It can be very painful if a person is bitten by a hornet. If this happens, the victim needs help. The article describes in detail why a hornet bite is dangerous, what to do at home to treat it.

Sometimes you want to find out who the hornet is, and how dangerous it is. This insect belongs to the wasp family. His attack is dangerous, in most cases the result is severe pain, sometimes this is not limited to this - there is a lethal outcome. How severe the consequences are depends on the type of hornet that attacked the person.

Thinking about how many stings the hornet has, you need to consider that this insect does not leave its weapon in the wound, does not lose it. Therefore, it lives its entire life with the same sting.

Among those who can meet there are species that are very poisonous. However, at the same time, there are varieties that cause only minor harm to people.

Can you die after being bitten

The harm that is done to people suffering from allergies is especially dangerous. In this case, if you do not provide timely medical care, the likely outcome is death.

Interesting! The sting of this insect penetrates approximately the same depth as that of the bee. After that, there is no doubt whether the hornet has a sting.

Hornet in the palm

By itself, their venom is no more dangerous than bee venom, but after a few bites, a large amount can accumulate, which can pose a serious danger to humans. The higher the concentration of the poison, the more severe the inflammatory process it can cause.

The most dangerous species of these insects, which are capable of killing humans with their poison, live in Asian countries.

This is what a hornet bite is dangerous for a person - it usually causes the affected person to experience the following symptoms:

  1. Strong pain occurs.
  2. Redness occurs at the site of the bite, and a swelling occurs.
  3. It is likely that not only feelings of nausea occur, but also vomiting attacks.
  4. Cooling of the hands and feet often occurs.
  5. The ears, along with the neck and lips, acquire a noticeable bluish tint.
  6. There is a decrease in blood pressure.
  7. The attack of this insect can cause dizziness. Loss of consciousness sometimes occurs. Usually, such consequences are possible in cases where adults with severely weakened immunity or young children are affected.
  8. In some cases, pronunciation is difficult.
  9. Skin flakiness can be observed, which is accompanied by the formation of spots.

Such symptoms occur in the vast majority of cases. However, it is very rare that after an attack by this insect, the victim will have mild symptoms.

On a note!Unfortunately, if a bite has occurred, then its effect is not limited to pain at that moment. Since there is severe intoxication, the consequences may appear in the future.

This is what the hornet is dangerous to humans:

  1. Periodic headaches.
  2. Persistent and severe dizziness.
  3. Nausea that may last for a while, accompanied by bouts of vomiting.
  4. Sometimes the consequences can be heavy sweating.
  5. Hornet poisoning can lead to an increase in temperature.
  6. There is difficulty in breathing, which is accompanied by shortness of breath.
  7. Chills and fever may occur.
  8. In very rare cases, seizures can occur.However, this symptom is very rare.

The severity of the consequences is largely determined by the general state of health of the victim. Also, when assessing the condition, the following should be taken into account:

  1. This person's tendency to allergies.
  2. Age matters: the older the victim, the more pronounced the painful symptoms.
  3. People who suffer from a variety of chronic illnesses may be hardest hit by the bite.
  4. The degree of damage also differs, depending on where the hornet stung.

At first, after the hornet venom enters the body, the victim may experience allergic spots. This is an alarming signal and suggests that in this case, the occurrence of Quincke's edema is likely. This complication can directly threaten the patient's life. The fact is that in this case, swelling of the tissues of the larynx occurs, which, in the end, leads to the closure of the windpipe and the impossibility of breathing.

Important! At the first signs of such a complication, the victim needs urgent medical attention, otherwise he may not survive.

Baby hornet bite

Hornets are especially dangerous for young children.

How many bites are fatal to a person

Each time this insect attacks, the victim receives a portion of the poison. The more bites there were, the more severe the consequences for the victim will be. When asking the question of whether a hornet can kill a person, the following should be taken into account.

The harm that is done to a person depends on various factors. In particular, we can talk about:

  • individual sensitivity to the effects of this insect;
  • a person's condition (if he is feeling unwell or chronic diseases);
  • the presence or absence of an allergic reaction to such a poison.

Important! A person with high sensitivity can die from a bite. At the same time, others can, with good resistance to the effects of hornet venom, endure a series of bites with almost no consequences. Therefore, it is hardly possible to name the exact number of bites that can be fatal to a person.

First aid for a bite

If a bite occurs, the victim needs help. It is important to know what to do at home if bitten by a hornet. Here's what you can do in this case:

  1. The first thing to do is to inspect the bite site. Although usually the sting of a hornet does not remain in the wound, nevertheless, a piece can break off when bitten and remain in the skin. If this happens, you can use tweezers and remove it from the wound. It is not recommended to squeeze this piece out.
  2. It is helpful to rinse the wound with clean water. It is also advisable to use antibacterial soap.
  3. On the sting of an insect there are pathogens. In order to disinfect the damaged area, you need to apply alcohol to a cotton swab and wipe the wound thoroughly.
  4. For wound treatment, you can use fluids that contain acid in their composition. For this, for example, lemon or onion juice is suitable.
  5. To reduce inflammation, it is helpful to apply something cold to the bite. For this purpose, you can use ice, if not, then you can pour chilled water into a plastic bag and press it against the wound.
  6. It may be helpful to take an antihistamine such as Tavegil or Suprastin
  7. After assistance has been provided, you need to see a doctor.

Tavegil

The latter is not necessary if the insect did not cause significant harm and did not cause unpleasant health consequences.

How to treat

You need to see a doctor if the following occurs:

  1. After a hornet attack, a sharp weakening of the body is felt for several days.
  2. After the bite, severe edema sometimes appears, which is accompanied by significant pain.
  3. In the case when the victim has an allergic reaction.
  4. If a child is injured who is not older than 16 years, then a doctor must treat him.

Note!Another reason for going to the doctor is the situation when not one hornet bit, but several at once, since in this case the victim received a much larger amount of poison than usual.

Does a sting leave when bitten

An important feature of hornets is that they do not leave a sting in the wound. This enables them to carry out several bites in a short period of time.

However, the situation is quite real when a piece breaks off the sting and remains in the wound. If it is not removed in time, in addition to other symptoms, it causes suppuration of the bite site.

A hornet bite can be very painful. If it happens, it is necessary to seek treatment and, if necessary, consult a doctor.