About Anaphylaxis
What is anaphylaxis?
What to do?
What can cause an anaphylactic reaction?
Which foods can cause an anaphylactic reaction?
WHAT IS ANAPHYLAXIS?
Anaphylaxis (anna - fill -axis) is a serious, life-threatening allergic reaction.
Someone having an anaphylactic reaction
may experience:
- Swelling of lips, tongue, eyes, face or body
- Vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps
- Wheezing, coughing, difficulty breathing
- Loss of consciousness (massive drop in blood pressure)
- All can RAPIDLY lead to COMA or DEATH
What you might also see:
They may feel uneasy, look flushed in the face, have swollen, boodshot or watery eyes. They may develop a rapid heartbeat, itchiness in the skin (for instance, itchy hands, feet or groin area), sneezing, difficulty breathing (wheezing or coughing), and difficulty speaking or swallowing. [ See pictures of a child with anaphylaxis]
If their blood pressure falls, they are going into shock. The person becomes cold, clammy and faint. Shock can develop quickly even if symptoms appear mild at first.
Presently, there is no cure for this illness. Patients diagnosed with food allergies must make lifestyle changes and learn how to avoid the food. This requires guidance from an allergist or support groups. It can take years to learn how to do this successfully (hidden dangers are the biggest threat).
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WHAT TO DO?
A person experiencing an anaphylactic reaction needs immediate emergency medical care. If the person carries an epinephrine auto-injector (e.g., EpiPen, EpiPen Jr. or Twinject), you must administer it in his/her thigh right away. Also you must call 911. Give an antihistamine (like Benadryl) if it is available and the person is still conscious and able to swallow.
- Administer epinephrine auto-injector (e.g., EpiPen) in the outer thigh [see how to do this]
- Call 911
- Give Benadryl or other antihistamine if person is able to talk and swallow
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WHAT CAN CAUSE AN ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION?
The most common causes are:
Foods
Insect stings
Drugs
Latex
Exercise
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WHICH FOODS CAN CAUSE AN ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION?
The foods that cause 90-95% of serious allergic
reactions include:
- PEANUTS
- TREE NUTS
- SHELLFISH
- MILK
- WHEAT
- EGGS
- FISH
- SOY
- SESAME SEEDS
An allergic reaction can be triggered by eating, touching, or smelling a food. It is important to inspect even non-food items like lotions, shampoo, even medication before an allergic person comes in contact with it because they often contain food additives.
Serious reactions can also be caused by other foods such as:
- kiwi
- potato
- rice
- celery
- mango
- strawberry
- sunflower seeds
- lentils
- tomato
- and more!
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