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Health Line
a day ago
- Health
- Health Line
Allergy Attacks and Anaphylaxis: Symptoms and Treatment
Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can cause symptoms such as swelling, hives, and nausea. Prompt treatment with an epinephrine auto-injector can help prevent complications. While most allergies are not serious and are manageable with standard medication, some allergic reactions can lead to life threatening complications. One of these complications is called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe, whole-body reaction that typically involves your heart and circulatory system, lungs, skin, and digestive tract. It can also affect your eyes and nervous system. A severe allergy attack may be caused by consuming a food allergen, such as peanuts, milk, wheat, or eggs. It may also arise due to insect stings or certain medications. Immediate medical attention is needed to prevent this severe allergic reaction from worsening. First aid for anaphylaxis If you have severe allergies, you most likely carry a medication called epinephrine. It comes in the form of an easy-to-use auto-injector that allows you or someone else to inject the medication into a muscle. Epinephrine works quickly to raise your blood pressure, stimulate your heart, decrease swelling, and improve your breathing. It is the preferred treatment for anaphylaxis. Self-help If you're experiencing anaphylaxis and can use an auto-injector yourself, inject a dose of epinephrine right away. For the best results, inject it into your thigh. Talk with your doctor about the timing of your injection. Some experts advise using epinephrine as soon as you realize you've been exposed to an allergen, while others do not recommend using it until you have symptoms. After using epinephrine, you should go to the emergency room in case you need any follow-up care. At the hospital, you might receive oxygen, antihistamines, and intravenous (IV) corticosteroids — typically methylprednisolone. You might need to stay at a the hospital for at least a few hours so healthcare professionals can monitor your treatment and watch for any further reactions. First aid for others If you think someone is experiencing anaphylaxis, take these immediate steps: Ask another person to call for medical help. If no one else is nearby, call 911 or your local emergency services. Ask the person whether they carry an epinephrine auto-injector. If so, help them inject the medication according to the directions on the label. Don't give epinephrine to someone who hasn't been prescribed the medication. Help the person stay calm and lie down quietly with their legs elevated. If they vomit, turn them onto their side to prevent choking. Don't give them anything to drink. If the person loses consciousness and stops breathing, begin CPR and continue until medical help arrives. You can follow these instructions for performing CPR. Importance of medical treatment It's important to get medical treatment for a severe allergy attack, even if the person begins to recover. In many cases, symptoms can improve at first but then worsen quickly after a period of time. Medical care is necessary to prevent a recurrence of the attack. Symptoms of anaphylaxis The onset of anaphylaxis is relatively quick. You might experience a reaction within seconds of exposure to a substance that you're allergic to. At this point, your blood pressure will decrease rapidly and your airways will constrict. Symptoms of anaphylaxis include: abdominal cramps heart palpitations nausea and vomiting swelling of your face, lips, or throat skin reactions such as hives, itching, or peeling difficulty breathing dizziness or fainting a weak and rapid pulse hypotension (low blood pressure) pale skin Triggers and causes of anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis is caused by allergies — but not everyone who has allergies will experience this severe reaction. Many people have experienced symptoms of an allergy, which may include: runny nose sneezing itchy eyes or skin rashes asthma Allergens that can cause your immune system to overreact include: foods pollen dust mites mold dander from pets such as cats or dogs insect bites, such as those from mosquitoes, wasps, or bees latex medications When you come into contact with a substance you're allergic to, your body assumes it's a foreign invader, and your immune system releases substances to fight it off. These substances cause other cells to release chemicals, leading to an allergic reaction and changes throughout your body. In children According to the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation, the most common causes of anaphylaxis in children are food allergies. Common food allergens include: Children are especially vulnerable to food allergies when they're away from home. It's important that you let all caregivers know about your child's food allergies. Additionally, teach your child never to eat homemade baked goods or any other foods that might contain unknown ingredients. In adults In adults, the most common causes of anaphylaxis are foods, medications, and venom from insect bites. You may be at risk for anaphylaxis if you're allergic to any medications, such as aspirin, penicillin, or other antibiotics. Types of anaphylaxis 'Anaphylaxis' is a broad term for a type of severe allergic reaction. However, anaphylaxis can be broken down into subtypes according to how the symptoms and reactions occur. Uniphasic reaction This is the most common type of anaphylaxis. The onset of the reaction is rather quick, with symptoms peaking 30 to 60 minutes after exposure to an allergen. Most cases of anaphylaxis are uniphasic. Biphasic reaction A biphasic reaction involves another instance of anaphylaxis that occurs after the initial attack, generally within 72 hours. Symptoms of the second reaction typically peak within 8 to 11 hours after the first reaction. Up to 20% of anaphylactic reactions may be biphasic. Protracted reaction This is the longest-lasting type of anaphylactic reaction. When a protracted reaction occurs, the symptoms of anaphylaxis persist and are difficult to treat, sometimes lasting as long as several weeks without resolving completely. Protracted reactions are typically very uncommon. Persistent low blood pressure may occur, and extended hospitalization may be necessary. Complications of anaphylaxis Without treatment, anaphylaxis can lead to anaphylactic shock. This is a dangerous condition in which your blood pressure drops and your airways narrow and swell, limiting your ability to breathe. Your heart can also stop as a result of inadequate blood flow. In the most severe cases, anaphylaxis can cause death. Prompt treatment with epinephrine can prevent the life threatening effects of anaphylaxis. Outlook The outlook for anaphylaxis is positive when treatment measures are taken immediately. Timing is the key — without prompt treatment, anaphylaxis can be fatal. If you have severe allergies, you need to keep an epinephrine auto-injector on hand at all times in case of exposure and anaphylaxis. Regular visits with an allergist can also help you manage your allergies.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Children With Acute Allergic Reactions Often Spend Unnecessary Time in Hospitals
