The conditions that could be mistaken for anaphylaxis are flushing syndromes, hives or angioedema, vocal cord dysfunction, acute asthma attacks, panic attacks and anxiety and vasovagal episodes (fainting) as these conditions share the same symptoms of anaphylaxis like dizziness, trouble breathing and even skin flushing.
Flushing syndromes, like carcinoid syndrome or alcohol reactions cause sudden redness and warmth that may be confused with an allergic flush.
Isolated hives or angioedema, like sudden swelling or hives that are restricted only to the skin and subcutaneous tissue can occur on their own without involving other organ systems.
Vocal cord dysfunction, where the vocal cords close unexpectedly and make breathing difficult, which can also appear and feel like an upper airway blockage.
Acute asthma attacks, which can cause severe wheezing and shortness breath, which can occur during an asthma flare-up without the widespread skin or digestive symptoms that are typical of anaphylaxis.
Panic attacks and anxiety, which result in rapid breathing, hyperventilation, shortness of breath, and skin flushing during severe anxiety can closely mimic an allergic reaction.
And vasovagal episodes (fainting), which causes a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure that can be triggered by stress or pain and can cause paleness and collapse although it often features a slow heart rate, instead of the fast heart rate that is seen in anaphylaxis.
If you or someone else experiences active symptoms like trouble breathing or swelling, seek emergency medical help immediately.
Anaphylaxis is a severe, life threatening allergic reaction and symptoms often start within minutes of exposure and affect multiple body systems.
The two most common signs of anaphylaxis are hives also known as urticaria and angioedema which is swelling of the lips, tongue, face and throat.
Common signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis are skin reactions which include widespread hives, itching, flushing and rapid swelling of the eyes, lips, tongue or throat.
Other common signs of anaphylaxis are respiratory issues like wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, or a scratchy/tight throat.
Cardiovascular signs of anaphylaxis are dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting or a fast and weak pulse and gastrointestinal symptoms of anaphylaxis are nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps or even diarrhea.
If you or someone else experiences trouble breathing, swelling of the throat, or collapse please call 911 or your emergency number and use an epinephrine auto-injector if you have one like an EpiPen immediately.
An anaphylactic reaction often starts within minutes to a couple of hours after exposure to the trigger and most severe anaphylactic reactions begin within 5 to 30 minutes of touching, eating, or being stung by an allergen.
And rarely, an anaphylactic reaction can take several hours to appear.
Symptoms of anaphylaxis can go from mild to life threatening in just a couple of minutes and doctors often monitor patients in an emergency room setting for 4 to 6 hours because a second wave of symptoms that is called a biphasic reaction can occur later without a new exposure and risk can even occasionally persist for up to 24 hours to 72 hours.
The warning signs of anaphylaxis to look out for are trouble breathing, wheezing or a cough, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, hives, itching or flushed skin, dizziness, fainting or a fast pulse and stomach cramps, vomiting, or diarrhea.
If you or someone else is having any trouble breathing or showing signs of a severe anaphylaxis reaction, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately and if you have one, use an auto-injector like an EpiPen.
Anaphylaxis escalates rapidly and is unpredictable and should never be left untreated.
Mild symptoms of anaphylaxis like rash or hives can worsen quickly into severe breathing trouble, airway swelling and a dangerous drop in blood pressure and it's also impossible to predict how fast a reaction will progress or whether it will become fatal.
If anaphylaxis is left untreated it can turn more severe if it hasn't already and can cause death within minutes as a result of blocked airways and sudden shock.
When you're experiencing anaphylaxis, your airways close as the muscles in your throat tighten and swell, which stops air from reaching the lungs.
Blood pressure also drops as blood vessels widen too fast, which causes a dangerous drop in blood pressure which is also known as shock.
And your heart fails as a rapid or weak pulse can lead to cardiac arrest if your heart lacks oxygen and proper blood pressure and even if mild signs of anaphylaxis fade briefly, they can also roar back hours later in a second wave.
If you or someone else experiences anaphylaxis, you should use an auto-injector like an EpiPen if you have one in the outer thigh immediately and call 911 or your emergency number to get emergency medical help right away, even if the shot makes you feel better.
For anaphylaxis, the ER will provide immediate epinephrine as well as continuous vital sign monitoring and secondary medications that are used to treat severe allergic reactions and prevent relapse.
Doctors will give additional doses of adrenaline (epinephrine) by injection or continuous infusion if symptoms persist or worsen and medical staff will also use intravenous fluids (IV) to stabilize your blood pressure and treat shock.
And nurses and doctors will also provide you with supplemental oxygen or use a nebulizer with albuterol to open tight airways and stop wheezing and in severe cases, a breathing tube may also be placed.
