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Smoking and Bee Stings?

http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/wildlife/bees.htm

"The body responds to stings by liberating fluid from the blood to flush venom components from the area. This causes redness and swelling at the sting site"

Smoking tobacco dilates your blood vessels.

Ive noticed lately, (I got stung 2 days ago well 3 now I guess) that when I smoke my sting site tingles, and my hairs stand up more in this site. Is this because of the increased blood flow? Would smoking cause the swelling to get larger? Because my arm is swollen pretty good and Ive had a few more cigarettes than I usually do. Last time I got stung it barely swelled. Could this even increase the time it takes for it to heal, theirs more blood flow, so theirs more "flushing" going on.

Save me the lecture about smoking I already know.
 
I don't think smoking would cause more swelling, I just think you have been injected with more venom this time. Another (and probably the correct explanation), is that you still have some of the venom from the previous sting lingering in your body, and now there is a decently high concentration of it in your blood stream, which is causing bigger rXns. Beekeepers usually have a ridiculously high amount of bee venom in their bloodstream at all times from frequent stings, and are therefore more prone to anaphylactic shock. Seems I did learn something in Insect Diversity :D.

I just quit smoking like 3 weeks ago...smoking is not conducive to bodybuilding (my other hobby).
 
Or living :)

Sometimes I want a nice menthol but it's just not worth it.
 
If someone tells you smoking will definitely make it itch more and longer, will you smoke less? Because I'll say that if you will.
 
The first thing I do when I get stung by a bee is get a cigarette to make the pain, swelling, and redness go away. I dont smoke it however, but cut it open and use the tabacco on the sting site with a little water. Works wonderfully, much better than smoking the cigarette does.
 
Im not sure if that is sarcasim Ktulu. ???
 
Why would you start smoking? ???
 
For me it was the same reason I started doing drugs and having sex: curiosity and pleasure. Other people do it to lose weight or look "cool" (holy crap I sound like some old fogie!) but really smokers are the minority now.


As soon as my parents gave me permission to smoke, and I could do it and they'd buy me cigarettes, it wasn't fun anymore and I decided to quit. Talk about reverse psychology!
 
I've actually heard that applying wet tobacco will help a bee sting so Ktulu was not being sarcastic.
 
  • #10
I meant what I said instead of smoking tabacco use it to stop the pain. The same technique works well on bug bites that itch also much better than the products you can get in a store. If I am going to be out camping or somewhere that I anticipate many bug bites I always bring a small bag with some dry tabacco (usually pipe tobacco) with me so I can treat my bug bites and stings.
 
  • #11
I used to smoke a cheap cigar when fishing because it seemed to discourage the black flies and mosquitoes.
 
  • #12
but really smokers are the minority now

really? i'd approximate that around 70% of my school year smoke, although only around 25% are heavy smokers. this might be something to do with having slightly odd peer groups though
 
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