While many children experiencing anaphylaxis stay for long hours, even overnight, after receiving a dose of epinephrine, 95% could be safely discharged within 2 hours and 98% within 4 hours, study led by experts at Cincinnati Children's reports CINCINNATI, June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Be it peanuts or other triggers, many families live with the day-to-day risk that their child might experience a sudden and scary allergic reaction. In fact, pediatric emergency department visits in the United States to treat acute allergic reactions more than tripled from 2008 to 2016. But once they arrive at the hospital, many children are staying much longer than necessary according to a study involving more than 5,000 children conducted at 31 hospitals in the US and Canada. Findings were published June 10, 2025, in Lancet: Child and Adolescent Health. "Years ago, we used to admit virtually all kids with anaphylaxis to the hospital. We have stopped doing that, but most hospitals still routinely observe kids for over four hours, some even longer. And almost all hospitals admit kids if they have any signs of cardiovascular involvement," says the study's lead author Tim Dribin, MD, an emergency medicine physician at Cincinnati Children's. "Our study suggests that 95% of patients could have been safely discharged two hours after receiving their first epinephrine dose and that 98% could have been safely discharged four hours after the first epinephrine dose." Why so much observation time? The overwhelming majority of children visiting emergency departments for acute allergic reactions can be routinely treated and promptly sent home. In an age where many people with allergies—even young children—carry their own epinephrine injector pens, many situations require no hospital visit at all. However, about 5% of children experience a "biphasic reaction," which means their symptoms can return even though they received an epinephrine injection. In the absence of clear standards, many clinicians choose to keep patients in hospital for long periods of observation just in case. "One concern about biphasic reactions is that the time it takes for symptoms to re-emerge can be highly variable," Dribin says. "This study was designed to take a closer look at this population and determine if children at very low risk can be better identified and discharged safely." Clearing the backup The research team gathered data from 5,641 emergency visits where anaphylaxis was treated with an epinephrine injection. About 90% of the children studied experienced allergic reactions to foods, including peanuts, eggs, milk, shellfish, sesame, gluten and soy. In some cases, the exact food trigger was not known. About 6% involved medication reactions and 3% involved insect stings. While nearly 17% of children were admitted for overnight observation, and others stayed in emergency departments well beyond 4 hours, the need for second doses of epinephrine to cope with biphasic reactions tended to show up quickly. The study found that 4.7% of patients received a second dose within two hours of their initial injection and that 1.9% received a second dose after four hours. Some children clearly needed hospital-level care from the moment they arrived at the hospital. About 1% of all the children studied needed high-acuity services such as ventilators to support breathing. But among the rest of those admitted to hospital beds, most never needed a second epinephrine shot much less intensive care. "We stratified the patients by severity groups and found that patients with no cardiovascular involvement were at low risk of receiving repeat epinephrine beyond 2 hours after the initial epinephrine dose," Dribin says. "Meanwhile even the patients with cardiovascular involvement were at low risk of receiving repeat epinephrine beyond 4 hours." Potential time and resource savings Overall, children with severe allergic reactions represent a modest flow of demand for emergency care. However, having beds occupied for any unnecessary observation periods makes it harder to serve other patients in need. "Pediatric emergency departments can get crowded quite quickly, especially during winter infection season. We need to ensure efficient throughput to allow us to provide access to as many patients as we can," says David Schnadower, MD, MPH, director of the Division of Emergency Medicine at Cincinnati Children's. "An important value of this study is that it was large enough that the results can give clinicians confidence that discharging patients showing no concerning symptoms in less than two hours is going to be safe for most children." The study did not attempt to calculate the potential cost savings that could be achieved because hospital prices and care practices can vary so widely. However, the savings from reducing unnecessary hospital admissions could be substantial, the co-authors say. "I think the bigger impact would be for the patients and families…parents being able to go back to work quicker, children missing less school," Dribin says. "This data allows clinicians to make decisions about observation based on their risk tolerance and that of the patient and the family Some families might feel risk-averse and want to stay a little longer. Others might have another auto injector, and they feel comfortable managing at home. Having that choice is really empowering." Co-author Hugh Sampson, MD, an allergist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, agrees. "We also have seen patients and their families avoid or delay going to the emergency department because they didn't want to sit there for hours of observation," Sampson says. "Such delays can prove dangerous. This study's findings support discharging patients more expeditiously, which will likely reduce patient reluctance to seek necessary help." Funding sources for this study included the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Peoria Civic Center offers epinephrine for allergy emergencies
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) –The Peoria Civic Center is now one of the safest venues to see an event, thanks to a new partnership with Red Sneakers, a food allergy awareness organization. Co-Founders of Red Sneakers Peoria, Kevin & Lindsey Spangler, announced on WMBD This Morning, that the PCC now has undesignated epinephrine on hand. An epinephrine injection (sometimes called an 'EpiPen') can quickly counteract the effects of a severe allergic reaction. Lindsey explained that '33 million Americans have severe food allergies, 1 in 13 children have severe food allergies, so it's really important for entities to carry this lifesaving medication.' She continued, 'a lot of families don't know their child may have a severe food allergy, they may not carry the medication because of the expense, maybe they were never educated on the severity of food allergies.' When a severe allergic reaction happens, it's important to get to the epinephrine fast, and the PCC has now made that more available with a supply on hand, thanks to Red Sneakers Peoria. Find out more about upcoming community events that Red Sneakers has planned for family fun and allergy awareness & education, and ways to get involved and donate, at their website, Red Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
