Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
24 July 2013 09:32
A bumblebee sting is classed as level two on a researcher's scale
There are scales to measure the strength of earthquakes, the speed of winds and even the spicy heat of chili peppers.
And now there is a scale of pain felt after insect bites.
A researcher who claims he has been bitten more than 150 times has come up with a scale, ranging from a small reaction to the worst pain one could imagine.
Justin Schmidt, from the Southwestern Biological Institute, said one on the scale would be caused by insects such as fire ants.
He said a one on the scale would trigger a sharp pain, but it would not be enough to make you drop anything you may be holding. He said a fire ant bite was a sharp, piercing sting, which promotes the reaction to just brush them off yourself. He said that was the limit of its effect on a normal healthy adult.
Level two would come from being stung by a honeybee or bumble bee.
None of those would normally require medical attention, but a sting Mr Schmidt would rate as a three or four on his scale might. And seeing as the insects capable of delivering such stings are more exotic than those found in the UK, it is another reason why having travel insurance when on holiday is vitally important. Of course, if you have an existing health problem you should look into medical travel insurance.
Mr Schmidt described a level four sting, such as a bite from a tarantula wasp, as feeling as though you have been hit by 20,000 volts.
The researcher said a bullet ant had the most painful sting he had experienced. Not only would it make you drop anything you were holding, you would likely want to throw anything you had in your hands. He added that a bullet ant bite made him want to lie down and die, and that he was screaming in pain and agony.
Another insect Mr Schmidt claims will give you a level four sting is the warrior wasp.
Mr Schmidt's said being bitten by insects doesn't worry him, as none of the bites have a lasting impact.
19 October 2018
Pregnant women who suffer from pre-eclampsia have a greater risk of developing dementia, new research suggests.
[more...]
18 October 2018
The UK's average life expectancy is predicted to increase from 80.8 years to 83.3 years over the next 20 years, according to new research.
17 October 2018
Family doctors are being urged to prescribe physical activity for patients living with some of the most common medical conditions.
16 October 2018
Patients with brain tumours lose out on almost £15,000 per year, a new report has revealed.
13 October 2018
Chris Grayling has given his "categorial assurance" to Parliament that a no-deal Brexit will not ground flights in and out of the UK, despite recent warnings from experts that this remains a possibility.
12 October 2018
The rising cost of fuel could force more airlines out of business, the boss of easyJet has warned.
11 October 2018
The image of the boozy backpacker might be a thing of the past as a new study suggests more and more youngsters are shunning alcohol completely.
10 October 2018
The NHS says just one in 10 drinks sold in English hospitals will be sugar-sweetened, as part of its bid to curb rising obesity levels.
09 October 2018
More than 260,000 diabetes patients were put at risk of lasting harm or even death during hospital stays last year due to medication errors, a new report has revealed.
06 October 2018
NHS patients with a specific type of lymphoma will soon be able to access a "game-changing" new treatment, health officials have revealed.
05 October 2018
People living with diabetes are being warned they might be "unwittingly" storing their insulin incorrectly.
04 October 2018
The world's first commercial jet part-powered by a new form of biofuel touches down in London on Wednesday (3rd October).