What You Need to Know About Anaphylaxis

For most people with an allergy, a reaction normally means watery eyes, sneezing, a rash, and other mild symptoms. For others, however, being exposed to an allergen can be a life-threatening event. We define something as an allergy when the body's immune system responds to a normally benign substance as though it were harmful. Allergic symptoms often include sneezing, nasal congestion, wheezing, eye redness, skin rashes, and itching. For many allergy sufferers, these are the worst symptoms they will experience and can manage them with avoidance, medications, and education. For other people, however, exposure to allergens can lead to a severe and life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis affects more than one area of the body at the same time and often begins soon after a person is exposed to a substance they are severely allergic to, however in some cases it may take more than an hour to notice symptoms. A biphasic reaction may also occur as many as 12 hours after the first anaphylactic reaction. Anaphylaxis should be treated as a medical emergency and those having a reaction should seek medical attention, such as an epinephrine injection and visiting the emergency room or calling 911. Your risk of anaphylaxis is increased if you have asthma or allergies and a family history of anaphylaxis. Additionally, an individual that has experienced anaphylaxis has a higher risk of another anaphylactic reaction. What are the signs of anaphylaxis? A person ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news