There has been a surprising number of unusual reactions to insect stings around here (Northeast Indiana) recently. Most involve a very unusual amount of swelling occuring up to a week later. Noone seems sure exactly what bit them, including myself. The local medical practitioners haven't a clue, but a friend who types up medical relcords for several doctors claims that there are many cases within the last couple of months. In last night's paper, a woman was riding in a convertible, got stung. and lost consiousness.
In my case, my first incident was after I put on the heavy "bee gloves" which Kelly sells and something which felt like a hot needle stung my finger. I didn't see a bee or a stinger, but a few days later the finger swelled up for a couple of days. No fever. Some ache in the bone.
The second was a sting on my thumb; definitely a bee, stinger and sac left. It started itching a couple of days later. Little swelling, but the skin got hard like a callus and peeled off a couple of weeks later.
The third one was when I was being buzzed by what was a bee or wasp which followed me 50 or 60 feet from the hive, and I ducked under some bushes to get rid of it, and about that time cometning stung me just under my left eye. I am relatively sure I would have seen or felt a bee contacting me in that area. I felt a minor bite, little worse than a mosquito bite. Two or three days later my eye was swollen almost shut. A day after that my eye was better but my face down to mychin was swollen the size of my hand. This alarmed me and I sought medical attention and was put on powerful antibiotics and "anti allergy" medicine. The next day it had moved to my neck under my chin and looked like a goiter, after which it slowly went away.
Anybody else heard of unusual reactions to possible bee stings recently?
ayyon2157