What is Anaphylactic shock?

Anaphylactic shock is a sudden and severe reaction to a food allergy, which can collapse the respiratory and circulatory system. If untreated, this type of reaction can be fatal in a matter of minutes.

What does the reaction look like?

There will probably be a flushed appearance accompanied by swelling of the lips face and neck and throat. There will be a constriction of the airways resulting in difficult breathing, and abdominal pain or cramps. Vomiting and diarrhoea are not unknown.

The reaction could also occur because of an insect bite or sting, but one of the most common causes today is an allergic reaction to nuts, or nut products.

If a person collapses and you suspect anything other than a simple faint you should always call an ambulance immediately. With anaphylactic shock they will be unlikely to be able to communicate with you, or tell you what’s wrong.

Emergency treatment.

First of all the person may be in the company of someone who is able to identify them as being allergic to a food, or they may be wearing a medical alert bracelet or necklace, which should be looked for.

The cause may be visually obvious in the case of a sting or a food product close by. Usually there is a rapid deterioration in the person’s breathing within minutes of the attack, which can lead to the person stopping breathing.

If the person is known to be a sufferer of a food allergy and is prone to as severe reaction if exposed, then they are likely carrying an emergency treatment. Check their pockets or handbag, for some sort of adrenaline product such as EpiPen or TwinJect TM, which can be used to administer adrenaline in emergency.

Be prepared to start CPR or emergency breathing if necessary, until the arrival of medical assistance. If you don’t know how to do this, then that is something you should learn without delay as you’d never know when you might need it.

You may need these skills in another situation to save a family members life.

Tags: anaphylactic shock, food allergy, nut allergy

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