This is a typical reaction of many people to getting stung around the eye
area.  The swelling has nothing to do with allergy, and does not even
appear to be related to "large local" reactions.  The fact that the knee
did not swell indicates it was not a large local, which should appear to
some degree no matter where the sting is located.  This type of swelling
also appears in some people when stung on the neck.
        As the report indicates, these reactions are not allergic in nature and
can affect anybody, even experienced beekeepers.  People who receive
regular stings might not experience these swelling reactions, but it is
always a gamble.  That is the main reason many beekeepers wear veils, even
though the bees are very pleasant and highly unlikely to sting -- one just
doesn't want the odd accidental sting to the eye area and the subsequent
swelling!
        A more interesting question relates to why the swelling seems to occur
only in the eye and neck area.  There is no clear answer, just speculation.
 One explanation is that these areas, being highly vascularized and
composed of relatively "soft and supple" skin, are particularly susceptible
blood fluids seeping from the veins and capillaries and into the
surrounding soft, expandable skin.  Note that stings to the scalp, an area
of particularly tough, inelastic skin, do not tend to swell; instead they
get small hard knots around the area.
        Just some food for thought!

Justin


>This is strange. I've been around bees all my life.
>I got stung twice. One near my knee and the other near my eyebrow. The knee
>sting was typical: ... I don't swell or itch. Then the eyebrow one started
up...
>
>At first I could tell it was just swelling up a bit. Didn't seem like a big
>deal. After a while I could actually see the swelling out of that eye. It
>was sort of amusing.
> As the hours passed it got larger and larger. I went to bed. When I
> woke up in the morning I could hardly see
>out of that eye, it was practically swollen shut. There were no other
>symptoms. No nausea, or dizziness, or anything else at all.
>
>So what's the deal? Mutant bees?But since I got
>stung within a minute in a different location, and didn't have any signs at
>all I find that a little strange.
>
>Bosaiya

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Justin O. Schmidt, PhD
USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center
2000 East Allen Rd., Tucson, Arizona  85719, U.S.A.
Office:   520 670-6380, extension 109  voicemail)
FAX:      520 670-6493
Email:   [log in to unmask]
For Bee & Pollination information on the World Wide Web
Please visit us at http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/
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