The Eye-Watering Question Of What Happens If A Bee Stings You In The Eyeball

Firstly, the attacker – the bee

Honeybees are part of the order Hymenoptera and are critical in pollination. There are many dangers facing the honeybee. While going out and about on their business to find yummy-looking flowers to snack on, they are also at an incredible risk of predation. Along with that, the hive presents a fascinating opportunity for many animals – honey. As such, they have developed a sharpened behind to make any predator think twice.  

The bee stinger, located at the bottom of the abdomen, is just one fascinating defense mechanism that the honeybee possesses. Firstly, it can inject painful venom when the stinger is inserted in the skin of larger predators. Secondly, bees can detach stingers from their bodies (although this can be fatal to the bee). Although it may not seem a benefit, it means that the animal being attacked can’t swipe and interrupt them mid-sting. Thirdly, the shape of the stinger itself. It has a saw-like architecture, which allows the stinger to penetrate the target’s tissue and allow venom to be injected over a period of time, while it also becomes more and more lodged into the tissue, making removal difficult.

Dr Justin O. Schmidt, author of The Sting Of The Wild, described a Western honeybee sting as a two on his pain scale (out of four). With the description of, “Burning, corrosive, but you can handle it. A flaming match head lands on your arm and it’s quenched first with lye and then sulfuric acid.”

The rating did bump up to a three when he had a special case of being stung on the tongue: “It’s crawled into your soda and stings you on the tongue. It’s immediate, noisome, visceral, debilitating. For 10 minutes life is not worth living.”

Anatomy of the organ in question – the eyeball

A little bit of background on eye anatomy. The human eyeball sits in a bony socket that can protect it and there are multiple muscles that can control the movement of the eye.

The surface of the eye is made up of the conjunctiva, which is a clear membrane. The front of the eye is a domed-shaped portion called the cornea, this helps light to focus into the eye.

Those striking baby blues that Elijah Wood possesses are colored through the iris, with the dark hole in the middle called the pupil. The dilation or narrowing of the pupil helps to control the amount of light that reaches the back of the eye. Directly behind the pupil is a lens, and the changing of the shape helps focus on objects.

What can happen to the eye if a bee stings it – would it pop?

The eyeball is a bit more robust than you would think. No, it would not pop, however, a stinger in the eye can come with many risks. If not treated promptly, it can cause damage to the eye that can cause visual impairment. The complications include (but are not limited to):

• Optic neuritis: optic nerve swelling can cause painful eye movement and temporary vision loss.  
• Toxic scleritis: a sight-threatening inflammation that can affect the outer covering of the eye.
• Toxic endophthalmitis: inflammation of the inner coat of the eye.
• Glaucoma: where the optic nerve becomes damaged.
• Cataracts: when the lens develops cloudy patches.

Real-life cases of a stinger in the peeper

One case involved a 55-year-old man who came into an ophthalmology (eye) clinic with vision and pain worsening in his right eye. It turned out that he was stung by a bee two days prior. As you can imagine, when it initially happened, he was rushed to the local emergency department to remove the stinger. Unfortunately, a part of the stinger was left in the eye.  

On the first physical examination, his vision was poor. With further investigations, they found eye redness from irritated or inflamed blood vessels, swelling in the cornea, and the stinger was located on the outer edge of the iris. They also found blood in the eye that was attributed to iris trauma from the stinger.

The medical staff were able to remove the last bit of the stinger. This patient was given some antibacterial and steroid eye drops. After five months, his vision had improved.

Another case saw a 46-year-old man who had a sting in the conjunctiva of the eye (the thin, clear membrane that helps keep the eye lubricated). Initially, he had immediate pain but without any vision loss. However, as the day continued, his sight decreased. He was given intravenous anti-allergy medication and an oral steroid, along with topical creams. Within a day, the eye had improved, with the swelling going down and his visual acuity improved two days after the sting.

Lastly, there was another case where the outcome was not as good. However, this involved a wasp rather than a bee. A 34-year-old man was stung by a wasp on the cornea, which resulted in optic neuritis. Despite systemic steroids, the visual acuity did not improve.  

How to avoid getting stung in the eye

These types of cases are rare. But when they do occur, they should be treated with urgency. If a person wants to try and avoid any stings in the future, there are a few things that can be done. Which include:

• Not to panic around these flying pollinators: any commotion can increase the likelihood of being stung.
• Keep food covered: Bees are always looking for a food source, so if you have a yummy key lime pie outside, they may come rushing over. More bees equals more chances of being stung.
• Avoid certain smells: If you are smelling like a daisy, you are more likely to attract a bee. So cologne and perfume are to be avoided and anything with a banana scent (bananas contain a compound found in honeybees’ alarm pheromones).
• Eye protection: If you work outdoors (like landscaping) you may want to invest in some eye protection.

So, if you go around your garden dressed like a flower, waving your arms like a madman, be very careful! You may end up with a bee sting… in your eye.

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.