Bee stings leave man on brink of death

A Black Country man was left on the brink of death after being repeatedly stung by a swarm of bees.

The man was rushed to Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital for emergency treatment. He had been in his back garden in Upper Gornal, when he was attacked by the bees which repeatedly stung him.

Although he is not allergic to bee stings the sheer number of them caused a reaction and made his windpipe close up.

He was given antihistamine treatment and has now made a full recovery.

The man, who has asked not to be identified, is back at home and none the worse for his experience.

He today said he wanted to thank everyone who had acted quickly to save his life.

In a letter to the Express & Star, he said: "I would like to pay my gratitude and thanks to the staff of Dudley Health Trust for the response and health care I received.

"Without such quick and rapid care I would have died. I would like to thank everyone involved in my care and treatment."

He believes he would have died if he had been alone and his partner was not able to raise the alarm.

Bee activity in gardens increases over the spring and summer months when flowers are in full bloom.

Reactions need emergency medical help if there is a collapse or difficulty breathing and the treatment normally involves the use of antihistamines and adrenaline.

In severe cases a tracheostomy, an emergency procedure to create a direct airway into the trachea if upper airways are blocked, has to be performed.

Symptoms of a reaction can include a rash, headache, fever, severe swelling of the face, tongue and lips and difficulty breathing.

A bee sting left in the skin will continue to pump venom into the body for around 20 minutes making it vital to remove it as quickly as possible.

The method of removal is less important than the time it takes to remove the sting – although the use of tweezers may actually squeeze more venom into the bloodstream.

An allergic reaction will normally occur within an hour of the sting and are more common after multiple stings.

People who know they have an allergy to bee stings should wear a warning bracelet and also carry an injector filled with epinephrine to use in an emergency.

One of the most common species, the bumblebee has colonies ranging from 50 to 200 bees at peak population around the mid-to-late summer.

Nests are created quite simply in pre-existing cavities and are rarely returned to year-on-year. Bumblebees are one of the most important wild flower pollinators but their numbers have declined significantly in recent decades.

Two species have already become nationally extinct over the past 70 years. Others have been placed on warning lists.