Emergency Room Go For Allergic Reaction
At some point in time, we have all come across someone or have experienced allergies ourselves. But what are allergies and why does it become severe to the death. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only about 1 in 5 people suffer from allergies every year. It also amongst the top ten leading causes of chronic illness in the United States, and costs more than $18 billion annually to manage and treat.
FrontLine ER at this moment discusses in detail everything you need to know about allergies and its severity that can lead you to the emergency room.
Allergy
It is an immune system reaction to any foreign substance that may seem to be harmful to your body. The external elements are known as Allergens which may include certain foods, pet dander or pollen amongst others. Depending on the type of allergen, the reaction may involve sneezing, inflammation or other severe reactions. Allergies are widespread, and several treatments can help ease the symptoms.
Types of Allergens
- Animal products like pet dander, cockroaches or dust mice waste
- Penicillin and antibiotics that contain sulfa drugs can be common triggers
- Foods like nuts, dairy, wheat, fish, and eggs
- Insect stings from wasps, bees, and mosquitoes
- Airborne spores from the mould that cause hay fever
- Pollen from grass, weeds, and trees. Resin from plants like poison oak or poison ivy is very common.
- Latex found in gloves, condoms, and metals like nickel that are found in jewellery, zippers, eyeglass frames or even coins.
According to FrontLine ER, severe allergic reactions can happen rapidly and without any warning. They could be triggered by things that were previously tolerable. Dealing with a life-threatening allergic reaction can be terrifying, especially when it’s your child who is affected.
The most chronic allergic reaction is Anaphylaxis. If not treated on time, it can lead to shock, seizures, irregular heartbeat, respiratory distress or even death. Witnessing an anaphylactic reaction is much scary because the symptoms can go from bad to worse very quickly. Call 911 or rush to the ER if someone presents any of these symptoms:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Swelling of the eyes, mouth, and throat, which can eventually lead to the closing of the airway
- Flushing and hives all over your body
- Chest tightness and problems in breathing
- Tingling of the palms of the hands, soles of the feet or lips
- Light-Headedness or fainting
- Fast heartbeat
Treatment
Epinephrine treats the most dangerous symptoms of anaphylaxis very fast- including low blood pressure, trouble breathing, and throat swelling. It is a pen-sized device which contains a liquid medication that works by relaxing the muscles of the airway. It’s the best option for anyone experiencing anaphylaxis. However, you need to administer the injection within the first few minutes after the allergic reaction starts for it to be effective.
Your doctor may have prescribed you an emergency epinephrine injection in the past. Ideally, your symptoms should begin to improve or even resolve entirely after the shot; causing you to believe that you are out of harm’s way. A visit to the emergency room (ER) is still recommended; no matter how well you may feel.
Bear in mind that dosages vary and individual medical conditions can affect how a person reacts to it. Instructions should be followed to the letter, and it should strictly used by the person who’s been prescribed the medication. The main reason being, epinephrine could hasten a heart attack in someone with heart disease. This is because of its ability to speed up the heart rate and raise blood pressure.
Emergency Room
The doctor begins by doing a full examination on the patient. The emergency care staff will then check your breathing and give you oxygen. If you still experience trouble with breath, you may be given other medicines orally, intravenously, or via an inhaler to help you breathe more easily. These medications can include; bronchodilators, steroids, and antihistamines. Here at FrontLine ER, patients who’ve had an anaphylactic reaction are monitored for four to eight hours afterwards to eliminate chances of reoccurrence.
After an effective treatment for Anaphylaxis, you should do your best to avoid future cases. The only way is by staying away from your allergy trigger.
- Read product labels to make sure you don’t eat anything containing it
- Wear an insect repellant whenever you are outdoors in the summer
- Use soothing lotions like calamine lotion to ease inflammation and itching
- Inform every doctor you visit about your allergy, so they don’t prescribe that drug for you
- Wear a medical alert bracelet to notify emergency responders that you have a drug allergy
- Carry an epinephrine auto-injector with you always; in case you encounter your allergy trigger in the future
If you aren’t sure, please see an allergist for a skin prick or blood test to identify your trigger.
