Food, medication, or insect bites cause anaphylactic shock.
The violent allergic reaction often affects the whole body.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction such as itching, dizziness, or shortness of breath develop a few minutes after contact with the allergy trigger.
Anaphylactic shock can have fatal consequences and requires
immediate medical attention
.
Allergy sufferers should always have an emergency kit with them.
Stung by a wasp or eaten something “wrong”?
An
allergic shock -
caused by food, medicine or insects - has many faces: from a harmless swelling to devastating respiratory and cardiac arrest.
Here
is happening in your body the following
:
There is a massive release of histamine.
Your blood vessels expand suddenly.
As a result, the blood sags in the arms and legs and
no longer adequately supplies the vital organs such as the heart, lungs or brain.
Therefore,
anaphylactic shock is considered a
medical emergency
!
Also read
: This is one thing that athletes with allergies should be aware of.
In anaphylactic shock, your body reacts with these symptoms
An allergic reaction often leads to anaphylaxis:
anaphylactic shock
, which can be life-threatening.
Quick action is the order of the day!
According to
Apotheken-Umschau
, doctors differentiate between
four degrees
of
severity
of allergic shock, which are characterized by the following symptoms:
If the anaphylaxis occurs
only on the skin
, you will get
itching, wheals
(small blisters filled with fluid) or
reddened skin
with a feeling of heat.
Headache
or
dizziness *
are further warning signs of a mild allergic reaction.
Even if this is not dangerous, you should watch the process carefully for a while.
If the
skin, mucous membrane
and
gastrointestinal area are
affected, these symptoms are accompanied by other unpleasant consequences: your blood pressure drops, your heartbeat accelerates (palpitations), you experience slight shortness of breath, as well as nausea or vomiting.
The clear
signs of severe anaphylactic shock
include the following symptoms, which quickly add to the above: bronchospasm (cramping of the airway muscles), pale and cold skin, cold sweat, fast, flat pulse, blue lips.
In rare cases, you react with a swelling of the larynx, which leads to shortness of breath.
In
extreme cases, your circulatory system also reacts
with dizziness, drowsiness, loss of consciousness up to and including respiratory and cardiac arrest.
Find out here how you can prevent sudden cardiac death and what to do immediately in the event of a
cardiac arrest
.
Anaphylaxis: why you should see a doctor if you have symptoms
Anaphylactic shock has its pitfalls: the listed allergic reactions occur both individually and in various combinations.
The initial signs do not indicate the severity of the allergic shock.
Since symptoms can spread to the whole body within a very short time, they sometimes develop into an extreme case.
The rule here is:
get medical help immediately
!
Caution
: Symptoms can recur suddenly up to 24 hours after the incident.
For this reason, those affected should be monitored in the intensive care unit for as long - even if they quickly received the right therapy for anaphylactic shock.
How do you help an affected person?
Here you can download a graphic on first aid for anaphylactic shock.
The emergency kit for allergy sufferers can save lives
If you have ever had an anaphylactic reaction, it is advisable to always carry an emergency kit with you.
Your family doctor will prescribe this and contain it
an antihistamine (antiallergic agent)
an adrenaline pre-filled syringe (adrenaline auto-injector)
a cortisone supplement
for asthmatics: a spray to relieve shortness of breath
Tip
: Have the use of your allergy emergency kit explained to you in detail and documented in your allergy passport.
If necessary, instruct your close relatives as well.
So you are always prepared for extreme cases.
You might also be interested in:
Dangerous nut allergy: What to do in case of allergic shock.
How to prevent anaphylactic shock
If you have already had allergic reactions, strictly avoid your
known allergy triggers
!
Let your doctor give you detailed advice and train you on how to react correctly to symptoms.
As a person affected
, you inform
those
around you
about your risk of anaphylaxis.
Educate your friends, relatives, and co-workers about what triggers are problematic for you and how they can help you in an emergency.
Store
your emergency kit
so that it is accessible to those around you.
Include a description of how to use the adrenaline injection, for example.
Especially for those allergic to insect venom, health insurances such as the AOK recommend a
specific immunotherapy:
desensitization.
This helps your immune system to better tolerate the poison from insects such as bees or wasps.
As a result, you reduce the chance of anaphylactic shock.
If children suffer from food allergies, nutritional training is a good way to teach yourself and your little ones how to protect themselves from allergy triggers in the best possible way.
In an emergency: These steps are necessary
If you do come into contact with allergens, you should be
well prepared
for the
emergency situation
.
What to do
if you experience an allergic reaction:
Use your emergency kit and use your emergency medication
position yourself in a position appropriate to your complaints and
call the ambulance on 112.
by Olga Krockauer * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
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