Friday, August 16, 2013

Anaphylaxis - A Lethal Allergy


Most allergies can easily be shrugged off; just take some doctor-prescribed medicine, have some rest and you are good to go. Yet, there could be allergic reaction that can be life threatening and one of them is anaphylaxis.

This kind of allergic reaction usually involves more than one organ; it may involve the skin, the respiratory system, the heart and other organs in the cardiovascular system, the gastrointestinal system, and the nervous system. In other words, a person with anaphylaxis may have an itchy skin, swollen lips, shortening of breath, abdominal pains and diarrhea, dysrhythmia (irregular rhythm of heartbeat) and losing of muscle control all at the same time. That was the worst-case scenario, but the point is that having more than one organ involved in an allergic reaction is a symptom of anaphylaxis and the person who seems to have it should be brought to the nearest hospital in the fastest time possible.

Like most allergies, anaphylaxis can also be triggered by exposure to animals, food, being bitten with venom from insects like bees, hornets, and wasps, and by taking medication that one could be allergic (which is why one has to go through drug allergy testing if a new medicine has been prescribed).

To prevent the induction of anaphylaxis, one may have immunotherapy with venoms coming from the Hymenoptera and Hemiptera order (bees, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, fire ants, etc.). A skin allergy test may also be conducted to know which allergens should be avoided and drug allergy testing may also be taken to prevent going into shock once the medicine is taken.

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