What happens if a hornet bites you. Common signs include: What are the possible consequences of hornet stings?

Bites of various insects, firstly, are very unpleasant, and secondly, they can pose some danger to health. Why is a hornet sting dangerous? What to do if you are bitten by this insect? You will learn about this by reading the article.

A little about hornets

The hornet is a hymenopteran insect from the genus of true wasps, which explains the external similarity of these two species. Hornets most often live in families. The largest individuals have a length of up to 55 millimeters. Hornets live in nests made from chewed wood, using their own saliva as glue. They build their nests on branches and in hollows of trees, in rock crevices, in burrows, as well as in various buildings, on roofs, sometimes even in mailboxes. Their nests are round in shape and look like the nest of an ordinary wasp.

Hornets are predators, feeding on smaller insect species such as bees, although they can also feed on plant nectar. Hornets never attack first, unless a person poses a threat to them, but they consider the territory of about 20 meters around the nest to be their own, and they perceive your arrival as a manifestation of aggressiveness. When killing an insect, remember that it may have time to send an alarm signal, and then all the hornets of its family that received the signal may attack you. There are several varieties of hornets, all of them have poison of varying degrees of toxicity, the most dangerous are the Asian giant hornets.

Symptoms of a hornet sting

A hornet sting is dangerous because the venom has a local inflammatory, neurotoxic effect and affects the liver. First, excitation is observed, then inhibition of the central nervous system.

A hornet is capable of biting several times in a row because, unlike a bee, it does not lose its sting after being bitten. A mosquito net will not save you from a hornet; it can inject poison through the net. Hornet venom causes severe burns, especially when exposed to the eyes.

Hornet sting: symptoms

After a hornet sting, the following symptoms are typical:

• burning pain in the affected area;
• the affected area instantly swells and takes on an unhealthy red tint;
• Nausea and vomiting may occur;
• lips, neck and ears begin to turn blue;
• increased heart rate;
• decline blood pressure and, as a result, loss of consciousness is likely;
• difficulty speaking;
• Allergy sufferers experience an allergic skin reaction;
• People who are allergic specifically to hornet venom experience a severe allergic reaction, up to and including Quincke's edema.

In the rarest cases, a person with special resistance to hornet venom survives its attack without pronounced symptoms of a bite.

Can hornet venom kill humans?

Do people die from a hornet sting? Can the poison kill this insect? Theoretically, yes, a healthy person can die after receiving more than 20 full-fledged hornet stings. For a person suffering from allergies, one bite may be enough to kill them. A bite to the throat or tongue can also be fatal, since the swelling that appears after the bite can block the trachea, and the person will die from asphyxia. Children are at particular risk: why younger child, the higher the risk of death even from one bite.

Hornet sting: first aid

After a hornet attack, inspect the bite site: if there are sting particles in the wound, you need to carefully remove them with tweezers. Be sure to remove tight, tight clothing and any rings from your fingers. Carefully wash the affected area with soap and water, then disinfect with an alcohol solution - this will neutralize the infection that could be on the sting. To prevent allergic shock, you should take an antihistamine.

To avoid sharp decline blood pressure, it is better for the victim to take Cordiamine. If the bitten person does not have problems with blood vessels, you need to apply cold to the affected area and consult a doctor for medical help.

Give the victim plenty of fluids, preferably sweetened water or warm sweet tea. Under no circumstances should you give alcohol, as it increases swelling. When observing anaphylactic shock in a victim, you should begin performing artificial ventilation and chest compressions, without stopping until medical help arrives.

What to do if you are bitten by a hornet if the doctor is far away?

Are you sure you have a hornet bite? What to do? The first step is to carefully remove the poison from the wound. Parts of the sting may also come out along with the poison if it breaks during the bite. Then the wound must be disinfected by washing with a solution of alcohol or potassium permanganate. You can use vegetables or fruits that contain an acid that neutralizes insect venom to treat the affected area. Use gives good results lemon juice, as well as applying cut tomato, garlic or onion.

A hornet bite should not be ignored. Treatment is mandatory and is determined individually for each person, since the body’s reaction may be different. To eliminate swelling and relieve irritation, it is recommended to apply a cream containing lidocaine or hydrocortisone to the affected area. Just in case, it is recommended to take an antihistamine, for example, Suprastin or Tavegil. In case of a serious condition of the bitten person, you need to call a doctor; if the patient is feeling normal, you need to go to the hospital yourself. The doctor will assess the patient’s condition and recommend the necessary medications.

If you are bitten by a hornet in the mouth or larynx, you must immediately take the bitten person to the hospital. Such a bite can cause swelling of the larynx, which leads to difficulty breathing and complete blocking of receptors. Best Treatment with such a bite - a dropper with a cleaning solution.

Never hope that the consequences of a bite will hurt and go away on their own. Each person experiences a hornet bite differently, and a sharp deterioration may not appear immediately, but after 2-3 hours.

