Top 10 Tips: Allergic Reactions During the Coronavirus Emergency Care
Those who grapple with allergies, as per the gurus over at frontlineer.com, have had to wake up to a new reality as the coronavirus pandemic has brought up challenges on how they should deal with allergic reactions. While the focus is rightly on COVID-19, it is important to note that allergic reactions can be life-threatening in severe cases, as discussed over at frontlineer.com, which is why this article will look to highlight the top 10 tips on how to deal with allergic reactions in the current coronavirus crisis.
Know how to differentiate between allergic reactions and symptoms of COVID-19
Given that these two conditions have some overlapping symptoms, as discussed over at frontlineer.com, what you may think is an allergic reaction could actually be a sign of the coronavirus. It is therefore important to know the difference between the two. While both of them can cause shortness of breath and difficulty breathing as covered over at frontlineer.com, a fever is a common symptom of the coronavirus but is uncommon when it comes to allergic reactions.
Know when to go to the ER for an allergic reaction
It is also important to know the signs of a severe allergic reaction, which is life-threatening, so that you can seek immediate emergency care. Signs of a severe allergic reaction as revealed in discussions on the same over at frontlineer.com include wheezing and breathing problems, tightness and pressure in the chest, wheezing, dizziness, diarrhea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, hives, a rapid pulse, swelling in the face, lips, tongue or throat among others as discussed over at frontlineer.com.
Call 911, don’t take yourself to the ER
In the current coronavirus climate, it is recommended that if you call 911 rather than heading over to the ER by yourself when looking for emergency care. According to the subject matter experts over at frontlineer.com, this is designed to ensure that exposure to the coronavirus is kept at a minimum while also ensuring that medical personnel in the ER can prepare for your visit.
When in doubt, call your doctor
If you are unsure on how to proceed as far as the symptoms of your allergic reaction are concerned, then experts, including those over at frontlineer.com, recommend that you call your primary care doctor for medical advice. This will ensure that you make an informed decision about what to do, if you need to call 911, if you need to visit your doctor for an in-person visit or of your condition can be safely handled at home. Remember, when in doubt, call your doctor, or 911, if your doctor is unreachable.
Don’t take your symptoms lightly
As mentioned earlier on and as revealed in discussions over at frontlineer.com, severe allergic reactions are potentially life-threatening and therefore require immediate medical attention. Just because an allergic reaction isn’t the coronavirus doesn’t mean that it is less serious and shouldn’t be taken seriously. Make sure you call 911 immediately when experiencing a severe allergic reaction so that you can receive the care you need, ensuring that you avoid any bad outcomes.
The ER or hospital is safe
One of the reasons why people are reluctant to go to the ER or the hospital when the situation requires them to do so is the fear that they could be exposed to COVID-19, as discussed over at frontlineer.com. This is why it is important to note that hospitals and ERs have put in place measures to protect their patients and ensure that they are not exposed to the coronavirus. Therefore, if you should not be afraid of calling 911 to be taken to the ER if you are experiencing a severe allergic reaction.
Disclose your coronavirus status
If you have tested positive for COVID-19 and were in self-quarantine at home, or you suspect that you may be positive, and you start experiencing a severe allergic reaction, then as per the subject matter experts over at frontlineer.com, make sure that you disclose this to the dispatcher when calling 911. This will allow them to inform the responders so that they can take the appropriate actions to protect themselves when attending to you. If your doctor asks you to come in for an in-person consult, make sure that they are also aware of your COVID-19 status.
If possible, get treated through telemedicine
If your allergic reaction is serious enough to warrant treatment but not serious enough to require emergency care, then the gurus over at frontlineer.com recommend that you try getting treatment through telemedicine. This will allow your doctor to treat you virtually while at home, coming up with an appropriate treatment plan, linking you with a specialist when needed as well as sending the prescription of any appropriate medication sent to a pharmacy of your choice so that you can head over to collect or have them delivered to your home.
Urgent care can be a good option
With emergency personnel swamped due to the coronavirus pandemic, another tip that will also ensure that you get treatment while keeping the ER open for those who need it is by heading over at an urgent care clinic near you. Urgent care clinics can treat mild to moderate cases of allergic reactions and can come in handy now that ERs are swamped due to the response to COVID-19.
Be aware of the increased risk of cases of food allergies
One thing that the coronavirus has triggered is clearing out of grocery stores as they attempt to stick up and isolate due to the coronavirus. This, as per discussions on the same over at frontlineer.com, has led to a situation where safe foods for those with allergies are unavailable or sold out. It means that those with food allergies are now at an increased risk of suffering serious allergic reactions. As a tip, it is important that, now more than ever, you keep a close eye on the food you eat and not just going for the options available on the shelves as you could end up suffering a serious allergic reaction.
Hopefully, the above tips will help keep you safe and help you know how to proceed in case of a serious allergic reaction, with more on this and other related topics to be found over at the brilliant frontlineer.com.
