Anaphylaxis
What is Anaphylaxis?
In most cases, people with allergies develop mild to moderate symptoms, such as watery eyes, a runny nose or a rash, but in some cases some people can develop a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction known as Anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can have rapid onset and causes your immune system to release a flood of chemicals that can cause you to go into shock. Relieving anaphylaxis requires an injection of epinephrine and a follow-up trip to an emergency room. If you don’t have epinephrine, you need to go to an emergency room immediately. If anaphylaxis isn’t treated right away, it can be fatal
What are the Symptoms of Anaphylaxis?
Anaphylaxis symptoms usually occur within minutes of exposure to an allergen. Sometimes, however, it can occur a half-hour or longer after exposure. The early symptoms may be mild, such as a runny nose, a skin rash or a “strange feeling.” These symptoms can quickly lead to more serious problems, including:
- Trouble breathing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness or fainting
- Low blood pressure
- Weak and rapid pulse
- Hives or swelling
- Flushed or pale skin
- Cardiac arrest
People who have had a severe allergic reaction are at risk for future reactions. Even if your first reaction is mild, future reactions might be more severe. That’s why it’s important to carry self-injectable epinephrine if you are at risk, and 911 should be dialed in the event of a very serious reaction.
What Causes Anaphylaxis?
Your immune system produces antibodies that defend against foreign substances. This is good when a foreign substance is harmful, such as certain bacteria or viruses. But some people’s immune systems overreact to substances that don’t normally cause an allergic reaction. Allergy symptoms aren’t usually life-threatening, but a severe allergic reaction can lead to anaphylaxis. Even if you or your child has had only a mild anaphylactic reaction in the past, there’s a risk of more severe anaphylaxis after another exposure to the allergy-causing substance. If you don’t know what triggers your allergy attack, tests can be performed to identify the allergen.
How Do I Know If My Allergic Reaction is Anaphylaxis?
If you have a history of allergies and/or asthma and have previously had a severe reaction, you are at greater risk for anaphylaxis. Allergists, such as Dr. Pradeep Sinha, at the Sinus Institute of Atlanta are specially trained to review your history of allergic reactions, conduct diagnostic tests (such as skin-prick tests, blood tests and oral food challenges) to determine your triggers, review treatment options and teach avoidance techniques. Contact the Sinus Institute of Atlanta if:
- You’re unsure whether you have had an anaphylactic reaction.
- Your symptoms are recurring or are difficult to control.
- You’re having trouble managing your condition.
- More tests are needed to determine the cause of your reactions.
- Desensitization or immunotherapy could be helpful in your case.
- Daily medication is needed.
- You need intensive education on avoidance and anaphylaxis management.
- Other medical conditions complicate your treatment.
What is the Treatment for Anaphylaxis?
An anaphylactic reaction should be treated immediately with an injection of epinephrine (adrenaline). People at risk of anaphylaxis should carry an epinephrine autoinjector (epi-pen). This device is a combined syringe and concealed needle that injects a single dose of medication when pressed against the thigh. Always replace epinephrine before its expiration date, or it might not work properly. Using an autoinjector immediately can keep anaphylaxis from worsening and could save your life. Be sure you know how to use the autoinjector. Also, make sure the people closest to you know how to use it.
Seek emergency medical help immediately if you, your child or someone else you’re associated with has a severe allergic reaction. Don’t wait to see if the symptoms go away.If the person having the attack carries an epinephrine autoinjector, administer it right away. Even if symptoms improve after the injection, the person having the allergic reaction still needs to go to an emergency room to make sure symptoms don’t recur, even without more exposure to your allergen. This second reaction is called biphasic anaphylaxis.
Make an appointment to see Dr. Sinha at the Sinus Institute of Atlanta if you or your child has had a severe allergy attack or signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis in the past. The diagnosis and long-term management of anaphylaxis are complicated, so you’ll probably need to see a doctor who specializes in allergies and immunology.
How Can I Prevent an Anaphylaxis Episode?
The best way to prevent anaphylaxis is to avoid the substances that cause this severe reaction.
- Know your triggers and avoid them. If you’ve had anaphylaxis in the past, it’s very important to know what triggered the reaction.
- Wear a medical alert necklace or bracelet to indicate you have an allergy to specific drugs or other substances.
