A 45-year-old man in the UK has suffered a heart attack due to a severe allergic reaction to a wasp bite, according to a case report.
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.
After being bitten by a yellow jacket wasp, the man's left hand began to feel heavy and achy, and 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. However, he had 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.
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