Staff also administer intravenous antihistamines such as diphenhydramine and corticosteroids to block ongoing allergic responses and lower your risk of secondary flare-ups.
The medical team at the ER will also keep you under observation for 4 to 12 hours because secondary, delayed reactions that are called biphasic reactions can happen hours later without new exposure to the allergen.
And before you leave the hospital, you will receive prescriptions for an emergency auto-injection and instructions for follow up care.
Death from anaphylaxis is extremely rare as anaphylaxis while it can be fatal, it is rarely fatal, with an overall case fatality rate that is estimated between 0.001% and 0.33%, and a general population mortality rate of less than one death per million people a year.
Only around 0.25% to 0.33% of hospital or emergency room visits for anaphylaxis result in death and around 0.6 to 0.76 deaths occur per million people in the general population annually.
Around 225 deaths a year occur from anaphylaxis in the United deaths and nearly 60 percent of all of the anaphylaxis deaths are a result of a drug allergy and 72 of the deaths per year from anaphylaxis are from insect venom allergy.
225 deaths a year seems like a lot, but it's actually small when compared to the population of the United States which is around 341.8 million people.
And while it is possible to survive anaphylaxis without an EpiPen, it's also extremely dangerous to not have one when you experience anaphylaxis.
If you experience anaphylaxis, without an EpiPen, you must get emergency medical treatment right away and it also depends on your body's natural response.
Anaphylaxis causes a sudden drop in your blood pressure and narrowing of your airways, which can also block your breathing and lead to cardiac arrest.
And while some mild anaphylaxis cases may peak and slowly resolve on their own, anaphylaxis is unpredictable and there is no way to predict who will survive a severe anaphylaxis attack without an EpiPen epinephrine.
And severe reactions of anaphylaxis can become fatal in less than 15 minutes.
If you or someone else is experiencing anaphylaxis and don't have an EpiPen take action immediately and call 911, which your absolute top priority and tell the dispatcher it's an allergic emergency.
lay flat or have the person lay flat with their legs raised, unless they or you're struggling to breathe, in which case you should sit up or help them sit up or raise their upper body.
If the person was stung by a bee and a bee stinger is visible, scrape or brush it off safely and loosen tight clothing to make it easier for them to breathe and don't give food or drink as swelling in the throat can cause choking.
EpiPen also known as Epinephrine works to stop anaphylaxis by opening the airways by relaxing the muscles in the lungs to help you breathe and it also raises your blood pressure and narrows the blood vessels to stop dangerous drops in your blood pressure.
Epinephrine also reduces swelling in the throat, lips and tongue and it acts in minutes when injected into the large muscle of the outer thigh.
You should always use the auto-injector of epinephrine at the first sign of severe symptoms of anaphylaxis and avoid antihistamines first as they take too long to work and do not treat breathing problems and low blood pressure.
And you should call 911 or seek emergency medical care immediately after using an auto-injector and if symptoms don't improve after 5 to 15 minutes, use a second injector if you have one.
The four stages of anaphylaxis are Mild anaphylaxis, Moderate anaphylaxis, Severe anaphylaxis and life threatening anaphylaxis.
Mild anaphylaxis is stage 1 anaphylaxis and includes the early warning signs of anaphylaxis which include:
Skin reactions, which include localized redness, itching, flushed skin, or early hives also known as (urticaria).
Mucosal signs, which include a mild tingling sensation in or around your mouth and throat.
And status, which may resemble a basic, non severe allergic reaction, which makes it easy to miss.
Moderate anaphylaxis, which is stage 2 anaphylaxis (Systemic Progression), involves spreading symptoms like hives and rashes that spread more widely across your body.
And swelling, which includes mild swelling that begins in your lips, tongue, eyes or soft palate.
And digestive involvement which includes the onset of abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea as multiple body systems react.
Severe anaphylaxis which is also (Anaphylactic Shock) causes respiratory distress, which includes significant difficulty breathing, wheezing, throat tightness or even coughing.
Cardiovascular impact, which includes a weak, rapid pulse, dizziness, or lightheadedness.
And status, in which the body enters a state of anaphylactic shock where your blood pressure drops dangerously low, depriving your vital organs of blood flow.
And stage 4 anaphylaxis which is life threatening anaphylaxis, which is also a critical emergency.
In stage 4 anaphylaxis, it leads to cardiorespiratory arrest, where breathing may stop completely, also known as respiratory arrest and blood circulation can also fail, which is also known as a circulatory arrest/heart attack0.
Unconsciousness, in which you lose consciousness and experience profound oxygen deprivation to the brain and vital organs.
In stage 4 anaphylaxis, it's a fatal medical emergency that requires immediate administration of epinephrine and emergency intervention.
If you or someone else experiences signs of stage 3 or stage 4 anaphylaxis, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately and if you have one use an auto-injector (epinephrine).