Anaphylaxis – How to Deal with an Emergency

Anaphylaxis is a bodily reaction to the exposure of a chemical which you are allergic too. Once some individuals have been subjected to a certain chemical, their immune systems can become sensitized to it. This means that any future encounter with the allergen will result in serious consequences, often through what is known as an Anaphylactic shock. For those who have developed an allergy for a substance, which is often detected after the first encounter with that allergen, the second exposure will often lead to anaphylaxis within a few minutes, a quite severe state which affects the entire body. This article will outline what causes people to go into shock, the symptoms which indicate someone is experiencing it and how to successfully deal with someone going into anaphylactic shock.
Causes
The main cause of anaphylactic shock is allergic reaction. If the problem is occurring for the first time, then this should create awareness for what you are allergic too, given the circumstances you were in at the time. Identifying the allergen is of key importance to avoid the incidence of anaphylaxis in future. Since this can be life threatening, surviving the initial shock provides an opportunity to later find out what caused it, and combat future cases by doing so. The three most common causes are food allergies, insect bites/stings and drug allergies. Any one of these can easily be identified, allowing you to move forward and life a normal life. With food allergies and stings they can be tricky to avoid, but as a sufferer it is important to avoid what has been established to cause anaphylaxis. Patients will often be given an epinephrine auto-injector to combat attacks should they arise.
Symptoms
During an anaphylactic shock, the body can release substances which cause the throat to block up, making it difficult to breathe. Shortness of breath is therefore a key indicator for anaphylactic shock, where the victim may be unable to speak and gasping for breath. The next thing to look out for is symptoms of allergy, which will consist of itching, blotches, redness, swelling of the face and other irregular skin reactions. These are noticeable and will give a good idea of whether the person is seriously going into shock. During the shock the victim will also experience a drop in blood pressure, which can be indicated through signs of weakness, confusion, nausea and pale colour. Any three of the main symptoms outlined here will give a fair indication of whether someone is experiencing an anaphylactic shock. It is even easier to tell if the sufferer is aware of the allergen which causes the shocks. If so, then an encounter with the allergen should be instantly acknowledged and more easily combatted through the method described below. This level of awareness gives you a better chance of survival, where you can more easily combat the ill effects since you know they are about to come.
What should you do?
This section will explain what a bystander should do if there are tell-tale signs of a shock occurring. These instructions can however be applied by the person experiencing the shock, should there be no one there to help. For more help on what to do in this situation see this page at Wikipedia.
1. Phone the emergency services seeking assistance immediately. This should be conducted in a short and sharp manner.
2. Ask the person experiencing the shock whether they need their auto-injector. Depending on how responsive they are you might have to use your initiative, where if it appears to be a serious attack the injection should be administered through the person’s thigh. If the sufferer is responsive then they should be able to indicate where their auto-injector is, in which case you can simply assist them with the process as best possible, whilst understanding the severity of the situation. Otherwise it is a case of finding the injector and jabbing it into their leg as quickly as possible, whilst remembering to stay calm.
3. Once the shot has been administered, the person should be laid on their back. Be sure their clothing is loose so breathing can occur as freely as possible. If there are no signs of breathing, chest compressions should be performed at a rate of 100 per minute until medical assistance arrives.
4. Even if symptoms improve, ensure the medical assistance is still called upon because symptoms can be recurring.
Author Bio: The author of this article is an avid fitness blogger and an outdoors addict! He recommends Australia Wide First Aid for all of your first aid needs; training and kits!