The Buzz About Using Bee Venom In Alternative Apitherapy

Apitherapy, coming from the Latin word for bee, focuses on the medical use of various bee products to cure a myriad of health problems
The treatment use of honey bee venom therapy is based on the long-known fact that

 bee-keepers    ( who often get stung ) very rarely develop arthritis or problems with their joints and muscles

Apitoxin, or honey bee venom, is a bitter colorless liquid.

The active portion of the venom is a complex mixture of proteins, which causes local inflammation and acts as an anticoagulant.

The venom is produced in the abdomen of worker bees from a mixture of acidic and basic secretions.


Apitoxin is acidic (pH 4.5 to 5.5).
A honeybee can inject 0.1 mg of venom via its stinger. It is estimated that 1% of the population is allergic to bee stings. Apitoxin can be deactivated with ethanol.

Bee venom therapy is used by some as a treatment for rheumatism and joint diseases due to its anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also used to desensitize people allergic to insect stings.

Bee venom therapy can also be delivered in the form of Bee Venom Balm although this may be less potent than using live bee stings.

Bee venom contains many different active chemical compounds. Melittin is the main one and is a very potent anti-inflammatory agent. Other chemicals in the venom act as painkillers and alter nerve pathway transmissions.

Bee venom therapy enthusiasts have used it for arthritis, for other inflammatory conditions and for the treatment of chronic scar tissue. Recent experiments have begun with some chronic multiple sclerosis (MS)

How It Works ?
 
Bee Venom Therapy (BVT) is administered in a rather straightforward fashion: 

the patient gets bee venom injected directly into his or her body by either using a needle, inserting the bee's stinger into their flesh, or letting a live bee sting them. A licensed doctor must administer the injections.

Usually, the patient receives anywhere from two to five stings each session, although for certain conditions people receive 20 stings at one time or more.
 
The bees will usually be contained in a special jar, box or hive, and will be placed directly on the area that needs to be treated.

Alternatively, you can buy a box of bees yourself from an apitherapist, or bee farmer, and let them sting you.


All you need is a pair of special tweezers and the guts to place a bee on your flesh and let it do its duty. It is recommended to wait from three to five minutes before removing the stinger.

It is important to check for allergies before trying any of bee products . People who are allergic to bees, suffer from asthma or have a compromised immune system should avoid bee products altogether...

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Using honey in wound care

Over the past several years, wound care has changed a lot, and is constantly evolving. The day of the simple gauze dressing is pretty much over! There are many fantastic new wound treatments out there today that were unheard of just a few years ago.
 
There are several alternative, and quite old-fashioned treatments for wounds that have been slowly gaining in popularity after having fallen into disuse for many years.
 
Wound care continues to be a challenge today, and many standard treatments are just not providing the expected results. Wounds can become infected with bacteria that are resistant to the standard prescribed antibiotics. That continues to be a challenge.
 
One of these old-fashioned treatments that have once again started to become fashionable are apitherapy (honey therapy).
 
Honey has been used in treating wounds as far back as the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Chinese, and probably even further back in time than that.
 
When applied directly to a wound or on a dressing, honey acts as a moisturizing sealant, and helps to keep contamination out.


Its high sugar content plus the vitamins and minerals it contains are thought to provide nutrients that are necessary for wound healing and new tissue growth.

In addition, honey has certain properties that draw fluid from the wound and kill bacteria.
 
There is an enzyme in honey, which when exposed to the oxygen in air, forms its own kind of hydrogen peroxide. It is also anti-bacterial and helps to cleanse the wound.  
Honey can help debride, that is, remove dead or contaminated tissue----from a wound, and help it close.
 
Positive results have been reported at many randomized controlled trials around the world.
 
Honey seems especially promising as a wound dressing for cancer patients who have weakened immune systems and those patients who have chronic, stubborn wounds that refuse to heal.

Honey is used for treating children with burns. It is an ideal, and affordable, first aid dressing, especially in emergency situations, such as earthquakes. It is quite suitable for burn treatment, especially in areas where water used to cool the burn is contaminated.

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What is Apitherapy and Its Benefits?

There are literally hundreds of alternative therapies that are available for people to try. However one of the least known and probably accepted therapies is apitherapy.

What is Apitherapy?

Apitherapy or bee therapy is the basically the use of bee products to treat different conditions. There are a number of products that can have health benefits and be used in apitherapy and they include pollen, raw honey and royal jelly however the main one used is bee venom.

The use of bee products and in particular bee venom dates back to ancient Greece, Egypt and China.

In fact it is believed that Hippocrates who is considered to be the father of medicine actually used bee stings to treat people for conditions such as arthritis.


In addition in 1888 Philip Terc published a paper on bee venom and rheumatism. 


Today bee stings are used throughout the world as a treatment for a wide variety of different conditions.

Health Benefits of bee products :

1. Bee Venom :

this can be given to people as actual stings or can be given through a needle.
Bee stings have been shown to contain substances such as adolapin and melittin which are anti-inflammatory substances and are thought to be more powerful than commonly prescribed products such as cortisol. 


For this reason bee stings are thought to be very valuable for treating conditions like arthritis, bursitis, rheumatism and tendinitis.

2. Bee Pollen :

This product is high in vitamins and minerals and can be used as a nutritional supplement. 
In addition it can be a valuable treatment for people suffering from seasonal allergies such as hay fever. In additions some claim it can help with anti-aging and athletic performance.

3. Raw Honey :

This is honey that has not been processed in anyway and is thought to be a source of energy. 
In addition it is believed to have antibacterial properties that could make it good for treating things like sore throats.

4. Royal Jelly:

There have been a number of claims about the health benefits of royal jelly and some say it can help with things like fatigue, infertility, asthma, and lack of appetite. 


In addition studies have shown that it could be useful at reducing cholesterol levels. You will also find royal jelly in a number of anti-aging products such as face cream.

Risks of Apitherapy :

There are a number of people who should not undertake apitherapy or should take extra care. For example if you have an allergy to bee stings then you need to take extra care.
 
As many people may not be aware of the allergy it is important to choose a reputable therapist who will be prepared if you have an allergic reaction as they can often be very severe.
 
In addition people who have heart disease, hypertension, tuberculosis, or diabetes should make sure they avoid apitherapy completely. Honey should not be given to children under the age of one due to the possible bacteria in it and people who have a weak immune system should also avoid honey.

Finally the recommended dosage for many of the bee products is not known so care should always be taken to ensure you remain safe.

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