Check if it's anaphylaxis swelling of your throat and tongue. difficulty breathing or breathing very fast. difficulty swallowing, tightness in your throat or a hoarse voice. wheezing, coughing or noisy breathing.
About anaphylaxis
itchy skin or a raised, red skin rash. swollen eyes, lips, hands and feet. feeling lightheaded or faint. swelling of the mouth, throat or tongue, which can cause breathing and swallowing difficulties.
It mostly occurs within 20 minutes to 2 hours after exposure to the allergen. Signs and symptoms may be mild at first, but can rapidly worsen. A small number of people suddenly develop signs and symptoms of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) without any signs of a mild to moderate allergic reaction.
Anaphylaxis and anaphylactic shock are often referred to as the same – but they are not always the same. Some people may experience a mild anaphylactic reaction and not go into shock. For example, they may experience hives and difficulty breathing after accidentally eating a food allergen.
In rare cases, anaphylaxis may be delayed for hours. Signs and symptoms include: Skin reactions, including hives and itching and flushed or pale skin. Low blood pressure (hypotension)
Anaphylaxis often begins within minutes after a person eats a problem food. Less commonly, symptoms may begin hours later. Up to 20 percent of patients have a second wave of symptoms hours or even days after their initial symptoms have subsided.
Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening, generalized or systemic rapid-onset hypersensitivity reaction (allergic or nonallergic). Anaphylactic shock is a severe rapidly progressing anaphylactic reaction (anaphylaxis) resulting in a life-threatening drop in blood pressure.
Have the person lay down and elevate their legs; if the person is vomiting, turn them on their side to help prevent choking. If breathing becomes difficult, allow the person to sit up (but not stand). Monitor vital signs such as breathing and pulse. If the person stops breathing, begin CPR.
Allergic reaction
It can cause your throat to tighten up suddenly. You may feel like it's very hard to swallow. It can happen minutes or hours after your exposure.
Some signs of anaphylaxis are obvious, such as swelling of the lips and throat. But others might be easier to miss, though the subtle symptoms tend to be less common. Knowing these signs--and noticing them--could save your life.
Antihistamines DO NOT stop the progression of an anaphylaxis. Antihistamines only help to decrease itching and reduce mild/moderate swelling of the face, lips and eyes.
If you're with someone having symptoms of anaphylaxis, don't wait to see whether symptoms get better. Seek emergency treatment right away. In severe cases, untreated anaphylaxis can lead to death within half an hour. An antihistamine pill, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), isn't enough to treat anaphylaxis.
Epinephrine is the first-line medication for anaphylactic shock. It is administered to reverse the systemic effects of the allergic reaction. Epinephrine constricts blood vessels, relaxes airway muscles, and reduces swelling, helping to alleviate symptoms such as bronchospasm, hypotension, and angioedema.
Anaphylaxis is variable and unpredictable. It may be mild and resolve spontaneously due to endogenous production of compensatory mediators, or it may be severe and progress within minutes to respiratory or cardiovascular compromise and death [34].
Epinephrine — Epinephrine is the first and most important treatment for anaphylaxis, and it should be administered as soon as anaphylaxis is recognized to prevent the progression to life-threatening symptoms as described in the rapid overviews of the emergency management of anaphylaxis in adults (table 1) and children ...
Fatal outcomes due to anaphylaxis are rare,25, 26 and around 80% of reactions resolve without (or despite no treatment with) adrenaline. However, severe reactions cannot be predicted,1 thus all anaphylaxis reactions must be treated as potentially life-threatening.
Allergic reactions are common in children. Most reactions are mild. A severe allergic reaction (i.e. anaphylaxis) involves a person's breathing and/or circulation. Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of an allergic reaction and is life threatening.
The symptoms of anaphylaxis and anxiety/panic attacks can overlap and can be difficult to distinguish. Both can cause shortness of breath, chest tightness, heart palpitations, and a sense of being unable to catch your breath. With anaphylaxis, you may also experience hives and swelling.
This lowered blood pressure is known as hypotension. Symptoms of both anaphylaxis and hypotension include lightheadedness, feeling weak or faint, dizziness, fatigue, blurred vision and loss of consciousness.
After using an autoinjector to treat an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis, it is important to immediately seek emergency care. While epinephrine itself does not cause problems, an allergic reaction sometimes improves after treatment with epinephrine but then symptoms come back.
But having more than one of these symptoms at a time can be cause for concern. "Whenever there is multi-symptom involvement, like you have a rash and you're vomiting, or you have a rash and you start to have chest pain or dizziness, that always points toward a much more significant reaction," Dr. Mathai says.