Hymenoptera venom allergy is one of the most common causes of anaphylaxis in adults. In fact, roughly 7% of the United States population is at risk for a severe reaction with their next bee or wasp sting.4 However, many people overlook the signs of their own allergies. It’s important that medical providers share quality information about prevention, assessment, and treatment.

BeeAware Allergy stands as a partner in equipping medical providers of all backgrounds with the tools and research necessary to provide bee sting allergy patients with the care they need.

Sharing key information with the public

Has it been a while since you reviewed information on bee and wasp stings? Let us give you a refresher! We are constantly working to educate the public on prevention, symptoms, treatment, and testing. 

Key Statistics on Bee Sting Allergies in the United States

First, here are three key statistics we love to share. Together, they provide a snapshot of the effect of bee sting allergies in the United States. Through education and preventative treatment options, we believe the number of ER visits and deaths from bees and wasps can be reduced. 

16M

Americans Are

living with a potentially life-threatening bee sting allergy.1

220K

ER Visits

occur each year for bee sting allergy-related anaphylaxis.2

60

Deaths Per Year

are directly related to severe bee sting reactions.2

Key Messages for Patients Regarding Bee Stings

Next, take a peek at our most-read articles. These are the questions potential patients are asking and the information they found useful.
Hopefully, it’s insightful to you as well!

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What is Venom Immunotherapy

Venom immunotherapy is a highly effective treatment for bee sting allergies. Learn why and how it works in this brief article.

Treatment Options for Bee sting allergies

Severe bee sting allergies have two types of treatment options: reactive and preventative. As a medical professional, you play a key role in educating patients about their treatment choices. 

Epinephrine Pens as a Reactive Treatment Option

When a hymenoptera venom allergy patient is prescribed an epinephrine pen, they are provided a life raft in case of a dire emergency. It is incredibly important that patients learn best practices for epinephrine pens, like the ideal temperature for storage and how to travel with a prescription. Additionally, carrying both pens ensures that, in case of a sting, two can be employed if necessary.

Statistics on Epinephrine Usage

Epinephrine auto-injectors can be incredibly effective at halting an anaphylactic reaction. However, patients routinely struggle to carry and correctly utilize these devices.

  • 70% of allergy patients fail to carry their epinephrine consistently.7
  • More than 55% of insect sting patients fail to adequately demonstrate epinephrine pen administration.7

Bee sting allergies can also create a large amount of stress for patients. Trekking too far outdoors can be anxiety-inducing, especially when their safety may rely solely on their ability to properly use an epinephrine pen in an emergency

Venom Immunotherapy as A Preventative Treatment Option

Venom immunotherapy is a treatment administered by allergists and some ENTs. It involves injecting small amounts of venom and increasing the dose strategically over time to develop immunity. Once the maintenance dose is reached, a patient can expect the treatment to be 98% effective at preventing a severe, bee-sting allergic reaction.3 Venom shots should then be received roughly once per month for 3 to 5 years. Based on the severity of the allergy, some patients can then stop treatment, yet remain protected.

Benefits of pursuing venom immunotherapy:

  • Preventing systemic allergic reactions before they start
  • Reduce risk for children experiencing allergic reactions into adulthood
  • Peace of mind for patients and parents of children with bee sting allergies
  • An additional, preventative line of defense before use of epinephrine and antihistamine

Hear Why Doctors Are Promoting Venom Immunotherapy

Listen to Dr. Steven Kernermen explain why he promotes venom immunotherapy: “As a physician, you’re trying to help people, and this can be such a helpful intervention.” 
 
Below, you’ll find links to insightful research on hymenoptera venom allergy and venom immunotherapy. This refresher can significantly inform the way you speak to patients who present allergy symptoms. 

Research for Your Review

How to Help Your Patients

The most important part of knowing about bee sting allergies is sharing the information with patients. So, we created easy-to-use resources to help you spread the word! Of course, you may always direct people to the BeeAware Allergy website and social media accounts for quality information. But here are a few ways you can become more involved in raising awareness.

Patient Education Materials

We offer a selection of educational materials that are useful for a variety of patient needs. You can save digital versions of these files, download a high-quality, ready-for-print PDF version, or even request free prints. All you need to do is fill out the form we provide. We will take care of shipping the requested patient education materials to your clinic. Order your brochures, posters, and tear-off pads today!

Patient Education Materials

Check out the materials we offer and order your free copies.

Social Media Toolkit

We are constantly updating our toolkit to provide timely content for your social media channels. All you need to do is download the .zip file. Inside, you’ll find text, images, and videos for you to easily share with others. We even provide a best practices guide if your clinic is feeling stuck on how to utilize social media.

Social Media Toolkit

Easily raise awareness about bee sting allergies with pre-made content.

Join Our “Find a Provider” Locator

If you’re an allergist who treats bee sting allergies, join our free locator tool! Potential patients use this search function daily to find local medical providers. So, don’t miss out. Fill out this form and make sure your clinic can be found. 

"Find a Provider" Locator

If you're an allergist who treats bee sting allergies, join our free locator tool.

Continue Learning About Bee Sting Allergies

If you’re looking for more information on bee and wasp stings, continue looking through our website for helpful articles. You can find additional insight on:
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