What are the consequences of a hornet sting?

A hornet's bite is dangerous for humans. The victim begins to suffer from intoxication, which is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• headache;
• weakness and dizziness;
• nausea and vomiting;
• heavy sweating;
• temperature jump;
• difficulty breathing;
• fever and chills;
• sometimes cramps.

Also, a hornet bite is dangerous because it can cause a heartbeat disorder, sometimes the heart stops. The consequences vary from person to person, and their severity depends on many factors, such as: general condition the body and its protective properties, the presence of allergies, age, chronic diseases. The severity of the consequences also depends on where the bite occurred: the greatest danger is from bites to the head, neck and areas where the arteries approach the skin. Children suffer the consequences of intoxication most severely: due to their small body size and weaker protective system intoxication occurs faster.

What to do when attacked by a hornet?

You can only escape from an attack in cover; you won’t be able to simply run away from the hornets; they fly quite quickly. To escape, it is better to choose a road with dense trees or bushes; you can try to hide in a dark place. You can run into the water if there is a body of water nearby. If a hornet comes up while walking, it is better to stand still and not wave your arms. The hornet will fly around you several times, and then most likely fly away, and you can leave. Hornets usually do not pursue their prey for a long time. Do not try to repel insects with cigarette smoke; this action can provoke them.

Prevention of hornet attacks

Always remember these rules and you will be able to get out dangerous situation without harming your health.

1. When visiting an apiary or inspecting the most likely places where insects accumulate, use protective equipment. Special sprays or ointments can significantly reduce the likelihood of a bite.

2. Traveling outside the city also requires special preparation - wear closed shoes and do not walk barefoot.

3. Be aware that bright colors of clothing and perfumes with a strong floral aroma attract these insects.

If you notice a hornet nest, it is better not to approach it, but calmly leave. Hornets are not as annoying as bees, but being around them is completely unnecessary. If you find a hornet nest on your property or in your house, it is best to destroy it in the spring, before the working hornets hatch. If you notice it in the summer, then contact the professionals. Destroying a nest yourself is fraught with a high degree of risk.

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At all times, hornet bites have caused panic fear in humans. In ancient times, these insects were even used as weapons: they were unleashed on enemy warriors, and they fled from the battlefield, afraid of being stung by an angry swarm. And this fear was well founded - even today, with the modern level of medical science, twice as many people die from the consequences caused by hornet bites than from the bites of poisonous snakes. And the poison of especially dangerous species of these insects living in Japan kills more than 70 people every year. Fortunately, the common hornet, which is considered the least aggressive, lives on the territory of our country. But it also causes a lot of problems for a person. Why are these stinging creatures so dangerous, and what should you do if you are bitten by a hornet?

What is the danger

The hornet's sting is very painful, but tolerable. The pain from it is comparable to the sensations that arise from the bite of a regular honey bee. The consequences are much more serious. The fact is that the hornet, unlike a bee, does not leave a sting in the body of the victim, so it can prick it several times, and each time injects up to 2 mg of poison, thereby increasing its concentration. The venom produced by the insect's body is similar in composition to the very toxic venom of rattlesnakes. Among the main active ingredients can be called:

• Acetylcholine - increases the sensitivity of nerve endings, which begin to send active impulses to the brain, as a result of which a person feels acute pain.
• Histamine – provokes the development of severe allergic reactions.
• Orientotoxins - under the influence of these substances, tissue cells are destroyed, releasing their contents. This explains the hemorrhage at the site of the bite, which occurred due to damage to the cells of the blood vessels.
• Phospholipases are an essential component of snake venom.
• Protein components - under their influence, the body's mast cells collapse, accompanied by a powerful release of histamine.
• Biogenic amines – speed up the heart and increase breathing.

Naturally, the human body cannot help but react to such a “bouquet”. Only the reaction will be different for everyone, and it depends on the individual characteristics of the body, the condition immune system, age and the presence of chronic diseases.

Reaction to a bite

What happens if a hornet bites you? One bite won't do much harm. In an adult and healthy person everything will be limited to minor pain, redness and swelling at the site of injection of the poison.

With numerous bites, the concentration of poison in a person’s blood increases significantly, so painful symptoms appear:

• Prolonged burning pain at the site of injection of poison.
• Severe headache, fatigue and nausea are the first signs of intoxication of the body.
• An increase in body temperature, sometimes to very high values, which is accompanied by severe chills.
• Increased sweating.
• Coldness of the extremities and blue lips indicate a disturbance in the functioning of the heart and vascular spasms.
• Rapid heartbeat and difficulty breathing are temporary symptoms, but can develop into asphyxia and severe pain in the heart.
• Low blood pressure.
• Strong nervous excitement, which is replaced by lethargy.
• Loss of consciousness and convulsions.

