Treatment Anaphylaxis

The Treatment for Anaphylaxis

If you have allergies to food, insect stings, latex, or medication, you know the importance of avoiding the things you are allergic to. You may also know how dangerous it could be if you are accidentally exposed to those allergens. Knowing what to do in the case of an anaphylaxis emergency may save your life, or the life of a loved one.

The first step in knowing how to treat anaphylaxis is to know what symptoms signal an anaphylaxis attack:

• Swelling of the face, lips, throat, mouth, hands, feet, or eyes
• Difficulty breathing, wheezing, restricted air flow
• Difficulty swallowing or talking
• Heart palpitations or cardiac arrest
• Tingling in the mouth, throat, or on the lips
• Rash, hives, or redness, with or without itching
• Confusion, fear, sense of doom, anxiety

If there are two or more symptoms, representing two or more body parts, it may be an anaphylaxis attack.

The next thing you need is to know how to treat anaphylaxis:

• Call 911, getting medical intervention as fast as possible may save a life
• While waiting for help to arrive, keep the victim calm and still
• If there's an EpiPen (an injection containing epinephrine), inject it into the side of the thigh.
• If there are respiratory symptoms, using a rescue inhaler may help increase breathing ability
• Using an antihistamine such as Benadryl will help with other allergy symptoms

Reading all the information about anaphylaxis that you can find will give you the ability to think clearly in a situation that could otherwise turn deadly. Awareness is the beginning of any medical emergency, and knowing what to do can save lives.

Acting quickly and remaining clam are the best things you can do to begin treatment of anaphylaxis. For more information about a treatment for anaphylaxis, visit Allergy Anaphylaxis.