Doctors find 4 bees hiding in a woman's swollen eye

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan (FOX 10) -- Reports by various media outlets in Taiwan say a woman almost went blind, after four bees managed to attach themselves to the woman's eyes.

According to reports by Liberty Times, the woman, who is in her 20s, was at a rural part of the island country to maintain her ancestor's gravesite, and felt what she thought was sand being blown into her eyes by a gust of wind. She washed her eyes at the scene, but when she returned home, her left eye started to itch, and her eyelid started to swell. The woman was eventually treated by doctors at the Fooyin University Hospital, who managed to pull out four sweat bees.

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, sweat bees, also known by the name Halictidae, are attracted to human perspiration. Doctors at Fooyin University Hospital, according to media reports, say the four bees, in this case, may have mistaken tears as sweats. Doctors also say if the woman delayed in seeking medical care, the woman might have to lose her eye.

Reports from television network CTS say this may be the first case of sweat of its kind in recorded history, as doctors have found no similar cases in medical records. Doctors are also asking people to wear sunglasses to shield their eyes from the sun, as well as critters.

FOX 10 reported on this story from Phoenix