These symptoms appear within 3 hours after the bite. In this case, a bruise appears at the site of injection of the poison, soft fabrics become inflamed and swollen, redness and a local increase in temperature are observed. Sometimes suppuration or tissue necrosis forms at the site of the bite.

A serious condition can occur if the hornet bites:

• Into the eye - the retina may be damaged and vision may be impaired. An interesting fact is that the hornet does not even need to land on a person - it is capable of shooting poison. Often this is the way toxic substances and get into a person's eyes.
• In the neck - the resulting swelling compresses the airways, and without emergency help a person may suffocate.

The poison is eliminated from the human body within 3 days after a hornet bite. What to do if painful symptoms or swelling do not go away during this time? This means that toxins are still wreaking havoc in the body and you should consult a doctor. Help will definitely be needed if a child is bitten. The child's body reacts especially acutely to insect venom and the consequences can be unpredictable.

Development of allergies

A hornet sting can have the most serious consequences. The most common complication is the development allergic reaction in its various manifestations: from simple inflammation to anaphylactic shock and even death. The severity of the reaction depends on the individual characteristics of the organism. Moreover, this condition can develop even in a person who has never suffered from allergies before.

What signs can be used to determine that a person has an allergy after a bite:

• Skin itching develops into a burning sensation.
• Urticaria appears - under the influence of histamine, swelling of the thin upper layer of the dermis occurs, as a result of which blisters appear on the skin - single or merging into a single spot, and accompanied by itching.
• Quincke's edema develops - the poison causes a severe spasm of small blood vessels, accompanied by the release of plasma. It is literally absorbed into the loose tissue of the lips, eyelids, face and neck, upper chest and limbs. Because of this, very dangerous extensive swelling immediately appears.
• Harbingers of anaphylactic shock may include chest pain, decreased vision, fear of death, lack of air, numbness of the limbs and tongue, pale skin and hoarse breathing. In this case, the pressure drops sharply, and tachycardia or bradycardia may occur. In severe cases, instant death occurs.

It is important to know that the mortality rate from anaphylactic shock from hornet venom is quite high and amounts to 20%.

First aid

What to do if you are bitten by a hornet and the insect venom still enters your body? A hornet sting requires immediate first aid:

1. Give the victim an antihistamine - Suprastin, Claritin, Zyrtec.
2. Now you need to stop the spread of toxins in the body. Experts advise carefully sucking out the poison. Do not swallow saliva under any circumstances, then rinse your mouth thoroughly with water.
3. Treat the wound with a solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide.
4. Place a piece of sugar on the wound - it will draw out the remaining poison. Place a cold compress on top to reduce the rate of spread of the poison and reduce swelling.
5. After 10 minutes, apply a compress with vinegar or citric acid to neutralize the alkaline environment of the hornet venom.

After these steps, it is best to consult a doctor, especially if the symptoms of intoxication increase.

Prevention measures

And yet, hornets are quite peaceful insects. They will never attack a person without reason. But you should still take some precautions:

• Do not touch insect nests; even being near them is dangerous. Insects perceive this as an invasion and will definitely attack you.
• Do not make sudden movements, do not wave your arms, trying to drive away the insect.
• Do not kill the hornet near the nest - the release of specific substances into the air will certainly attract its aggressive relatives.
• Some odors make insects aggressive. Therefore, when going outdoors, do not use rich and harsh perfumes, colognes, soaps and shampoos.
• Interestingly, hornets especially love white and yellow colors. It is better to wear red clothes for a walk - insects do not see this color.
• During a picnic, food should be kept in closed containers, otherwise it may attract hornets.
• Respect the laws of nature, and it will never respond to you with aggression.

A hornet, whose bite is remembered forever, can be encountered by a person anywhere: on a hike, in the country, and even while on vacation in hot countries. Each type of these insects stings, of course, in its own way, but, nevertheless, contact with any, even the least aggressive common (European) hornet, promises a person a rather unpleasant outcome of the encounter.

The sting of a hornet among all hymenoptera insects is considered one of the most painful and fraught with serious consequences. It feels a little like being stung by an ordinary wasp or bee, but the pain itself, like the symptoms of a hornet sting in general, turns out to be many times stronger and more sensitive.

“I remember that a hornet bit me once. God, how painful it was, my ears began to ring. And then only one bit me, and I quickly shook it off. The bite was on the lower back, and in just a few minutes the inflammation spread to the shoulder blades. I knew that if a hornet bites a person, then due to too strong allergy symptoms you can die, but I had nothing like that. Maybe the temperature has risen a little. But the only serious thing is terrible pain. It feels like half of my back was simply cut off. And so - for about five days, then gradually everything went away.”

Inna, Volgograd

The photo shows what a hand looks like after a hornet bite:

While in our latitudes the overwhelming majority of bites from this insect will cause, if not fatal, but very unpleasant and generally unsafe symptoms for health, in the tropics people often die from hornet bites. For example, in Japan (according to current statistics) about 40 people die annually as a direct result of attacks by locals - so many people there do not die from any other insect or wild animal.

