Custovic A, Tovey E. Allergen control for prevention and management of allergic diseases. Middleton's Allergy: Principles and Practice. Anaphylaxis -- a practice parameter update Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. PMID: pubmed. Updated by: Stuart I. Editorial team. Allergic reactions. Common allergens include: Animal dander Bee stings or stings from other insects Foods, especially nuts, fish, and shellfish Insect bites Medicines Plants Pollens. Common symptoms of a mild allergic reaction include: Hives especially over the neck and face Itching Nasal congestion Rashes Watery, red eyes Symptoms of a moderate or severe reaction include: Abdominal pain Abnormal high-pitched breathing sounds Anxiety Chest discomfort or tightness Cough Diarrhea Difficulty breathing, wheezing Difficulty swallowing Dizziness or lightheadedness Flushing or redness of the face Nausea or vomiting Palpitations Swelling of the face, eyes, or tongue Unconsciousness.
For a mild to moderate reaction: Calm and reassure the person having the reaction. Anxiety can make symptoms worse. Try to identify the allergen and have the person avoid further contact with it. If the person develops an itchy rash, apply cool compresses and an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream. Watch the person for signs of increasing distress.
Get medical help. For a mild reaction, a health care provider may recommend over-the-counter medicines, such as antihistamines. They can help determine whether the symptoms are caused by an allergy or another condition.
In rare cases, an allergy can lead to a severe allergic reaction, called anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock, which can be life threatening. This affects the whole body and usually develops within minutes of exposure to something you're allergic to.
If not treated appropriately, anaphylaxis can turn deadly very quickly. An allergen may be inhaled, swallowed, touched, or injected.
Once an allergen is in your body, an allergic reaction may begin within seconds or minutes. Milder allergies may not cause noticeable symptoms for several hours. The most common allergens include foods, medications, insect stings, insect bites, plants, and chemicals. An allergist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating allergies. They can help determine your specific allergy issues. An anaphylactic response begins quickly after you come into contact with an allergen. Your body releases a lot of chemicals that are intended to combat the allergen.
These chemicals set off a chain reaction of symptoms. Symptoms may begin in seconds or minutes, or a delayed response may occur. These initial symptoms include:. Initial symptoms may quickly turn to more severe problems. If these symptoms go untreated, you may develop one or more of the following symptoms or conditions:. Fully explain to a responsible person what just happened, what you think the allergen is, and what your symptoms are.
If you are alone when the reaction occurs, call immediately. Anxiety can make symptoms worse. Identify what caused the reaction, if you can, and remove it. Make sure the person has no further contact with the trigger. Monitor them for signs of a reaction. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Learn How this information was developed. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. All rights reserved. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. British Columbia Specific Information Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction Anaphylaxis can start within minutes of eating or exposure to an allergen a substance capable of causing an allergic reaction.
Topic Overview Allergies are an overreaction of the body's natural defence system that helps fight infections immune system.
Types of allergies There are many types of allergies. Some of the more common ones include: Food allergies, which are more common in children than adults. Food allergies are most common in people who have an inherited tendency to develop allergic conditions. These people are more likely to have asthma and other allergies. For more information, see the topic Food Allergies. Medicine allergies. Many prescription and non-prescription medicines can cause an allergic reaction.
Allergic reactions are common and unpredictable. The seriousness of the allergic reaction caused by a certain medicine will vary. Allergies to insect venom. When you are stung by an insect, poisons and other toxins in the insect's venom enter your skin.
It is normal to have some swelling, redness, pain, and itching at the site of a sting. An allergic reaction to the sting occurs when your body's immune system overreacts to the venom of stinging insects. For more information, see the topic Allergies to Insect Stings. Allergies to animals , which are more likely to cause breathing problems than skin problems.
You may be allergic to your pet's dead skin dander , urine, dried saliva, or hair. Allergies to natural rubber latex.
Some people develop allergic reactions after repeated contact with latex, especially latex gloves. Allergies that develop from exposure to a particular inhaled substance in the workplace. These are called occupational asthma. Allergies to cosmetics, such as artificial nails, hair extensions, and henna tattoos.
Health Tools Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health. Decision Points focus on key medical care decisions that are important to many health problems. Actionsets are designed to help people take an active role in managing a health condition.
Check Your Symptoms Are you concerned about an allergic reaction? How old are you? Less than 12 years. Are you male or female? Why do we ask this question? The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have. If you are transgender or non-binary, choose the sex that matches the body parts such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina you now have in the area where you are having symptoms.
If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice once as "male" and once as "female". This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you. Could you be having a severe allergic reaction? This is more likely if you have had a bad reaction to something in the past. Do you have symptoms of shock? The symptoms in an adult or older child are different than the symptoms in a young child.
Have you ever had a severe allergic reaction? A severe allergic reaction affects the whole body. Your doctor may have called it anaphylaxis. Have you been exposed to the same thing or something similar to it that caused a severe reaction in the past? For example, this could be an insect, a certain food, or a type of medicine or drug. Not sure. If your bite or sting happened in the last 2 days, are you having any symptoms of an allergic reaction now, even mild ones? Are you having trouble breathing more than a stuffy nose?
Is there any new swelling? Are the lips, tongue, mouth, or throat swollen? Did the lips, tongue, mouth, or throat swell quickly?
Does swelling involve the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, or the area from one large joint to another, such as from the ankle to the knee? Swelling is across two joints, on soles of feet, or on palms of hands. Is the swelling getting worse over hours or days? Did you get an epinephrine shot to treat the reaction? Is most of your body covered in hives?
Hives are raised, red, itchy patches of skin. They usually have red borders and pale centres. They may seem to move from place to place on the skin. Did the hives appear within the past 3 hours? Are there any symptoms of infection? Do you think you may have a fever?
Are there red streaks leading away from the area or pus draining from it? Do you have diabetes, a weakened immune system , peripheral arterial disease, or any surgical hardware in the area? Diabetes, immune problems, peripheral arterial disease, or surgical hardware in affected area.
Does your skin itch?
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