- Always keep an emergency kit with prescribed medications available. Your doctor can advise you on the contents. If you have an epinephrine autoinjector, check the expiration date and be sure to refill your prescription before it expires.
- Be sure to alert all your doctors to medication reactions you’ve had.
- Seek treatment. If a severe reaction does occur and epinephrine is administered, you should be transported to the nearest emergency facility by ambulance for additional monitoring.
- Tell family and friends. Family and friends should be aware of your condition, your triggers and know how to recognize anaphylactic symptoms. If you carry epinephrine, alert them to where you keep it and how to use it.
Be prepared
Be S.A.F.E. Action Guide
How Can I Prevent an Anaphylaxis Episode?
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Seek immediate medical help. Call 911 and get to the nearest emergency facility at the first sign of anaphylaxis, even if you have already administered epinephrine, the drug used to treat severe allergic reactions. If you have had an anaphylactic reaction in the past, you are at risk of future reactions.
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Identify the Allergen. Think about what you might have eaten or encountered – food, insect sting, medication, latex – to trigger an allergic reaction. It is particularly important to identify the cause because the best way to prevent anaphylaxis is to avoid its trigger.
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Follow up with a specialist. Ask your doctor for a referral to an allergist/immunologist, a physician who specializes in treating asthma and allergies. It is important that you consult an allergist for testing, diagnosis and ongoing management of your allergic disease.
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Carry Epinephrine for emergencies. Kits containing fast-acting, self-administered epinephrine are commonly prescribed for people who are at risk of anaphylaxis. Make sure that you always carry an epinephrine kit with you at all times, and that family and friends know of your condition, your triggers and how to use epinephrine. Consider wearing an emergency medical bracelet or necklace identifying yourself as a person at risk of anaphylaxis. Teachers and other caregivers should be informed of children who are at risk for anaphylaxis and know what to do in an allergic emergency.
Sleep Deficiency
Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction
Sinus Headache
A sinus headache usually involves pain localized over the sinus area. You may also experience pain in your face along with or instead of a headache. A migraine headache is a usually a throbbing pain on one side of the head. Light may make it worse, and you could also experience nausea. Allergy headaches can be very painful and disrupt your daily routine. At the Sinus Institute of Atlanta, a board-certified allergist can help you control your allergies and get relief from this pain.
Triggers
A sinus headache is caused by swelling in the sinuses that blocks the openings, preventing drainage and causing pressure to build up. Common seasonal and year-round allergens like pollen, mold and pet dander can cause your body’s immune system to react with a sinus headache, even if you have no other allergy symptoms.
Migraine headaches can be caused by many factors, including genetics. Environmental allergies and food intolerances have been linked to migraines. If you suffer from recurrent migraines, your allergist can help you determine whether you are sensitive to common food allergens like peanuts, eggs or milk.
Food Allergies
Food allergies are the most likely allergies to cause nausea and/or vomiting. A reaction occurs when your immune system overreacts to a food or a substance in a food, incorrectly identifying it as a danger and triggering a protective response.
You don’t normally associate seasonal allergies with nausea — for good reason. Nausea and vomiting are rarely, if ever, symptoms of a seasonal allergy. Typical seasonal allergy symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes and maybe a rash.If you encounter something, you’re allergic to, your immune system considers the substance dangerous and releases a chemical called histamine to counteract it. Histamine can cause a variety of symptoms, including rash, headache, sneezing, runny nose and swelling — and in the case of food allergies, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If the allergen is something you breathe in, your reaction will probably affect your eyes, nose and lungs. If you eat the allergen, you’re more likely to have symptoms in your mouth, stomach and intestines.
Anaphylaxis is the most severe allergic reaction and can be life-threatening and requires immediate treatment with an epinephrine auto injector followed by emergency treatment.
Triggers
If you have food allergies that can lead to symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, it’s important to know which foods trigger your symptoms..
Fever
Some people believe that allergies can cause a fever, but that isn’t true! Hay fever (also called allergic rhinitis) is a common allergy, and despite the name, it isn’t a reaction to hay and doesn’t cause a fever. If you’re experiencing a runny or stuffy nose and a fever, you may have a sinus infection. Sinus infections are caused by bacteria or viruses, not by allergies.