Just ONE Ant's Sting Did This To Me

[abajan]

Yesterday, while I was washing my car, an average sized ant stung me on one of the toes on my right leg and within minutes I felt a familiar, unpleasant but somewhat hard to describe pain in the upper thigh of that leg. That happens just about every time I'm unfortunate enough to be stung by ants.

However, this time around in addition to pain in my thigh I noticed my head, especially my face, getting hot soon afterwards. Then I noticed that both of my hands were inflamed. In my head, in addition to the hot feeling, there was a pumping sensation beating in synchrony with my heart. When I went inside to look at my face in the mirror, swelling in the cheeks and forehead was quite evident, changing my features noticeably. My armpits had also become red.

Thankfully, this frightening episode only lasted perhaps 15 minutes at most, after which the swelling, redness and general discomfort gradually disappeared.

I had to take my Mom to her doctor yesterday and took the opportunity to describe the above event to him. He told me what I had experienced was a mild form of anaphylactic shock and that severe cases can be deadly if not treated swiftly because (among other things) the airways can become blocked by swelling.

Basically, anaphylactic shock is when the body overeacts with too much histamine to an allergen (in my case, the formic acid injected by the ant when it stung me).

Anyway, he prescribed an antihistimine which he suggested I travel with in case I should get stung when I'm not home.

It's hard to believe that a simple ant sting could cause so much havoc!

[Guest]

A majority of these insects are out there for absolute NO GOOD REASON. All these little six-legged do is sting, buzz around people, annoy picnic-goers, and, oh yes, make life miserable.

Sorry to hear that!

I wonder what kind of ant got you. Little ordinary ants don't have capability to sting to my knowledge. It must have been a fire ant or red ant. Those things, though tiny, can make you wish you were dead if they get you!

[earthquake~weather]

I completely understand I am allergic to fire ants......found out the hard way .....a few bites on my feet and within a few minutes I had broken out in hives.....my eyes swelled shut, my ears swelled shut.....

I called the hospital and they told me to take a double dose of Benadryl. It knocked me out, but the swelling went down, thank God.

Be careful around those ants!

[Radar]

I'm so glad you are ok after your reaction to fire ants. I also started having reactions to fire ants.. At first they just made alittle localized reaction then each additional time I was stung/bitten by one I would swell up worse. Now if I get stung my whole foot, ankle and calf swells and I have to take benadryl right away. Benadryl is the best thing to have on hand but in your case if the reaction involves your face, lips, chest, throat then seek medical attention immediately. Hurricanes can tear down a whole house but they cant get rid of fire ants... uuuuuggggghhhhhh!!!!!