Has anyone experienced this type of reaction?

Colleen,
I frequently get stung and seldom have a reaction. Once and a while I get
stung near the eye and still have no reaction. But usually a sting near or on
the eyelid will cause some swelling for me, even after all these years. One
time I got a large number of stings on the back of the neck and the following
day both my eyes nearly swelled shut.

By the way, I got stung by a yellow jacket on the knuckle, and it immediately
started to swell and itch. I thought, this is what a bee sting must be like
for a normal person. (I had forgotten). Oddly, the swelling subsided in the
knuckle but "moved" toward the hand. Soon the back of the hand was the only
part swollen, the knuckle no longer swollen at all.

I think some parts of the body are much more prone to swelling, such as the
tissue around the eye. Perhaps that is why a punch to eye will produce a
"shiner" where the same punch to another location might not leave a mark.

PS Steve Taber used to say, always wear a veil. If you get stung on the
eyeball, it could cause blindness. Of course, I never followed that rule, but
he has a point.

PB