Can You Really Die If You Swallow A Bee?

Indian billionaire Sunjay Kapur, a friend of Prince William, died of a sudden heart attack on June 12, 2025, while playing a polo match. News of his death was shared on the X account of Sona Comstar, a global mobility tech company where he served as chairman and non-executive director.

According to The Mirror, Kapur's heart attack happened shortly after a bee stung the inside of his mouth. A family source told the outlet that the 53-year-old had been in "excellent" health before the incident.

Some reports said he had told an umpire that he had been choking, but others said he had been stung by a bee. It's still not clear if the bee sting or the subsequent choking caused the heart attack. Doctors told NDTV that while most people would have a minor allergic reaction to a bee sting, it's possible that an allergic reaction to the bee sting could have triggered the heart attack. That's because some people's allergic reactions can trigger anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening.

When a bee flies near you, it's natural to swat at it or move to get out of its way. Sometimes, a bee might be attracted to you because it mistakes your sunscreen, shiny bracelet, or patterned shirt for a flower. If you're not careful, a bee can land on you and sting. The sharp pain is hard to miss, but for some people, it could mean a trip to the emergency room.

About 2 million people in the United States are allergic to bees, according to Boston Children's Hospital. A bee sting allergy might cause hives, itching, or swelling around the sting site, but in more serious cases, it can lead to anaphylaxis. This life-threatening reaction can cause the throat to swell, trigger irregular heartbeats, lead to dangerously low blood pressure, or even result in heart failure.

(Here are unexpected anaphylaxis triggers.)

Board-certified allergist Zachary Rubin, M.D., said on Instagram that Kapur's bee sting-related heart attack was rare but offered three possible explanations. First, some people with underlying heart disease may panic in response to the pain of a sting. The resulting surge of adrenaline could trigger a heart arrhythmia and lead to a heart attack. Rubin also suggested that Kapur may have gone into anaphylactic shock, in which blood flow is redirected away from vital organs like the heart, depriving them of oxygen and potentially causing a heart attack. Lastly, he pointed to an allergy-related heart attack called Kounis syndrome, where exposure to an allergen causes the coronary arteries to constrict, cutting off oxygen to the heart.

A bee sting doesn't have to be in the mouth to be fatal. A 2022 article in Clinical Case Reports described a 42-year-old man who was stung multiple times on areas including his neck and leg. He had a known bee allergy, smoked cigarettes, and had a history of opium use disorder. Despite developing allergic symptoms such as vomiting, hives, and chest pain, he refused to go to the hospital. About an hour after the stings, he went into anaphylactic shock, experiencing low blood pressure and trouble breathing. Soon after, he died of cardiac arrest.

(Here's how to treat a bee sting.)

Swallowing a bee doesn't necessarily lead to a heart attack, either. In 2022, Canadian politician Doug Ford went viral when he accidentally swallowed a bee during a live press conference. He was mid-speech when the bee flew into his mouth. Though he tried to spit it out, it had already gone down his throat. After taking a sip of water, he joked, "I'm good. He's buzzing around here (pointing to his stomach) right now," then carried on with his press event (via CityNews on YouTube).