What is an anaphylactic reaction?
Anaphylactic reactions are symptoms due to severe allergies, which cause serious and sudden illness that may result in death. They occur due to an overreaction of the immune system to certain substances or triggers, which are normally otherwise harmless. But if it’s caused by an accident, victims may need to borrow small sums in order to finance their hospital bills.
Some common triggers include:
- Peanuts, fish, milk eggs and other food triggers
- Bee and wasp stings, ant bites and other insect bites and stings
- Medicines such as penicillin and aspirin and other medications
On some occasions, a person’s trigger may not be identified.
What are the signs of an anaphylactic reaction?
Anaphylaxis is usually rapid, occurring between 20 minutes to 2 hours after being exposed to the trigger. The signs may be subtle at first but then can become more severe. Here you can also find the new guide on how to do your bookkeeping,
Signs of an anaphylactic reaction can include any of the following:
- Swelling of the tongue and throat
- Ongoing cough and wheezing
- Difficulty breathing which can manifest in loud breathing, needing immediate medical attention and use of medical gas outlets
- Dizziness or collapse
- Abdominal pain or vomiting
- In young children, pallor, lethargy
Treatment for anaphylactic reactions
Anaphylactic reactions are serious medical emergencies. Emergency treatment can be followed using the instructions on individual ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis or First Aid Anaphylaxis Plan.
- Lay the person flat – do NOT allow them to stand or walk
- Give adrenaline injector (EpiPen® or AnaPen®)
- Phone ambulance – 000
- Phone family/emergency contact
- Further adrenaline may be given if there is no response after 5 minutes
- Transfer the person to the hospital for at least 4 hours of observation from the time of the last dose of adrenaline
The adrenaline (epinephrine) autoinjector (EpiPen® or AnaPen®) should be given first. This includes people with asthma or breathing difficulty, even if no skin signs are present.
Conduct CPR at any time if the person is not responding and not breathing normally, we suggest looking into https://cprcertificationnow.com to get proper training.
Why is adrenaline (epinephrine) used to treat anaphylactic shock?
Adrenaline acts quickly on neurons to cause various systemic mechanisms for reducing the symptoms of anaphylactic shock. Depending on the reaction, it can resolve the condition rather quickly as well. If this is no the case then the patient would require some form of Acute Medical Care and careful observation and follow-up treatment for a full recovery.
only Some of these include:
- Causing throat and lungs to relax allowing for breathing
- Increasing blood pressure and blood flow around the body
- Decreasing inflammation of the skin, and reducing redness, swelling and pain
How to prevent of anaphylactic reactions
The best way to prevent anaphylactic shock is to avoid known triggers. It is also important to tell the people around you about your allergy, including when eating out for food allergies or at the workplace. Your doctor may also refer you to an allergy specialist for allergy testing. In some cases, desensitisation to the identified allergen may be possible. Unfortunately there are sometimes where accidents happen and people aren’t prepared for it, and when that happens the person who suffers the anaphylactic shock is more susceptible to end up dying. If you are unfortunately involved in a case where a loved one passed away because of an allergic reaction, make sure to hire a wrongful death attorney for the best legal assistance to get you through these tough times.
Where to get help
- Always call 000 in the case of an emergency
- Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia – Phone: 1300 728 000
- Anaphylaxis support advisory line – Phone: 1300 725 911
- Dietitians Australia – Phone: 1800 812 942
- Book a consultation with one of our experienced doctors at Southgate Medical today for a thorough discussion and advice.