Allergic Reaction: What Helps in an Emergency?

An allergic reaction can, at worst, become an emergency. How to assess the situation correctly and what helps then, you will learn here.

What is an allergic reaction?

An allergic reaction always occurs when the immune system classifies an actually harmless substance as dangerous and acts against it. Depending on the cause, the allergy can trigger symptoms such as a cold or sneezing attacks. If the allergic reaction is localised, it is not dramatic from a health point of view. However, if several organs are affected by the excessive immune defence, a life-threatening allergic shock can occur. In this case the emergency doctor must be informed immediately.

Which allergens can cause a severe allergic reaction?

While, for example, the widespread hay fever or even house dust mites cause annoying but rather harmless symptoms, there are also allergies where a strong allergic reaction is likely. These include:

• Insecticide allergy
• Food allergy
• Allergy to medication

Often contact with even the smallest amounts of the respective allergen is enough to cause severe symptoms.

What are the symptoms of allergic shock?

Various complaints can occur as a reaction to an allergy. Allergens often trigger the following symptoms:

• Puffiness of the skin
• Sniffles or stuffy nose
• Reddened, burning eyes
• General itching

It always becomes dangerous when the symptoms become significantly worse within a short time. As a result, blood pressure can drop sharply, which means that vital organs are no longer optimally supplied – resulting in an allergic shock.

But how do I recognize how severe the allergic reaction is?

Using the example of an insecticide allergy, the following complaints can be used to classify how serious the reaction to the allergy is:

• Slight local reaction: After a wasp or bee sting, for example, the swelling is less than ten centimetres. This is unpleasant, but usually the symptoms subside the very next day.
• Increased local reaction: The swelling can affect the whole arm or leg in allergy sufferers depending on the location of the sting and can be very painful. The swelling persists for several days, in some cases the lymph glands or mucous membranes swell and/or a fever develops. A sting in the face is dangerous – depending on the strength of the swelling, the airways may be narrowed. A prompt visit to the doctor is advisable.
• Reaction affects the whole body: The symptoms appear all over the body within minutes after the sting. Skin redness and itching may occur, the eyes and lips may swell. Symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, dizziness or shortness of breath indicate a drop in blood pressure, which can lead to unconsciousness, shortness of breath and circulatory failure. Allergic shock may occur – therefore the emergency doctor should be called immediately.

In general, allergic reactions all over the body are classified into four levels of severity, which help to decide whether or not an emergency exists:

• Slight general reaction: reactions of the skin all over the body, e.g. redness, itching, swelling of the mucous membranes, nausea, headaches
• Pronounced general reaction: blood pressure drops slightly, breathing difficulties occur, urge to urinate and defecate becomes stronger
• Threatening general reaction: airways swell and constrict, a general shock occurs, blood pressure drops sharply, circulatory problems set in
• Organ failure: circulatory arrest

First aid for allergic shock

If a strong allergic reaction occurs, this is not only bad for the allergy sufferer, but also for the people who witness the incident. The important thing now is to act quickly: Anyone who observes a severe allergic reaction, for example one that is accompanied by shortness of breath or dizziness, should first call the emergency doctor. Then it is time to provide first aid. Depending on whether the affected person is conscious or unconscious, different steps are necessary. The basic rule is to remain calm and also to calm the person affected by calm coaxing.

1. The person concerned is conscious and responsive

• Remove the trigger of the reaction (e.g. bee sting).
• Make sure that the patient is getting enough air. If in doubt, open tight clothing to facilitate breathing and ask the patient to breathe calmly and deeply. This also helps against emerging panic.
• Ask the patient to sit with a raised upper body.
• If there is swelling on the body, wrap some ice in a cotton cloth and place it on the affected area. Sucking ice cubes helps to reduce swelling in the throat or mouth.
• If the patient carries an emergency medication for the allergy, administer it.

2. The person concerned loses consciousness or is already unconscious

• Test the consciousness by gently shaking and addressing.
• Call for help / make other people aware of the emergency.
• Check breathing: To do this, first stretch your head, then lean your cheek over the patient’s lips. If the patient is breathing, you will feel a slight warm air stream. You can turn your face towards your chest and check whether it rises and falls.
• If the patient is breathing, put him in a stable lateral position and check his breathing again and again until the emergency doctor arrives.
• If the patient does not breathe, resuscitation measures must be initiated immediately: This involves performing cardiac massage 30 times, alternating with two breaths each time, until breathing is restored or the emergency doctor takes over.

It is important to provide the emergency doctor with all possible information that can play a role in the rescue. This includes, for example:

• Which allergy is present?
• How exactly was the allergic reaction triggered?
• What symptoms have occurred?

Basically, the following applies: The correct handling of allergies can save lives – therefore it is important to take complaints seriously.