NO INSECT BITES PLEASE!

Those who are lucky hardly react at all to insects bites and stings. Others, however, may be so allergic that they suffer a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. Bee and wasp stings have the highest potential of triggering anaphylactic shock, which is basically an overreaction of the immune system. Luckily, only a very small minority of people are likely to develop a massive anaphylaxis. Whether your customer is extremely or only slightly allergic, the best advice for them is: Avoidance of getting bitten or stung! This is where the PTA at the pharmacy comes in …

Pharmacy customer: Good morning.
PTA: Good morning. What can I do for you?

I’ve run out of insect repellent.
We have this one here that protects for up to 8 hours from midges, horse flies and ticks. It’s easy to apply and is really effective.

Yes, I know that brand and you are right, it is good.
We have it as a spray and in roll-on form. I think that the roll-on is very useful as you can put it in your handbag.

That’s a good idea. I’ll take a roll-on and a spray.
I can also recommend a non-sedating antihistamine.

Antihistamine? Really? I thought that was only for hay fever!
Certainly. But it is a good idea to take an antihistamine, especially if you tend to react to insect bites and stings.

Why?
Well, in the most extreme cases what happens is that the immune system mistakes harmless proteins as a threat and releases a “wave” of antibodies. The antibodies, in turn, trigger the release of various chemicals, including histamines.

Okay! Is there an antihistamine that you can recommend?
Of course, this OTC-product here is one of the most popular on the market, and it is not that expensive either.

What about painkillers? The last bee sting that I had “burned” for ages after the bee was dead.
It’s best to take non-steroidal antiinflammatories such as ibuprofen. As the name suggests, they reduce inflammation and thereby soothe the pain. It’s also a good idea to remove the bee-sting immediately, disinfect the affected area, and start to cool it as soon as possible.

Good that you said that! I’ll take a packet of painkillers and I also need one of those gel packs. You know, the ones that you can put in the deep freeze?
Would you like one that is already cooled, or just off-the-shelf?

You have them in the deep freeze? Now that is a good service! I’ll take an off-the-shelf pack.
Oh, you’d be amazed at how many people come to us with badly swollen insect bites. Do you have any gel for treating the affected area.

Yes, but I’ve run out of that too!
This gel here contains a mild topical hydrocortisone and, I find it very fast-acting.

Yes, that’s the one that I had last year. It’s good that I take a small backpack with me when we go trekking with the family. Someone usually gets bitten! Thank you for you very patient help! Bye now!
Not at all! Bye!

VOCABULARY
Bite Biss
annoying nervig
stings Stich, Insektenstich
bee Biene
triggering Auslösen
minority Minderheit
aviodance Vermeidung
insect repellent Insektenschutzmittel
midges Mücken
horse flies Bremsen
ticks Zecken
non-sedating nichtsedierend
hay fever Heuschnupfen
threat Gefahr
wave Welle
in turn wiederum
non-steroidal nichtsteroidal
anti-inflammatories Entzündungshemmer

soothe beruhigen, lindern, mildern
off-the-shelf direkt vom Regal
treating behandeln
fast-acting schnell wirkend

Den Artikel finden Sie auch in Die PTA IN DER APOTHEKE 07/12 auf Seite 50.

Catherine Croghan, Lecturer in English and native speaker