Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that is life threatening. A toxin is introduced to the body that our body has been sensitized to on earlier exposure and our immune system responds with an anaphylactic reaction. Immediate treatment is necessary.

Causes: Chemotherapy and other medications, food, insect bites or stings, environmental toxins, such as pollen, or animal dander.

Symptoms to watch for in an anaphylactic allergic reaction include the following:
- Difficulty breathing, wheezing, abnormal high pitched breathing sounds, coughing, and nasal congestion.
- Tongue, lips, and eyelids swelling.
- Fainting, dizziness, light headedness, confusion, slurred speech, and anxiety.
- Hives such as urticaria, raised, itchy blotches, skin redness.
- Abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
- Internal reactions include low blood pressure, shock, and death.

Treatment:
- Help prevent exacerbation by having the patient lie flat, do not raise the patient's head, lift the patient's feet, cover the patient, and do not give anything by mouth.
- Administer an epinephine pen if available.
- Treatment includes administering epinephine, intravenous cortisone and antihistamines, oxygen, and an albuterol inhaler to assist with the breathing.

Here are a couple of other sites with information on this:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000844.htm
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/understanding-anaphylaxis-basics Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that is life threatening. A toxin is introduced to the body that our body has been sensitized to on earlier exposure and our immune system responds with an anaphylactic reaction. Immediate treatment is necessary.

Causes: Chemotherapy and other medications, food, insect bites or stings, environmental toxins, such as pollen, or animal dander.

Symptoms to watch for in an anaphylactic allergic reaction include the following:
- Difficulty breathing, wheezing, abnormal high pitched breathing sounds, coughing, and nasal congestion.
- Tongue, lips, and eyelids swelling.
- Fainting, dizziness, light headedness, confusion, slurred speech, and anxiety.
- Hives such as urticaria, raised, itchy blotches, skin redness.
- Abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
- Internal reactions include low blood pressure, shock, and death.

Treatment:
- Help prevent exacerbation by having the patient lie flat, do not raise the patient's head, lift the patient's feet, cover the patient, and do not give anything by mouth.
- Administer an epinephine pen if available.
- Treatment includes administering epinephine, intravenous cortisone and antihistamines, oxygen, and an albuterol inhaler to assist with the breathing.

Here are a couple of other sites with information on this:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000844.htm
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/understanding-anaphylaxis-basics