Bee stings are used worldwide to treat illnesses or complaints. It may take some getting used to, but in many cultures tens of thousands of patients swear by the healing power of bee venom. In German-speaking countries, this has so far been rather unknown. The bee venom - medical term apitoxin - is the poison that the bee exudes from its sting when it stings. It is a mixture of different secretions which can promote blood circulation, bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal. In apitherapy, a method similar to that used in acupuncture, no needles are required, but bee stings that stimulate the points. If you have a known allergy, special caution is of course necessary. Read here how bee venom can support your body system.
The composition and genesis of bee venom
The bee produces the bee venom in two acidic and alkaline venomous glands in the abdomen. These secretions are then collected in the poison bladder. At the beginning of life it is empty and fills up in the course of bee life. Bees in the "back office" in particular, and thus the guard service in the beehive, have a bulging poison bladder, which the beekeeper occasionally feels when opening the beehive.
A bee can inject about 0.1 mg of bee venom, this has an acidic pH of 4.5 - 5.5 and it has a yellowish-opalescent color. Bee venom is also fatal to bees themselves. When two bees fight with each other it is about life and death and not about ritualized exhibition fights. This struggle arises, for example, when two daughter queens born at the same time meet in the beehive (there can only be one queen bee in each beehive). As soon as a new queen bee hatches, one of the two queens has to leave the beehive with part of the "court".
How does bee venom work?
In addition to various other proteins, the main active ingredient in bee venom is mellitin.
Bee venom …
promotes blood circulation
acts bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal
promotes the body's own cortisol formation and other hormones such as ACTH and adrenaline
is Blood thinning / anticoagulant is cytostatic
loweres cholesterol
relieves pain in neuralgia
is positive for the nervous system
Bee venom can help with the following diseases
Arterial calcification, high blood pressure, varicose veins, joint inflammation, muscle cramps, chronic pain, psoriasis, scars, immune deficiency, etc.
This is only a small selection of possible indications. Bee venom is also said to help with cancer, arthritis or multiple sclerosis.
Bee venom promotes blood circulation by ensuring that the vessels open. The active ingredient melittin contained in the poison is considered anti-inflammatory and serves to treat joint diseases and rheumatism.
The treatment can also support the immune system and relieve pain in the long term.
Bee venom is used in therapy worldwide
Apitherapy (bee medicine) has long been taken for granted in Spain and Romania. In Romania there are special clinics and medical practices. One of the most famous doctors worldwide is Dr. med. Stefan Stangaciu, who is a luminary in this field. In China, apitherapy in the form of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) methods is usually also offered in regular practices and hospitals.
What exactly is bee sting therapy?
It sounds brutal, but can be very helpful. It actually is very simple. Anyone who knows acupuncture knows that special points (meridians) on the body are stimulated with needles to restore the circulation of the body. A similar method is used in apitherapy, in which it is not needles, but bee stings that stimulate the points. In acupuncture, bees were provoked to prick acupuncture points early on - apipuncture.
Live bees are guided with tweezers to the exact spot to be pierced. The bee sting is set with great care. An experienced therapist learns how to hold the tweezers so that the bee only releases the poison and does not lose its sting. For example, there are applications in which a fine metal tile is placed between the patient's skin and the bee. If you then provoke the stinging, this happens only superficially; less poison is injected into the skin in terms of quantity and the stinging apparatus of the bee remains intact. After use, the bee can be brought back to its people.
The apitherapeutic use of bee venom may therefore only take place after an allergy test and under medical care. If you are interested in this type of treatment, please contact us and we will recommend appropriate advisors.
What happens to the bee when it stings?
There are small barbs on the sting, which almost always get caught when stabbed into the human skin. If the bee tries to free itself, the bee's entire lancing device remains in the skin and pulls the whole abdomen with it. The entire amount of poison is released into the injection site.
Since the bee is now missing important parts for survival, it usually dies after a few days. Sometimes the sting does not get so deep in the skin that the bees can free themselves without damage. In the case of apitherapy, a gentle method was developed here so that the bee stings, but retains its sting.
This is how bee venom is obtained gently
Electrical stimulation stimulates the bee to release the bee venom. Two foils are stretched and the bee sticks through the first foil so that the poison can be collected on the second foil. Or it is obtained on a glass plate underneath and dries off.
Notes and side effects
Apitherapy can be very helpful, but special care should be taken when using it and the possible side effects should not be underestimated.
This method is not suitable for people with a known allergy to bee or wasp stings (anaphylactic reactions). Itchy skin and redness may occur. In the worst case, there is an accelerated pulse, fatigue and nausea. A severe allergic reaction can lead to anaphylactic shock with severe disorders of blood circulation, shortness of breath, cramps and even collapse. In such cases, even immediate emergency help can result in death.
Around two percent of all people are allergic to bee venom. On the other hand, other people have survived hundreds of simultaneous bee stings. Before each bee sting treatment, it must be carefully checked whether there is an allergy. In case of hypersensitivity, desensitization is necessary. Contact your doctor or speak to us and we will recommend the appropriate specialist.
This blog contains general information only and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. It cannot replace a visit to the doctor.
Due to the German Medicines Advertising Act, we are not allowed to make any statements about possible or proven healing effects in the case of diseases. There have been numerous studies and traditions worldwide for many centuries. Thousands of scientists from different countries have now studied the compositions, properties, applications, contraindications and dosage instructions of bee products. We want to give you something to think about through our blogs about natural products, especially bee products. We assume that if we have piqued your interest, you will also use other sources of information (e.g. internet, book trade, trade magazines, ...) to gain extensive knowledge of natural and bee products.
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