WHAT YOU SHOULD
KNOW
Anaphylaxis (AN-uh-fuh-LAX-is), also called allergic
shock, is a severe reaction to stings and bites, medicines,
foods, and other substances to which you are allergic. It
usually comes on suddenly.
Anaphylaxis can kill you. It is an
emergency.
Causes
Anaphylaxis may be caused by
foods such as nuts, shell fish, fruits, eggs, fruit, or milk;
medicines, such as penicillin, aspirin, or dyes used to take
x-rays; and stings or bites from bees, wasps, hornets, some
spiders, or biting ants. Even exercise can sometimes trigger
this reaction.
Signs/Symptoms
Typically, you'll begin to have
trouble breathing, suffer chest pain, or feel swelling or
tingling around your mouth. Other signs include itchy or red
skin, a throbbing heartbeat, sweating, faintness, or a
black-out. Your tongue may swell and cause you to choke. A few
people also develop stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, or
diarrhea. These signs may appear seconds or minutes
after the offending substance has gotten into your body. The
attack may last from a few seconds to a few hours.
Care
Call 911 or 0 (operator) for help. Anaphylaxis is an
emergency. You will need CPR if your heart or breathing
stops; and emergency care givers will need to give you
epinephrine (EP-ih-NEF-rin) by injection or intravenously to
slow down the movement of the allergen through your blood
stream and to help you breathe more easily. If you have
been stung by an insect, scrape the stinger out with a knife or
your fingernail. Don't squeeze the stinger. It may still have
some venom in it and squeezing can spread the venom into your
skin.
After emergency treatment, you may need to stay in the
hospital for 12 to 24 hours. If you are sent home from the
emergency room, you should have someone stay with you for at
least 24 hours. Symptoms of anaphylaxis can sometimes return
within a few hours of the attack.
Risks
If not treated immediately,
anaphylaxis may end in shock, heart failure, and
death.
IF YOU'RE HEADING FOR THE
HOSPITAL...
What to Expect While You're
There
You may encounter the following
procedures and equipment during your stay:
-
Taking Vital Signs: These include your temperature,
blood pressure, pulse (counting your heartbeats), and
respirations (counting your breaths). A stethoscope is used
to listen to your heart and lungs. Your blood pressure is
taken by wrapping a cuff around your
arm.
-
Pulse Oximeter: A pulse oximeter (ox-IM-uh-ter) may
be placed on your ear, finger, or toe and connected to a
machine that measures the oxygen in your
blood.
-
Oxygen: You may need extra oxygen at this time. It
is given either by a mask or nasal prongs. Tell your doctor
if the oxygen is drying out your nose or if the nasal
prongs bother you.
-
Ventilator: A special machine used to help with
breathing.
-
IV: A tube placed in your vein for giving medicine
or liquids. It will be capped or have tubing connected to
it.
-
Blood: Usually taken from a vein in your hand or
from the bend in your elbow and sent to a laboratory for
testing.
-
Breathing Treatments: A special machine will be used
to help you inhale medicine. A doctor will help with these
treatments. You will need the medicine to help open your
airways and restore your breathing. At first you may need
the treatments frequently. As you get better, you may only
need them when you are having trouble
breathing.
-
ECG: Also called a heart monitor, an
electrocardiograph (e-LEC-tro-CAR-dee-o-graf), or EKG. The
patches on your chest are hooked up to a TV-type screen or
a small portable box (telemetry unit) that shows a tracing
of each heartbeat. Your heart will be monitored until
danger from the reaction has passed.
-
Medications
-
Heart Medicines may be needed to restore normal
heartbeat and function.
-
Steroids may be given to decrease the swelling and
redness (inflammation) of the
tissue.
-
Anti-Nausea Medicine may be needed to control
vomiting and prevent loss of too much body
fluid.
-
Bronchodilators may be needed to help open your
lung's airways.
After You Leave
-
If the cause of the attack isn't apparent, you'll
need to undergo tests to identify the triggering substance
(or insect) and avoid it in the
future.
-
You may be given a kit for emergency treatment of
anaphylaxis. The kit contains epinephrine that you can
inject yourself if you have another serious reaction. Ask
your doctor to show you how to use the kit, and teach your
friends or family how to use it in case they have to give
you the shot. Keep your kit with you at all
times.
-
You should wear a medic-alert bracelet or necklace
indicating that you have had anaphylaxis. Emergency care
givers will be able to treat you quickly in case you cannot
talk during an attack.
-
Be sure to tell all medical personnel that you have a
serious allergy. Stay in your doctor's office for at least
15 minutes after getting an injection containing medicine
you have never had before. Always know the names of the
medicines you are taking.
-
Read labels on food and medicine carefully to see if
they contain the substance to which you are sensitive. Be
very careful about what you eat. Allergens such as nuts or
fruit may be hidden in prepared food like meat dishes or
cookies.
-
Always wait at least 2 hours after eating before
starting to exercise.
-
If you are allergic to bee or wasp stings, avoid
gardening, tree-trimming, or lawn-mowing. Do not wear
perfume, hair spray, or brightly colored clothes when you
are outside; bees and wasps like sweet smells and bright
colors. Also, always wear shoes.
Call Your Doctor If...
-
You think you have a food or drug allergy. Your signs
may show up in seconds or minutes after eating a food or
taking a medicine. Even mild symptoms can rapidly develop
into a life-threatening reaction.
-
An allergic rash, hives, or itching does not go away
in a few days, or you develop new
symptoms.
-
The area around an insect sting gets red, warm, sore,
and swollen. These are signs of
infection.
Seek Care Immediately If...
-
You begin to have any of the symptoms of an
anaphylactic reaction.
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