Bee Venom
-Overview Information
Bee is made by bees. This is the poison that makes bee stings painful. Bee venom is used to make medicine. Don’t confuse bee venom with bee pollen, honey, or royal jelly. Other venoms are derived from related members of the insect order Hymenoptera.
Bee is given as a shot for rheumatoid arthritis, nerve pain (neuralgia), multiple sclerosis (MS), reducing the reaction to bee stings in people who are allergic (desensitization) to them (venom immunotherapy), swollen tendons (tendonitis), and muscle conditions such as fibromyositis and enthesitis.
-How does it work
Giving repeated and controlled injections of bee under the skin causes the immune system to get used to bee venom, and helps reduce the severity of an allergy to bee venom.
-bee venom
Bee venom varies in composition between different types of bees, but it is a complex mixture, containing pharmacologically active proteins, peptides and enzymes. A single sting contains about 50 micrograms of venom. Whilst this is obviously sufficient to kill another insect predator, many multiples of stings would usually be required to kill a human (except in cases of severe bee sting reactions).
The sting of the honey bee is contained in a chamber at the end of the abdomen, which consists of the sharp protruding sting itself (the ovipositor), and a basal part, which contains the venom sac and glands that produce the bee venom, along with muscles enabling the bee to thrust the sting at a predator in the event of attack.
Although many people may fear bee stings, and some as a result may have a fear of bees. or apiphobia, bee venom therapy has actually been used to treat a variety of ailments in the Far East and Eastern Europe, from rheumatic disease, and multiple sclerosis to arthritis. Indeed in the West, it is sometimes said that old beekeepers rarely suffer arthritis due to the stings they have received over the years! I believe there is research being conducted into its efficacy for the treatment of arthritis, and it will be interesting to read about the results. In the meantime, if you are thinking about bee venom therapy, this does not mean you should find a bee hive, stand close to it, and hope the bees will sting you!
More recently, it is being collected from honey bees, and used in beauty treatments, from bee venom masks, to skin creams and beauty balms. It is stated that the venom fools the skin, causing blood to rush to the treated area, and the skin to produce collagen and elastin.
Is bee venom really effective as a skin treatment? My personal views on good skin and skin care are:
- take care of your skin in the sunshine, and protect it from strong sun rays which cause aging
- protect your skin from the elements with a general moisturizing cream
- get sufficient sleep
- good diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables
- good fluid intake (but not too many fizzy drinks)
- don’t smoke – in my view, it seems to dull and age the skin
- smile and find things to be happy about – it shows on your face!
- get fresh air
if you’re fortunate, you may inherit really good genes from your parents
Bee Venom