Meanwhile, hornets are insects that are not too aggressive and are even much more peaceful than, say, wasps. The hornet's sting is used relatively rarely and only when there is a serious danger to itself or to its nest. Therefore, disturbing such nests is really fraught with massive bites: if there is some kind of threat to the entire family, the hornets will defend themselves tooth and nail.

Note

Despite the severe consequences of hornet stings in general, individuals of the common European species, which is often found in Russian summer cottages, are not at all the leaders in the painfulness of stings among the insects of our fauna. Thus, the bites of road wasps are much more sensitive. The bites of swimmers are considered approximately similar, but still a little more painful. But the closest sensation is the bite of a large horsefly: the hornet bites just as painfully, but the consequences of its sting and the accompanying symptoms are much more serious due to the action of the poison. During an attack, a horsefly bites off a piece of skin from the victim, but the resulting wound, however, heals very quickly and stops bothering you within a few minutes after the attack. But a hornet bite is dangerous because of the consequences, which can be very serious.

The photo shows a hornet bite approximately 1 hour after the attack on a person:

Hornet venom and its effect on the body

Hornet venom contains many components, some of which are widely found in the animal world, for example, they are part of the venom of rattlesnakes.

Active ingredients of hornet venom:

1. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that causes a sharp activation of nerve endings and the generation of impulses. Figuratively speaking, when it gets into tissues in excess quantities, it hits the nerve nodes like a hammer and causes terrible pain.
2. Phospholipases and orientotoxin are components that cause the destruction of cell walls and the leakage of their contents into the intercellular space. Because of this, where the hornet has bitten, a focus of inflammation first appears, and then, when the walls of the blood vessels are damaged, hemorrhage occurs, often accompanied by subsequent suppuration. Phospholipases are an integral component of snake venom.
3. Histamine - simply put, this substance is by its nature an activator of an instant allergic reaction.
4. Protein components that cause the breakdown of the victim's own mast cells and thus release additional amounts of histamine.
5. Biogenic amines are substances that initiate increased heart rate and activation of respiration.

This is interesting

One of the protein components contained in hornet venom is called crabroline, named after the insect itself (the Latin name for the common hornet is Vespa crabro).

This composition of the poison determines not only what the hornet’s bite looks like on the victim’s body externally, but also with what force it affects the body as a whole. The video below shows the consequences of a hornet sting:

This is what hornet bites look like

Interestingly, the composition of the poison largely depends on how exactly and for what purpose insects use their toxins. For example, hornet venom is a typical protective one; it is not intended to attack or immobilize. At the same time, in scolias (close relatives of hornets, which are dark in color and sometimes not inferior to them in size), the poison is used precisely to paralyze prey - for example, the larvae of large beetles. The bite of these insects, unlike hornets, is insensitive and does not lead to serious symptoms of intoxication or allergies in humans.

One of the most important features The hornet's sting is its ability to sting several times. Unlike the honey bee, the hornet removes its sting from the victim's skin after each sting and can continue to use it.

This is interesting

The toxicity of hornet venom is less than that of a regular honey bee. But the pain caused by the bite is stronger.

Needless to say, a large predator spends a significantly smaller dose of poison on one bite than, for example, a bee - after all, it needs to maintain a strategic reserve of a protective substance for further attacks. However, the victim experiences severe pain, even from one such “injection”.

“What kind of stupid questions is this: does a hornet bite or not? It's a wasp, only a big one. Of course it bites. This summer, a hornet bit my cat at the dacha, on the nose. I thought the animal would not survive. His eyes couldn’t open, he could barely breathe through his mouth. It’s a terrible sight, I even had to take him to the vet, but he seemed to have recovered.”

Olga, Kaluga

Thanks to the mobility of its body, the hornet bites quickly and from almost any position. We can say that if this insect decides to attack, then avoiding a bite will be problematic - its reaction speed is too high.

By and large, the word “bite” should not be used in relation to this large insect: when striking a victim, the hornet stings, and does not bite. Despite the powerful jaws with which the predator kills its prey - insects and various small arthropods - it prefers to use its sting for protection. However, for the sake of simplicity, the hornet is most often said to “bite.”

This is interesting

Unlike bumblebees and bees, a hornet can sting without landing on the body of a person or other animal. People say that “the hornet strikes” - it actually flies close to the victim, quickly bends its body and thrusts its sting into the body. Literally immediately the poison is injected, and the wasp removes the sting from the skin. This is similar to a quick punch from a boxer and is a copy of the injection of riders - distant relatives of hornets, which thus inject an egg into the victim’s body with lightning speed. At the same time, his paws do not touch the opponent’s body. Thanks to this technique, a hornet can sting in the same place several times in a row.

