Anaphylactic Reactions

Anaphylactic reactions are most commonly caused by the following:

But they can be caused by any allergen.

Anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reactions typically begin within 15 minutes of exposure to the allergen. Rarely, reactions begin after 1 hour. Symptoms range from mild to severe, but each person usually has the same symptoms each time.

The heart beats quickly. People may feel uneasy and become agitated. Blood pressure may fall, causing fainting, and may become dangerously low (shock Shock Shock is a life-threatening condition in which blood flow to the organs is low, decreasing delivery of oxygen and thus causing organ damage and sometimes death. Blood pressure is usually low... read more ). Other symptoms include dizziness, itchy and flushed skin, coughing, a runny nose, sneezing, hives Hives Hives are red, itchy, slightly elevated swellings. The swelling is caused by the release of chemicals (such as histamine) from mast cells in the skin, which cause fluid to leak out of small... read more , and swelling of tissue under the skin (angioedema Angioedema Angioedema is swelling of areas of tissue under the skin, sometimes affecting the face and throat. Angioedema can be a reaction to a drug or other substance (trigger), a hereditary disorder... read more ). Breathing may become difficult and wheezing may occur because the throat and/or airways narrow or become swollen. People may have nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea.

An anaphylactic reaction may progress so rapidly that people collapse, stop breathing, have seizures, and lose consciousness within 1 to 2 minutes. A severe reaction may be fatal unless emergency treatment is given immediately.

Symptoms may recur 4 to 8 hours after exposure to the allergen or later. Such symptoms are usually milder than they were at first, but they can be more severe or fatal. Doctors observe people for several hours after the first reaction.

The diagnosis of anaphylactic reactions is usually obvious based on symptoms such as the following:

Because symptoms can quickly become life threatening, treatment is begun immediately, without waiting for tests to be done.

To confirm the diagnosis, doctors may do blood tests to measure certain substances that increase soon after an anaphylactic reaction. However, these tests are usually unnecessary.

Avoiding the allergen is the best prevention. People who are allergic to certain unavoidable allergens (such as insect stings) may benefit from long-term allergen immunotherapy Allergen immunotherapy (desensitization) Allergic reactions (hypersensitivity reactions) are inappropriate responses of the immune system to a normally harmless substance. Usually, allergies cause sneezing, watery and itchy eyes, a... read more . For allergen immunotherapy, people are given progressively larger doses of the allergen to try to teach the immune system not to react to that allergen.

People who have anaphylactic reactions should always carry a self-injecting syringe of epinephrine. If they encounter a trigger (for example, if they are stung by an insect) or if they start to develop symptoms, they should immediately inject themselves. Usually, this treatment stops the reaction, at least temporarily. Nonetheless, after a severe allergic reaction and immediately after injecting themselves, such people should go to the hospital emergency department, where they can be closely monitored and given additional treatment as needed. People should also wear a medical alert bracelet with their allergies listed on it.

In emergencies, doctors immediately give epinephrine by injection under the skin, into a muscle, or sometimes into a vein or bone. It may help relieve all symptoms. A second injection of epinephrine may be needed.

If breathing is severely impaired, a breathing tube may be inserted into the windpipe (trachea) through the person’s mouth or nose (intubation) or through a small incision in the skin over the trachea, and oxygen (if needed) is given through the breathing tube. If the person's blood pressure is very low, epinephrine may be given through the breathing tube.

Blood pressure often returns to normal after epinephrine is given. If it does not, fluids are given intravenously to increase the volume in the blood vessels. Sometimes people are also given drugs that cause blood vessels to narrow (vasoconstrictors) and thus help increase blood pressure.

Antihistamines Antihistamines Allergic reactions (hypersensitivity reactions) are inappropriate responses of the immune system to a normally harmless substance. Usually, allergies cause sneezing, watery and itchy eyes, a... read more (such as diphenhydramine) and histamine-2 (H2) blockers Histamine-2 (H2) Blockers Stomach acid plays a role in a number of disorders of the stomach, including peptic ulcer, gastritis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Although the amount of acid present in the stomach... read more (such as cimetidine) are given intravenously until symptoms disappear.

If needed, beta-agonists that are inhaled (such as albuterol) are given to widen the airways, reduce wheezing, and help with breathing.

A corticosteroid is sometimes given to help prevent symptoms from recurring several hours later, although whether this treatment is necessary is unclear.