Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening, severe allergic reaction. It causes your immune system to release chemicals that can make your blood pressure drop suddenly and narrow your airways, blocking your breathing. This is your body’s natural defense when reacting to a trigger, such as food or medication. It can occur suddenly and can worsen very quickly.

Contact Doral Health and Wellness and talk to our primary care doctors if you have allergic reactions to certain triggers. They are the best doctors in Brooklyn, and they can help and work with you with your condition.

Symptoms

Most of the time, anaphylaxis occurs shortly after you are exposed to an allergen. But in rare instances, anaphylaxis may be delayed and can occur after a few hours. The most common sign and symptoms can include:

• Constricted airways and swollen tongue or throat
• Skin reactions could be hives, itching, and flushed skin
• Low blood pressure
• Weak and rapid pulse or fast heartbeat
• Dizziness and breathing difficulties
• Fainting or losing consciousness
• Nausea or vomiting

Causes

Allergy symptoms are usually not life-threatening, but if you have a severe reaction it can lead to anaphylaxis. But even if you only have a previous mild anaphylactic reaction, there’s still a risk of more severe anaphylaxis if you’ll have another exposure to your allergens. The most common triggers of anaphylaxis include:

• Foods – including nuts, eggs, shellfish, and milk
• Insect bites – mostly wasp and bee stings
• Medicines – this includes some antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Contrast agents – this includes dyes that are used in some medical tests

If your anaphylaxis has no apparent trigger, it is known as idiopathic anaphylaxis.

Treatment

Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency that needs immediate treatment, so if you have this condition it is best that you are prepared in case you suddenly have an anaphylactic reaction. If you are, or someone you know, experiencing an anaphylactic reaction, you can follow these steps to prevent a fatal situation:

• Use an epinephrine auto-injector – if you have an auto-injector and you have symptoms of anaphylaxis, use it right away
• Call for an ambulance even if you start to get better
• Remove any trigger, if possible – if you are allergic to a bee and you were stung, carefully remove the stinger that was stuck in your skin
• Lie down and raise your legs, unless you are having breathing difficulties, you need to sit up to breathe.
• Administer another injection after 5 minutes – if your symptoms do not improve, administer a second dose of epinephrine

Prevention

• Identify triggers – find out if you are allergic to anything and what triggers your allergy or anaphylaxis. This could help you avoid these triggers and stay away from them.
• Avoid triggers – after identifying your triggers, take the necessary steps to avoid them as much as possible. If you have food allergens, checking the food labels and ingredients can help you reduce the chance of being exposed. You can also let the restaurant staff you are dining in know what you’re allergic to so it will not be included in your meals.
• Carry your epinephrine auto-injectors anywhere – if you are prescribed an auto-injector, make sure that you carry them everywhere you go. Make sure that you check your auto-injector’s expiry date regularly and make sure that you replace them before it expires.

It is very important that you always have an emergency card or bracelet with your condition’s full details so you will be given proper care when you can’t do it yourself.

At Doral Health and Wellness, we have a family doctor that can help you manage your allergic reactions. For more information, you can visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11212, or call us at 1-347-384-5690. You can also visit our website at https://doralhw.org or contact us at info@doralhw.org if you have any queries. We have the best primary care doctor in Brooklyn to provide you with the best comprehensive medical care and health care services.

For urgent medical emergencies, you can visit Doral Health and Wellness Urgent Care. We provide urgent and comprehensive care for most health problems. For more info, visit us at http://www.urgentcareclinicbrooklyn.com/ or call us at 1-347-384-5690.