I am sick :(

[kibakiba]

Well, perhaps I'm extremely sensitive to it, or allergic.. People have been in contact with their venom and don't even get half of what I do. For those who don't know the reaction I get... (lets say my hand gets bitten, between my thumb and finger) The area swells up and turns red, then my hand starts swelling and turning red... Then, it starts turning purple with a numb, hot and prickly feeling through my fingers and palm. The worst case I had was like that, only it went up my arm a little bit. I'm lucky to have fast reflexes when it comes to nippy snakes... I jump if they move at me fast... Haha. If I just get nipped my hand gets red and swollen, but full on bites tend to give the swelling reaction. It also depends on whether the snakes are in feeding mode or not, probably because that would be when they produce more saliva and venom to get their prey.

[WingedWolfPsion]

Yes, those are symptoms of envenomation. If it were an allergy, you would get some redness and swelling, but also rash, and possibly hives and respiratory trouble if it were a severe enough allergy. The profound swelling, tingling, and numbness and discoloration are a venom reaction, rather than allergic reaction. You must be very unusually sensitive to garter venom, lol.

Yes, you have to be exposed to something before you can become allergic to it. The only exceptions are when people are exposed to two substances that are very similar on a molecular level. In those cases, exposure to one may be enough to cause allergy to both. For example, a fire ant sting may render a person allergic to bees and wasps as well.

Apart from that, you cannot have an allergic reaction to something you have never encountered before (at least in some form). An allergic response happens when the immune system decides that something introduced to your body is dangerous (when it's actually not), so it creates antibodies to it. These lie in wait for the substance to reappear--when it does, bam, your bloodstream is flooded with protective compounds designed to destroy the invader. These create inflammation, among other things. If there's far too many of these, you have such a severe reaction that your airway swells, and cuts off your breathing (called anaphylaxis).

Most people are simply not aware of the first exposure, because it caused no reaction, so was unremarkable.

[EasternGirl]

I understand everything that you explained...as I am in nursing school and we studied the immune system and antibodies and everything you just said. I'm trying to understand how, then, someone, who...say...has never had penicillin, has an allergic reaction the first time they take a dose of penicillin. Like...for example...a child, who takes penicillin for the first time and has a severe allergic reaction to it? And I agree, Chantel's symptoms do actually sound like evenomation not an allergy.