Kounis syndrome: death by wasp

Kounis syndrome, caused by wasp stings, may potentially triggering heart attacks in those with underlying heart conditions. When stung, the body’s white blood cells overreact and attack the body itself, causing the airways to swell. This can starve the brain of oxygen, all in as little as a few minutes. Three in 100 healthy adults are known to have an allergy to wasp stings.

The body’s normal response to a sting is to release histamine, a chemical to counteract the toxin.  Kounis syndrome, larger amounts of histamine than normal are released in some people. This makes the blood vessels relax and then contract, sometimes sending them into spasm. In older people who often have a build-up of fatty deposits in the artery walls, these contractions cause the plaques to burst, releasing the fatty deposits into the arteries. This can cause blood clots, blockages and heart attacks. Kounis syndrome can take up to two weeks to manifest itself.

And you get stung, seek medical attention if any of these symptoms appear: breathlessness, confusion, disorientation, headache, nausea, blurred vision.

http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/deltabc-1.983313/blog-kounis-syndrome-death-by-wasp-1.2022167

 

•