, redness, swelling, local heat and tenderness at the site of the injections. Typically this is greatest 2 or 3 hours after the injection and is gone by the next morning. If such local reaction lasts over 24 hours, the dosage should be held steady and not increased until the excessive degree of local reaction is no longer occurring.

Allergy shots have been shown to be clearly helpful for asthma. Allergy testing should be done in most patients with significant asthma so that modifications can be made in the environment. Many patients can be managed with medications, so that a decision needs to be made about whether allergy shots should be given.

When medications aren't helping and you're having a hard time avoiding your allergens, it might be time to consider allergen immunotherapy, or "allergy shots." With immunotherapy treatment, you receive increasingly higher doses of your allergens over time, gradually becoming less sensitive to them. Allergy shots have been proven effective for symptoms caused by grass, tree and weed pollens, dust mites, cat dander, certain molds and stinging insects.

Yes. For those students who are on a maintenance schedule of injections with an allergy specialist (antigens provided by the patient), arrangements can be made to give those injections at Nurses Clinic (for a fee) to those who qualify for this service. If you desire this service please contact Nurses Clinic (858) 534-2918 to discuss your case further.

The Health Services staff will administer allergy injections during the academic year as ordered by your private physician on Mondays and Thursdays when the university Health Services physician is present. For details contact Health Services at (210) 999-8111.

Usually it takes several months for allergy shots to produce a noticeable effect. The reason that it takes so long is that the initial dosage must be very low, too low to stimulate the immune response. In the first few months of injection treatment, each dose is greater than the one before. Protection against the effects of allergen exposure occurs only after the higher dosages are reached. If the dosage were to be started too high or increased too rapidly, unpleasant reactions may occur.

Allergies cannot be cured but allergy symptoms can be treated and controlled. This may require making changes in your environment or behavior to avoid or reduce your exposure to certain allergens. Medication also may help relieve allergy symptoms. Even with allergy treatment, your body's immune system may continue to react when exposed to allergens. In some cases, however, children may outgrow their allergies, particularly those to food. Immunotherapy, or allergy shots, is not a cure.

Insect sting allergy occurs when the immune system overreacts to the venom injected by a stinging insect. After the first sting, the allergic person's body produces an allergic substance called Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody, which reacts with the insect venom.

allergic reaction to an insect sting is caused by sensitivity to allergens in the venom of the insect. Your immune system overreacts to these allergens as though they are harmful, foreign substances in your body. A few types of stinging insects—such as bees, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, and fire ants—cause most allergic reactions to insect stings.

quot;Allergy Shots" (the medical term is allergen immunotherapy) are used to treat some cases of respiratory allergic diseases. This means those allergic diseases affecting the nose, lining membranes of the eye, and bronchial tubes.

We do offer allergy injections at College Health Services through our nursing service. The injections will be provided free for those students who subscribe to the Student Medical Insurance Plan or the Prepaid Health Center Option. You will need to have your allergist provide us with a detailed vaccine administration protocol and contact numbers for your allergist office.

Several allergists in the Western New York area have agreed to provide allergy injections for Canisius College students. Each allergist has specific procedures, clinic hours for the injections and billing practices. It is the student's responsibility to contact the physician's office and inquire about these practices. A list of allergists can be found below. Transportation to and from the allergist appointments will be the responsibility of the student.

Yes. Allergy shots are given by appointment only. However, you absolutely MUST have a pre-entrance physical within two (2) years (Medical Evaluation Form) on file. There is a $50 per semester administration fee. Come in and talk with a nurse about the schedule for shots and find a time that works for you.

Any student who provides documentation of the need for allergy shots, from their physician, is able to get the shots here at the Student Health Center. The student is responsible for providing the Health Center with the medication and will be charged a nominal fee for each visit.