Insect Stings

It happens in a fraction of a second. A sting, a burning sensation, a swelling. A mosquito, a wasp, a horsefly — something has hit you, right in the flesh, and your body reacts immediately: redness, heat, itching, sometimes days of pain.

Medically, an insect sting is a local immune reaction. The insect's venom or saliva penetrates the skin, and the body mobilises its defences. That is normal. What is not normal: why does it hit you — and not the person beside you? Why are you practically besieged by insects on some days, while on others you are left completely alone? And why does your body sometimes react so violently, as though a mosquito bite were an assault on your life?