Apitherapy

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Other Names: Apipuncture, Apiterapia, Api-therapy, Api-treatment, Apithérapie, Api-Venin-Thérapie, Bee Therapy, Bee Treatment, Bee Venom Therapy, Honey Bee Venom Therapy, Thérapie des Abeilles, Thérapie par Venin d’Abeille, Traitement par Piqûres d’Abeilles. See also :

Apitherapy is the use of honeybee products such as bee pollen, bee venom, honey, “bee glue” used for hive construction (propolis), and special honey used to feed queen bees (royal jelly) for medical purposes. There is no specific training or licensing standard for practitioners of apitherapy in North America. In many instances, apitherapy is practiced by nurses, physicians, acupuncturists, or naturopaths.

Special Precautions and side effects of Apitherapy

  • Most apitherapy bee products including bee venom, honey, bee pollen, and royal jelly, seem to be safe when used appropriately. However, there isn’t enough information about propolis to know if it is safe.
  • Bee venom for bee sting desensitization should only be administered by a licensed health professional. Since bee venom is usually given by injection, the most common side effects include local irritation, swelling, and tenderness at the injection site.
  • If you are allergic to bees, you should avoid royal jelly and all other bee products. For those who are allergic, side effects can include minor to severe skin irritations, asthma, swelling of the throat, difficulty breathing, and in extreme cases, anaphylactic shock and dead. Rarely, it might cause the colon to bleed, accompanied by stomach pain and bloody diarrhea. If you are unsure whether you have a bee allergy, be sure to consult a health professional of your choice before adding royal jelly to your wellness retinue.
  • Allergic reactions are also common among people taking bee products by mouth or applying them to the skin. Some people can experience serious, life-threatening allergic reactions.
  • Children: Honey seems to be safe for children over 12 months of age. However, don’t give honey to younger children because raw honey can be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause botulism poisoning in infants or young children. This is not a danger for older children or adults.
  • Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Eating honey in food amounts is LIKELY SAFE during pregnancy and breast-feeding.
  • It might be safe to be given bee venom shots in appropriate doses by a trained health professional. So far, serious side effects have not been reported. However, you should avoid high doses of bee venom. High doses can release histamine and this can cause the uterus to contract, possibly triggering a miscarriage. Some health professionals cut the maintenance dose of bee venom in half during pregnancy, just to stay on the safe side.
  • Asthma: There is some evidence that propolis may make asthma worse. It’s best to avoid using it if you have asthma.
  • Be sure to avoid royal jelly as well, if you have asthma. Royal jelly often causes allergic symptoms including intense itchiness, skin rash, eczema, swollen face and eyelids, irritated eyes, runny nose, shortness of breath, and asthma attacks. In severe cases, royal jelly can cause a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) and death.
  • Allergies (atopy): Avoid using royal jelly if you have a tendency to get allergic reactions. Royal jelly often causes allergic symptoms including intense itchiness, skin rash, eczema, swollen face and eyelids, irritated eyes, runny nose, shortness of breath, and asthma attacks. In severe cases, royal jelly can cause a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) and death.
  • “Auto-immune diseases” such as multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or other conditions: Bee venom might cause the immune system to become more active, and this could increase the symptoms of auto-immune diseases. If you have one of these conditions, it’s best to avoid using bee venom.
  • Skin problems (dermatitis): Avoid using royal jelly if you have skin problems. It might make your condition worse.
  • Pollen allergies: People with pollen allergies might get a serious reaction to bee pollen and other bee products. Allergic reactions can include itching, swelling, shortness of breath, and light-headedness. A severe allergic response (anaphylaxis) could lead to death.

Benefits and uses of Apitherapy are

  • HIV/AIDS : a new study recently published in the journal Antiviral Therapy affirms this, having found that bee venom, which is released during a bee sting, may hold the key to targeting and destroying HIV.
  • Bee sting allergy. Bee venom is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of severe allergies to bee sting. Increasing doses are given over time by injection under the skin. This treatment typically provides 98% to 99% protection from allergic reactions to bee stings. Once bee venom treatment is stopped, the risk of an allergic reaction over the next 5 to 10 years is about 5% to 15%.
  • Burns, when honey is used. Applying honey to burned skin seems to help improve healing.
  • Cough, when honey is used. Taking honey at bedtime seems to help reduce nighttime coughing in children over the age of 2 years. It seems to work about as well as an over-the-counter cough medicine called dextromethorphan.
  • Herpes, when propolis is used. An ointment that contains propolis seems to help genital herpes sores heal. It may work even better than a prescription medication called 5% acyclovir ointment.
  • A type of mouth surgery called sulcoplasty, when propolis is used. Propolis mouth rinse following sulcoplasty seems to improve healing and reduce pain and swelling.