“I once saw a hornet bite on the head. The girl seemed to have a huge dropsy on her head, and half her face was swollen. She was constantly injected with painkillers, but she still couldn’t eat because it hurt her to move her mouth.”

Vladislav, Moscow

The photo shows the consequences of a giant hornet biting a person:

Symptoms of a hornet sting

A hornet bite is very dangerous for humans: some of the symptoms that appear in the victim after an encounter with this insect pose a serious threat to health, and sometimes even life.

First of all, the sting causes incredible pain. It is felt immediately, even before the insect removes the sting from the skin. But even after this, the pain does not subside, but on the contrary, it only intensifies due to the spread of acetylcholine through the tissues.

The photo shows what a hornet bite to the face looks like:

In addition to severe pain, one of the primary symptoms that appears almost immediately after a bite is inflammation in the affected area, accompanied by extensive swelling. The more poison the hornet managed to inject into the wound and the higher the body’s sensitivity to it, the stronger the swelling will be.

The photo shows the hornet's sting:

In some cases, suppuration, tissue necrosis and numerous hemorrhages may appear at the site of inflammation. Such consequences are especially typical for cases when a person is stung by more than one hornet - multiple bites can develop into Quincke's edema.

A hornet bite is especially dangerous for children. In addition to the above symptoms in babies, swelling that appears, among other things, can affect internal organs.

“I am very afraid of all kinds of wasps and hornets and avoid them on the tenth road. And the husband flaunts his courage and got hit once. I drove the hornet out with my hand summer kitchen, and he bit him. I don’t know, it was probably very large, but my husband’s fingers were so swollen that he couldn’t pick up a spoon. There was such a pillow on my arm.”

Olga, Barnaul

One of the most dangerous is the bite of the giant, which lives mainly in Southeast Asia, and in our country - in Primorye. This insect is generally quite calm, but if it stings, then, as they say, “it won’t seem like much.”

Firstly, the Asian hornet almost always uses its sting several times in one attack. Secondly, he injects a sufficiently large dose of poison into the victim’s body, which, moreover, includes a unique substance mandorotoxin, which has a powerful effect on nervous system. Among other things, numerous bites of this hornet can cause hemorrhages in internal organs.

Pictured is a giant Asian hornet:

However, even without a severe allergic reaction, a hornet sting in humans can cause symptoms such as increased heart rate, headaches and shortness of breath. These temporary reactions rarely reach the point of serious heart pain or asphyxia, but, nevertheless, they can greatly frighten a person.

One more thing can be noted characteristic feature hornet bite - pain in the affected area is always accompanied by severe itching, sometimes so much that it is impossible to tolerate it. To alleviate this, in principle, not dangerous, but very unpleasant symptom, special medications are required.

“We had a case in our department once. They brought a child, he was bitten on the butt by a hornet. Everything seems to be normal according to the indicators, but the temperature is increased, and the swelling on the bottom is such that the baby could not move. All the tissues had hardened, and it was clear that the child was in great pain. He had to inject him with Xekofam and put him in the ward. Only after four days did he begin to feel better, and we sent him and his mother home.”

Tatiana, Kyiv

As mentioned above, within a few minutes after the bite, a person develops an allergic reaction. Its depth depends on individual sensitivity and can vary from simple inflammation to very serious consequences. Let's take a closer look at them.

Severe consequences of the attack

An allergy to a hornet sting is perhaps the most dangerous consequence of an attack by this insect for humans. In people with increased sensitivity to poison, the body's immune response can be very severe, sometimes turning into anaphylactic shock and ending in death.

You can never be sure of the body’s reaction to an insect bite, because it does not depend on the physical condition, and its severity is largely determined by genetic factors. Therefore, if a hornet bite does occur, you need to carefully monitor the emerging symptoms and your condition in general.

“Over the past year, two people were admitted to our hospital with anaphylactic shock after being stung by hornets. One was unconscious, the second was in a semi-fainting state. In both cases, the cause was a single bite. In one patient, the upper airway was obstructed due to edema; Despite our efforts and the use of serious medications, he died of acute renal failure. The surviving patient admitted that he did not know whether the hornets bite, and simply tried to drive away the insect that had flown in at the smell of dried fish.”

Tian Li, Huangdu

An allergic reaction of the body almost always follows the same “scenario”. However, we should not forget that its intensity is different people is absolutely individual, therefore how far the allergy will go in its manifestations depends specifically on the body of the victim. However, let's highlight all the possible symptoms as they appear.

1. The first sign of the body's immune response is the actual inflammation at the site of the bite. It is characteristic of all those stung.
2. Then a rapid heartbeat, headaches, and an increase in body temperature begin to appear.
3. Further, the person’s lymph nodes become enlarged, and nausea and diarrhea may occur.
4. In rare cases, renal failure develops.

