Ant Allergies

For most people, ant stings are just a painful nuisance. For other people, they can cause dangerous and occasionally fatal reactions. Such allergies are acquired, not innate, so even people who have experienced ant stings before should remain alert for reactions.

Identification

• Stinging ants, particularly the aggressive fire ant, inject venom that usually causes initial burning and small blisters. People highly sensitive to insect venom--including that from bees, wasps and hornets--can suffer a more severe reaction.

Cause

• Allergic reactions to ant bites occur not because of the venom itself but because of chemicals produced by the body's immune system while fighting the venom. Depending on the level of sensitivity, this could occur after multiple ant stings or even a single sting.

Symptoms

• Symptoms usually begin 15 to 30 minutes after a sting. They include swelling, hives or wheezing. Seek medical help immediately if ant stings are followed by difficulty breathing, nausea, chest pain, heavy sweating or slurred speech.

Treatment

• Antihistamines counter the antibodies' poisons and can relieve ant bite allergy symptoms. Severe reactions might require an epinephrine injection. Allergy specialists also can administer weekly injections to reduce sensitivity to venom.

Frequency

• Insect stings are responsible for only about 40 deaths per year in the United States, and just 3 percent of adults and less than 1 percent of children experience life-threatening reactions a year according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Among that group, deaths from ant stings are less common than deaths from bee or wasp stings.