What is Anaphylaxis

What is Anaphylaxis 

Up to 15% of Canadians and Americans have anaphylactic allergies (Ramsey et al., 2019). According to the Mayo Clinic (2021), Anaphylaxis is a severe life-threatening allergic reaction. This can occur within seconds to hours after someone has been exposed to an allergen. This happens when the immune system mistakes something to be harmful, the body then releases a flood of chemicals which then causes an allergic reaction. Some common allergens are things such as peanuts, shellfish, bees, and latex (Mayo Clinic, 2021). 

In my case, I have an anaphylactic allergy to latex which is in over 100 different foods and 40,000 common household products (Allergy & Asthma Network, 2023). 

Common signs of someone having anaphylaxis can include but are not limited to:

• Skin reactions (hives, swelling, rashes, flushed skin, burning)

• Low blood pressure (hypotension)

• Rapid heartbeat

• Shortness of breath

• Swelling of lips, tongue, throat

• Runny nose

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Loss of bladder control

• Throat swelling

• Coughing

• Loss of consciousness 
  

What to do when someone experiences anaphylaxis?

If you need to administer an epi-pen to an individual having an allergic reaction, make sure to verbally explain what you are doing at each step, so the person having the reaction knows what is going on. This can be a very scary experience for them, so it is important that you do your best to remain calm. 

Here are the steps to helping someone who is having a severe allergic reaction. 

• If you start to notice signs and symptoms of someone having an allergic reaction, the first step is to Call 911 and explain to them that there is someone having a severe allergic reaction. (If there are multiple people around have one person call 911 while the other tends to the person experiencing the reaction). Have the person calling 911 check with the individual to see if they have any type of medic alert bracelet. 

• After calling 911 you should have the person lay in the recovery position (assist them if needed)
  

• Then administer an epi-pen and any other allergy medications that the person requires such as Benadryl, Reactin, Blexten, etc.

• You should then sit with the person having an allergic reaction and make sure that they are still conscious and breathing while you wait for the ambulance to arrive. 

References 

Allergy & Asthma Network, (2023) Complete Guide to Latex Allergy. Retrieved from https://allergyasthmanetwork.org/allergies/latex-allergy/ 

Mayo Clinic (2021). Anaphylaxis. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anaphylaxis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351468 

Ramsey, N.B., Guffey, D., Anagnostou, K., Coleman, N.E., & Davis, C.M. (2019). Epidemiology of Anaphylaxis in Critically Ill Children in the United States and Canada. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 7(7). pp 2241-2249. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213219819303988?via%3Dihub