If any of these symptoms appear, the victim should be immediately taken to the hospital, since without medical assistance the risk of death is quite high. In case of high sensitivity of the body (which the bitten person may not be aware of), even simple inflammation can quickly develop into more serious manifestations.

The mortality rate from anaphylactic shock after a hornet sting, even with timely treatment, is 15-20%.

Particular attention should be paid to very important fact: The severity of the allergy increases with each new sting of any hymenoptera insect. This means that if, for example, a bee sting once had allergic consequences, then more serious complications can be expected from an encounter with a hornet.

If a hornet bites you: what to do?

Now let's determine the algorithm of actions if you or a person nearby are stung by a hornet.

After a bite, you don’t need to look for a sting in the skin - it simply isn’t there. Only bees leave their sting in the wound, but hornets live quietly and continue to use it. But what you should do right away is take a tablet of Suprastin or Claritin to stop the development of an allergic reaction.

• try to suck out the poison from the wound, but do this for no more than 2-3 minutes, because the skin at the puncture site quickly tightens, and the main amount of toxin still remains inside;
• apply a moistened piece of sugar to the wound - it will draw out some more of the poison;
• apply a cold compress to the developing swelling to slow down the spread of the toxin in the tissues;
• lubricate the stung area with Fenistil and drink Diphenhydramine.

All further actions come down to two steps: simple goals: monitoring the condition of the victim and combating symptoms. If the body temperature of the stung person does not rise above 38°C, it is not worth bringing it down.

Under no circumstances should you ingest alcohol after a hornet bite: this can cause swelling to increase significantly.

If a hornet has bitten a cat or dog, you need to carefully monitor the pet’s condition and, if possible, apply a compress to the stung area of ​​the body. If the animal's health worsens, it should be shown to a veterinarian.

“Our Birby (Yorkshire Terrier) was recently bitten by a hornet. The dog's entire shoulder was blown out, he began to have shortness of breath, he could not move his paw, he did not eat anything. We called the veterinarian, he told us that it was definitely a hornet. He injected some medicine to relieve the swelling, but only a week later Birby began to eat and walk normally. I lost a lot of weight during this time...”

Alla, Voronezh

Be that as it may, a hornet bite is in any case a very serious incident that requires close attention. If a particular person has ever had severe allergic reactions to insect stings, he must always have with him a so-called “allergy passport” - a certificate from an allergist, which indicates all the necessary data in case this patient has severe symptoms of a bite the hornet will end up in the hospital.

After a hornet attack, you should carefully monitor your well-being and not be too self-confident: anaphylactic shock develops very quickly and can affect even completely healthy and physically strong people. Therefore, if your health worsens, you should not hesitate to go to the hospital or call an ambulance.

Hornets are hymenopteran insects from the paper wasp family that live mainly in families. The body size of an adult is 3 cm or more.

Hornets are hymenopteran insects from the paper wasp family that live mainly in families. The body size of an adult is 3 cm or more. A collision between a person and a hornet can happen anywhere; often the habitat of these insects is wooden buildings of people, tree hollows, and beehives. Hornets feed on plant nectar and small insects. For example, bees.

Symptoms of a hornet sting

The poison of this insect does not pose a great danger to people. By the way, hornets are quite aggressive and are the first to attack if a person approaches them. Unlike bees, this hymenoptera does not leave a sting in the victim’s skin at the time of its bite, and the toxin entering its bloodstream can cause a serious allergic reaction, including the development of Quincke’s edema. In addition, hornet venom can lead to changes in the condition of the victim’s body, such as increased blood glucose levels, increased breathing, and heart rhythm disturbances.

The sting of a hornet is very painful, since it is a fairly large insect with an impressive sting. In the first minutes after the so-called bite occurs, at the site of its localization the skin begins to burn strongly, swells, becomes red, after 2-3 hours the victim may experience the main signs of intoxication: headache, dizziness, nausea, increased body temperature, chills, increased sweating.

These manifestations can be weak or strong. This depends on the age of the hornet victim, the presence of certain chronic diseases, and her predisposition to allergies. Very rapidly signs of intoxication of the body appear in young children. If a hornet or other similar insect stings a child under the age of 16, you should definitely contact a specialist. This should be done as quickly as possible.

A hornet sting is accompanied by a severe allergic reaction in the form of urticaria and its complication – Quincke's edema. The latter poses a danger to human life, since it is often accompanied by swelling of the larynx, which complicates the breathing process. The appearance of extensive red spots on the victim’s body, merging into one whole, is a sign of urticaria and also requires timely assistance doctor

First aid for a hornet sting

Immediately after a collision between a person and an insect occurs, you should carefully examine the site of the bite, since part of the hornet’s sting may remain on it. The sting must be removed from the skin using tweezers. Then the bite site should be thoroughly washed with antibacterial soap and disinfected with an alcohol solution. Insect stings may contain pathogenic bacteria, contact with the skin will lead to a severe inflammatory process.

