Allergic reaction to wasp sting gives UK man a heart attack, says report

(Representational image)

New Delhi: Wasp stings are quite painful and take their time to settle down, however, it put a 45-year-old UK man in serious danger.

According to a case report, the man suffered a heart attack due to a severe allergic reaction to a wasp bite.

The man was diagnosed with Kounis syndrome, in which a severe allergic reaction is accompanied by symptoms of chest pain that may progress to a heart attack, said the report's lead author, Benjamin Cross, a medical student at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in the UK at the time of the case.

Although Kounis syndrome is rare, there are medical case reports of the syndrome that have been linked to allergic reactions to foods, insect stings and certain drugs, 'Live Science' reported.

The man was bitten by a yellow jacket wasp and began to complain of heaviness and pain in his left arm soon after.

Hours later, this pain became more frequent and spread to his left arm, shoulder and back. He suffered a heart attack on the way to the hospital, according to the case published in the journal BMJ Case Reports.

The man has a genetic tendency to develop allergic diseases, including a medical history of asthma and eczema, but never had a severe allergic reaction, Cross said.

However, he had been smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for more than 30 years. Prior to this incident, he had some buildup of plaque in his arteries, which also put his heart at risk, Cross added.

(With PTI inputs)