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...

Magdy Elhalawany