How to recognize anaphylactic shock and save a person's life

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Everyone should know this.

Anaphylactic shock always develops suddenly and lightning fast. Therefore, it requires the same lightning-fast action.

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What is anaphylactic shock and why is it dangerous

Anaphylactic shock is an extremely severe form of allergy.

As with any allergy, the body, faced with a substance that seems to be poison, begins to defend itself. And he does it so actively that he harms himself.

But in the case of anaphylaxis, the situation is special: the immune response to an irritant is so strong that not only the skin and mucous membranes, but also the digestive tract, lungs, and the cardiovascular system are affected. The consequences can be extremely unpleasant:

• Blood pressure drops sharply.
• Edema of tissues, including the larynx, develops rapidly - breathing problems begin.
• The brain begins to experience acute oxygen starvation, which can lead to fainting and further disruption of vital functions.
• Due to swelling and lack of oxygen, other internal organs also suffer.

This combination of symptoms is fraught with serious complications and can be fatal. Therefore, it is important to quickly recognize anaphylaxis and provide first aid.

How to recognize anaphylactic shock

The first and one of the most important points when making a diagnosis is contact with an allergen. Take special care if any of the following symptoms develop after an insect bite, medication, or food. Even seemingly harmless peanut cookies can be an allergen.

Shock develops in two stages. The main warning signs of anaphylaxis look like Anaphylactic Shock: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment as follows:

• An obvious skin reaction is redness or, on the contrary, pallor.
• Itching.
• Heat.
• Tingling sensations in the hands, feet, around the mouth, or over the entire surface of the head.
• Runny nose, itching in the nose, desire to sneeze.
• Difficulty breathing and / or wheezing.
• A lump in the throat that prevents swallowing normally.
• Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
• Swollen lips and tongue.
• A clear feeling that something is wrong with the body.

Already at this stage, it is necessary to take urgent measures (about them below). And the more urgent help is needed if anaphylaxis reaches the second, shock stage. Its symptoms:

• Dizziness.
• Severe weakness.
• Pallor (a person literally turns white).
• Cold sweat appears.
• Severe shortness of breath (hoarse, noisy breathing).
• Sometimes convulsions.
• Loss of consciousness.

3 main rules of first aid for anaphylactic shock

1. Call an ambulance

Allergy Attacks and Anaphylaxis: Symptoms and Treatment should be done as soon as possible. Call 103 or 112 from your mobile phone.

2. Urgently enter adrenaline

Epinephrine (epinephrine) is given intramuscularly to raise the dropped blood pressure. This drug is sold in pharmacies in the form of autoinjectors - automatic syringes that already contain the required dose of the drug. Even a child can give an injection with such a device.

As a rule, an injection is made into the thigh - the largest muscle is located here, it is difficult to miss.

Fear not: Adrenaline will not harm Severe Allergic Reaction Treatment on false alarms. But if it is not false, it can save a life.

People who have already experienced anaphylactic reactions often carry adrenaline autoinjectors with them. If the victim is still conscious, be sure to ask if he has the drug. There is? Follow the instructions above.

It makes no sense to take antihistamines: anaphylactic shock develops very quickly and they simply do not have time to act.

If the victim did not have adrenaline, and there are no pharmacies nearby, it remains to wait for the ambulance to arrive.

3. Try to alleviate the person's condition

• Lay the victim on their back with their legs raised.
• Isolate the person from the allergen if possible. If you notice that an allergic reaction began to develop after an insect bite or injection of any drug, apply a bandage above the bite or injection site to slow the spread of the allergen throughout the body.
• Do not give the person to drink.
• If vomiting is present, turn your head to the side to prevent the person from choking.
• If the person loses consciousness and stops breathing, start CPR (if you have the appropriate skills) and continue until the medical team arrives.
• If the victim's condition has improved, still make sure that he waits for an ambulance. Anaphylactic shock requires additional examinations. In addition, a recurrence of the attack is possible.

Everything you did what you could. Further, the hope is only on the victim's body and the qualifications of doctors.

Fortunately, in most cases, with the provision of timely medical assistance, anaphylaxis recedes. According to American statistics, fatal outcomes are recorded by Fatal Anaphylaxis: Mortality Rate and Risk Factors in only 1% of those who were hospitalized with a diagnosis of anaphylactic shock.

What can cause anaphylactic shock

It makes little sense to list the reasons. Allergy is an individual reaction of the body, it can develop on factors that are completely harmless to other people.

But for the literalists, we still give a list of the most common triggers Allergy Attacks and Anaphylaxis: Symptoms and Treatment, in response to which anaphylactic shock occurs.

• Food. Most often - nuts (especially peanuts and hazelnuts), seafood, eggs, wheat, milk.
• Plant pollen.
• Insect bites - bees, wasps, hornets, ants, even mosquitoes.
• Dust mites.
• Mold.
• Latex.
• Certain medications.

Who is prone to anaphylactic shock

The risk of developing anaphylactic shock is high in those Anaphylactic Shock: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment who:

• Already experienced a similar allergic reaction.
• Has any type of allergy or asthma.
• Has relatives who have had anaphylaxis.

If you belong to one of the listed risk groups, consult a physician. You may need to buy an adrenaline autoinjector and carry it with you.