If a hornet stings a person for the first time, and he, therefore, does not know how his body will behave in such a situation, it is recommended to take an antihistamine. This will avoid the occurrence of an allergic reaction and subsequent complications.

In the event of a bite from insects such as hornets, wasps and bees, going to a medical facility is not necessary, provided that the victim feels well and does not have allergy symptoms. You should definitely seek qualified help if:

• the victim’s health deteriorates sharply;
• the bite site is very swollen and painful;
• the victim has already experienced a severe allergic reaction due to a hornet sting;
• the victim is a child under 16 years of age;
• There was a bite of not one, but several hornets at once.

When confronted with several insects at once, the level of toxin in a person’s blood increases significantly, so signs of intoxication may be more pronounced.

Consequences of a hornet sting

Stinging insect bites are usually harmless to humans. Their main complications may include: urticaria, Quincke's edema, cardiac dysfunction, even cardiac arrest. The manifestation of certain signs of a hornet bite, as well as the severity of its consequences, completely depends on the location of the bite itself. The most dangerous insect bites are those that strike the head area and the passage of large blood vessels. In such cases, their poison enters the bloodstream, spreads very quickly throughout the body and reaches the brain.

Persons prone to allergic reactions should avoid collisions with stinging insects, since severe allergies in some cases can lead to death (due to cardiac arrest, laryngeal edema, etc.).

Hornet one of the most poisonous and dangerous insects. Just one hornet sting causes severe pain, swelling and burning. The insect belongs to the species of the aspen family, has a body of intense yellow with black stripes. Adult hornets can grow up to 5 cm in length. The hornet's belly is equipped with a long poisonous sting. Hornets are predators by nature, preying on moths, bees and other insects. Beekeepers fight them because they are the bane of apiaries. Even one hornet can destroy all the bees in a hive. Their mouth is equipped with powerful jaws that literally tear their prey to pieces and devour it.

They build nests in abandoned buildings, in trees, rural houses, you can often find it in the forest. A nest with a swarm of hornets looks like a large oval ball in colored paper. Insects are aggressive and very dangerous. While defending their nests, they can attack a person in the blink of an eye. Just a few hornet stings can cause serious health problems in sensitive people. Those allergic to the toxin should be especially careful around these dangerous insects.

There are many myths surrounding a hornet sting.
The first myth is the answer to the question:

How many hornet stings cause death in humans? And the answer is: not one and not two. Of course, this does not apply to people who are allergic to their poison.

The second myth is that a hornet sting is terribly painful. This is also not true. The bite is painless. But when the poison spreads under the skin it causes severe pain.

It is worth noting that a hornet sting is much more dangerous than a wasp sting. And he more painful due to a longer, more deeply penetrating sting and a higher concentration of acetylcholine in the venom. A hornet sting is very painful and unpleasant. At the site of the insect bite (arms, head and legs), severe burning pain and severe swelling almost immediately appear.

Hornet stings are mainly a seasonal phenomenon - from early spring to late autumn. The venom of these insects contains various ingredients that have mainly neurotoxic and histamine-releasing effects. Poisoning combines toxic and allergic components of a reaction to the body.

Hornet venom composition

The most important parameter of hornet venom is LD50. It determines the amount of poison per kilogram of body weight that causes the death of 50% of the population. In the case of the hornet, the LD50 is 50 mg/kg (range 10 to 90 mg/kg). Thus, to kill a victim weighing 60 kg, an average of 60 * 50 = 3000 mg of poison is required. One hornet contains about 0.26 mg of poison in its abdomen and, thus, to cause the death of a person, several hundred hornets must bite him.

But when a hornet stings, reactions can occur that can indirectly lead to death. These neurological reactions such as seizures, peripheral neuritis, depression.

There are species of hornets that are more toxic. Their LD50 value can even be 30 times higher than described above. But these species are not found in Russia.

Hornet venom consists of the following compounds:

• histamine- usually located in human body, acts as a mediator of inflammatory processes and neurotransmitters. The bite increases the amount of histamine and causes rapid dilation of blood vessels, and also reduces blood pressure.
• serotonin- a neurotransmitter known as the happiness hormone. The presence of serotonin and its increased concentration in this area causes pain. Serotonin causes the release of acetylcholine and enhances the action of histamine.
• acetylcholine- neurotransmitter causes blood vessels to dilate and lowers blood pressure
• kinins- cause pain
• phospholipase A And phospholipase B- enzymes that destroy cell walls, which allows the penetration of poisons into the blood. Their action also includes the local release of histamine from cells, causing itching, burning and swelling.

