Emergency Care for Allergy

Anaphylactic shock is the most dangerous allergic reaction. Only doctors are able to provide proper treatment but a person’s life depends on the actions taken by those around them. Anaphylaxis can turn deadly within an hour. There’s a chance that common antihistamine tablets won’t help.

An anaphylactic reaction is most often caused by.

• drugs
• food (especially peanuts, fish, shellfish)
• spider and insect bites, jellyfish stings

30% of people who have survived an episode of anaphylactic shock experience one or more recurrences in life (Tejedor-Alonso M. А., 2015)

First aid for anaphylaxis.

• Immediately call 911.
• Ask the person or people around if they carry an adrenaline/epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen or else).
• Offer help if the person wants to use his or her own auto-injector, the injection is usually given in the thigh.
• Have the person lie on his or her back.
• If there is vomiting or bleeding from the mouth, turn the person’s head to the side to prevent choking.
• Loosen tight clothing, and cover the person.
• Don’t let him or her drink.
• If the person stops breathing, perform CPR while you wait for the ambulance. There’s no need to do ventilation by mouth-to-mouth technique, just press on the chest at the frequency of about 120 compressions per minute. Place one hand on top of the other, interlacing fingers together, and put them on the lower third of the sternum. Perform chest compressions with straight elbow joints.
• Wait for the ambulance even if the symptoms start to improve. With an anaphylactic shock, they can recur. The person needs to be monitored in the hospital setting at least for several hours.

Related Links

• Allergy Symptoms
• Hay Fever
• Types of Allergies
• Causes of Allergy
• Allergy Diagnostics
• Allergy Treatment