Reporter Abigail Hart has told how she felt her heart “might burst” after she collapsed suffering a severe reaction to a wasp sting.

Now she has to carry a potentially life-saving adrenaline injection to use if the emergency should occur again.

Features writer Abigail, of the South Wales Evening Post, realised she had been stung but suffered spiralling symptoms as the allergic reaction set in.

She had been in her garden when she was stung.

She said: “By the time I reached the kitchen my wrist was itching fiercely and my face was burning hot.

“I started to feel a bit odd and my heart started pounding so I sat on the outside doorstep to cool down.

“But things got worse so I walked up to the bathroom where my husband was bathing the children.

“I caught a glimpse of my face in the mirror; it was red and puffy.

“But the most terrifying thing was my heart. It was pounding fit to burst.

“A wet tissue placed on my arm by my worried son was rocking up and down as the blood pumped through my veins.

“I was dizzy, short of breath and terrified.

“One minute I was picking up clothes from the lawn, the next I was lying on the bathroom floor in the recovery position thinking my heart would burst.”

Some quick thinking and a call to NHS Direct made Abigail and her family realise the sting had caused the reaction, and after taking antihistamines she felt much better.

The next day she visited her doctor and after describing her symptoms the day before, was prescribed the adrenaline injection Epipen, and was told to wear a medic alert bracelet.

Abigail’s scare happened only weeks ago and she is still getting used to the change to her life after finding out about her allergy.

She said: “I haven’t had any hairy moments since, although I am now careful not to walk around barefoot outside, drink out of cans outside or sit near bins full of ice cream wrappers!

“I used to be terrible at remembering to carry my mobile phone and now I have to remember this potentially life-saving yellow tube as well.

“But it’s a small thing to do to prevent a repeat of the most terrifying few minutes of my life.”