Severe Allergic Reactions Need Immediate Action

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There seems to be so much confusion on allergic reactions. This article is just an effort to provide information that could save a life and dispel most of the prevailing confusion in the minds of people.

As common as allergic reactions are their triggers or causing factors can vary widely as can the resulting symptoms. Thankfully the severest allergic reaction resulting in death from anaphylaxis is rare.

When you suffer from anaphylaxis, you experience a severe allergic reaction that spreads quickly and causes life threatening symptoms in the body. The victim usually finds it difficult to breathe, and may experience shock that leads to death.

Before a particular person can experience anaphylaxis, ’sensitization’ must occur from being exposed to the trigger. What this means is the first time the person eats for example a nut, all is well, but the next time or later down the track, they may eat nuts may suffer anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock.

Anaphylaxis usually occurs within seconds of exposure to the trigger; however sometimes it may also be delayed. Sometimes you may have been exposed numerous times to the trigger, without any reaction only to end up with anaphylaxis the next time you are exposed to the same trigger.

The immune system overreacting when it detects an alien substance in the body is responsible for anaphylaxis. The white blood cells create antibodies when responding to the antigen; and these antibodies spread throughout the bloodstream and attach to some cells of the body.

Cell in the body manufacture chemicals called ‘mediators’ when the antibodies contact an antigen. Mediators such as histamine are what cause an allergic reaction in the body.

There are many causes or triggers for severe allergic reactions including food additives and some foods such as shellfish and nuts, medications both prescription and non prescription, dyes used in radiology procedures, blood products, transfusion of blood and venom of stinging insects. Only a minute amount of any trigger is all it takes to bring on anaphylaxis.

Although it is impossible to know when a severe allergic reaction will occur it has been found that asthma, eczema and hay fever suffers are more likely to endure anaphylactic situations than the rest of the population.

The most threatening symptom to severe allergic reactions is difficulty in breathing and loss of consciousness that is due to swelling and/or spasms in the airways. Loss of consciousness here arises with low blood pressure, and is referred to as ’shock’. In very rare cases, the heart may stop pumping and breathing can stop.

When suffering from severe allergic reactions, you should not try to ‘wait it out’ at home. Instead, go to the nearest emergency department or ambulance.

While waiting for the ambulance, you have to remain calm, try to identify the cause of the reaction and take an antihistamine if you have no difficulty swallowing. If you have an epinephrine kit, inject yourself or have someone do it for you.

The main motive of this article was to make you aware of the importance of being informed concerning severe allergic reactions and if you think that we were successful in doing that, our goal has been achieved.

Tags: common allergies and symptoms, allergy testing procedures