Symptoms after a hornet bite

Local symptoms:

• burning pain
• edema,
• redness,
• sometimes bullous changes (blisters),
• possibility of local infection,
• regional lymphadenitis and lymphangitis

General toxic signs:

• nausea,
• vomit,
• weakness,
• dizziness

After being bitten in the area of ​​a blood vessel or in the neck or head, loss of consciousness and convulsions

Allergic symptoms:

• rash and itching on the skin of the body
• swelling of the eyelids and soft tissues,
• hemorrhage in the conjunctiva,
• nausea,
• bronchospasm,
• swelling of the larynx,
• tightness in the chest,
• lack of air,

First aid for allergies to hornet stings

People who are allergic to hornet venom have a sudden, severe reaction called anaphylactic shock .

Among the many symptoms of anaphylactic shock, the most common are:

• increasing shortness of breath,
• weakness,
• swelling of the neck and face,
• rash.

With such symptoms, you need to quickly take appropriate measures:

• by using cold water or ice to cool the bite area
• immobilize the bite site (to reduce the rate of spread of the poison)
• lie down (to avoid collapse in case of loss of consciousness)
• in case of weakness and lightheadedness, raise your legs up

If you lose consciousness, you should call an ambulance. Health care providers use hydrocortisone and bicarbonate or, in severe cases, epinephrine and antihistamines.

Emergency medical care

For bee, wasp and hornet stings:

1. Remove the sting (if any) and treat the wound with an alcohol solution. Apply antihistamine ointment.
2. Antiallergic treatment with corticosteroids, antihistamines, adrenaline and resuscitation, oxygen therapy, calcium supplements. Laryngeal edema is treated with high doses of glucocorticoids, adrenaline, intubation and ventilation, and tracheostomy in emergency cases.
3. For a bite on the tongue or oral mucosa with a swollen tongue and difficulty breathing - high doses of glucocorticoids, adrenaline, intubation, tracheotomy.
4. Detoxification treatment with moderate amounts of infusion solutions, B vitamins, enzyme preparations.

Bitten by a hornet - what to do at home

Correct action within the first few minutes can prevent a lot of inconvenience and even save the life of a person suffering from allergies to bee, wasp and hornet stings!

The most important thing is to act quickly and decisively.

First, it is necessary to determine whether the person who was stung by the hornet is allergic to the poison. If this is the case, you need to remain calm and eliminate the risk of repeated bites. Most often, people who are allergic to hornet stings carry medicine with them to treat acute anaphylactic shock.

If a hornet bites you in the mouth, neck or face, you need to react quickly and call an ambulance, as swelling can block the airways. This can lead to loss of consciousness or even suffocation. If a hornet stings your tongue, throat or mouth while waiting for an ambulance, you should give him a cold drink, suck on ice cubes and a teaspoon of salt solution.

After a hornet sting, you feel severe pain and burning. It is necessary to examine the site of the bite and check whether there are any sting residues there. When a hornet bites, there should not be a stinger in the wound, but if you still see it, carefully remove it with tweezers or a needle.

Then you need to vigorously wipe the affected area with one of the following products: :

• a clove of garlic, cut into two halves,
• half an onion
• Parsley, marigolds, mallow or plantain also help well.
• A piece of apple applied to the bite site gives an excellent effect
• if there is nothing, you can pour a little vinegar (preferably apple cider vinegar) onto the bite site.

How to relieve swelling and swelling after a bite

We offer two folk recipes compresses that help relieve swelling and swelling at the site of the bite.

• 1 glass of water 150-200 ml
• ½ cup vinegar (apple vinegar is fine)

• ½ teaspoon ammonia
• ½ teaspoon citric acid
• 1 glass of vinegar or brandy 150-200 milliliters

Soak a cotton cloth with one of these two mixtures and place it on the tumor. Change the compress 5-6 times a day until swelling and swelling decrease and the wound heals.

It happens that a hornet bites you while you are eating fruit (often the insect is inside a grape, peach, etc.) - this is very dangerous bite, because swelling of the tongue and oral mucosa and breathing problems immediately occur.

What to do? Immediately eat 1-2 cloves of garlic and take 1 tablespoon of wine vinegar. And then run to the nearest hospital, especially if you are prone to developing severe allergic conditions.

Prevention - how to avoid a hornet bite

Hornets are not as curious as wasps and they are not interested in people. They only attack if provoked. But if this happens, and the hornet still arrives, you should remain calm and move away from it. Or just stay still and calmly wait until it flies away. It is good to refrain from sudden movements and under no circumstances attempt to move your hands. Since he may consider such behavior as an attempt on his life. The hornet's natural reaction is to defend itself by stinging. When a hornet enters a house, the best thing to do is open the window and let it fly out. Or try using something oblong with a wide surface (for example, newspaper). A glass lid may be suitable, under which you place a piece of cardboard and, thus, drive it out.

It should also be remembered that hornets are much more nervous and aggressive on hot days. Strong odors (such as perfume) and alcohol can also be irritants. Keep this in mind when you are at the front of the house or in the garden. Bright contrasting or dark clothing also attracts hornets.