ANAPHYLAXIS ALERT
- Sep 24, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 6, 2025
ANAPHYLAXIS IS A POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING ALLERGIC REACTION. WHILE IT DOES NOT OFTEN HAPPEN, ANY ALLERGIC REACTION CAN BECOME SEVERE TO THE POINT OF ANAPHYLAXIS.
DURING ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK, THE BODY'S IMMUNE RESPONSE IS SO EXTREME THAT IT CAN CAUSE TIGHTENING OF THE THROAT AND CHEST, LEADING TO DIFFICULTY BREATHING, DIZZINESS AND LIGHTHEADEDNESS, INCREASED HEART RATE, AND DECREASED BLOOD PRESSURE - ESSENTIALLY PUTTING SOMEONE IN A STATE OF SHOCK WITH A POTENTIAL FOR DEATH.
CONCERNED ABOUT PEANUTS IN YOUR FOOD? OTHER ALLERGENS? ANYONE WITH A KNOWN REACTION LIKE THIS - WHETHER IT IS MILD OR SEVERE - SHOULD CARRY AN EPI-PEN AT ALL TIMES. I don't understand why I read about people with known food allergies dying at a restaurant! You just don't know what your food was cooked with! Carry an EpiPen!
Anaphylaxis alert: If you're experiencing wheezing, shortness of breath, or swelling in your throat or tongue:
Take Benadryl or Zyrtec if you have them readily available and your symptoms are not advanced yet
Use an inhaler or EpiPen if you have one.
If it's anxiety-related, breathe in and out of a bag to help regulate your breathing.
Alert a friend or housemate if possible (if you have time)
Call 911 immediately.
Go to the ER:
Best way to get there: ambulance, because EMTs can help you in a pinch. But if for some reason an ambulance does not take you, have someone drive you - do not drive yourself.
Even if your symptoms start improving and it seems like an unnecessary ER visit, GO anyway.
I’ve seen firsthand the dangers of hesitation—working in an ER in the mountain foothills, patients sometimes delayed going to the hospital because it was 20 miles away. Unfortunately, some waited too long, and by the time they arrived, their airways had completely closed up. In those cases, doctors couldn’t intubate (insert a breathing tube) in time to save them.
Seeking help ASAP can be the difference between recovery and tragedy. Don't wait—go to the ER.
NEVER MESS WITH SERIOUS BREATHING PROBLEMS. FORGET THE COST. YOU CAN MAKE ARRANGEMENTS AT AN ER TO PAY OVER TIME. YOU NEED TO BREATHE.
