Tag: anaphylactic shock

Anaphylaxis. The word itself can strike fear into those who know what it means, especially if they are suffering from food allergies which have wreaked havoc on their lives. There are many people who have suffered from allergy testing, but they do not always know what to do should they suffer an allergic reaction. However, at Lifelab Testing, we help people to try and improve their lives. See below more of the symptoms that you need to watch out for if you think that you are suffering from anaphylaxis.

What is anaphylaxis?

Anaphylaxis is one of the most extreme and severe allergic reactions, it can often lead to life-threatening situations. The whole of your body is affected and usually within minutes of you consuming a food that you are allergic to. A person suffering from anaphylaxis can also experience symptoms up to hours later, so it is vital that you stay away from problematic foods.

Severe allergic reactions: Symptoms

Although anaphylaxis is one of the most severe reactions, which is often life-threatening, there are other symptoms which present themselves if you eat a food which you are allergic to.

• Swelling of throat and mouth (lips)
• Struggling to speak
• Struggling to breath
• Severe asthma
• Pain in the abdomen
• Nausea
• Drop in blood pressure

But which foods cause anaphylaxis?

There are some common foods which are often associated with allergies. Food labelling standards and requirements have been incredibly tightened up due to the issues that are being caused by foods. Almost everybody knows someone with an allergy to peanuts, but other foods include fish, eggs. shellfish and dairy products. It is important that you are able to differentiate between milk allergy and lactose intolerance, so please do be careful.

Unfortunately, there are some non-food items which you need to look out for, and these include wasp and bee stings, latex and even penicillin. So please do be careful before jumping into any of these items, and make sure that you do not have an allergy first.

For more information on allergy testing and identifying your allergies, please check out www.lifelabtesting.com. If you have any questions about any of our tests, don’t forget to speak to our customer service advisors who are available via our LiveChat service.

Allergic reactions are sometimes so mild that they go largely unnoticed by the sufferer, but they can also get so bad that they become life threatening. In the case of anaphylaxis, spotting it early can significantly reduce the chances of it becoming serious, so if someone in your family suffers from a reaction so severe that anaphylactic shock occurs, it’s really important that you know what to look out for.

The symptoms

On their own, some of the symptoms could be passed off as other, less severe ailments, but together, they are a warning light for something much more serious.

The tell-tale signs include:

❏ A racing pulse 
❏ Profuse, excessive sweating 
❏ Nausea and/or vomiting 
❏ A sudden change in skin colour or tone 
❏ Respiratory distress 
❏ Swelling or puffiness (particularly around the eyes and mouth)

If the symptoms listed above are continually unmonitored, the next stage of anaphylaxis is fainting and unconsciousness. If you haven’t already, by this point, you should be looking for immediate medical attention, as it has now become a life-threatening condition.

Staying Calm

If this happens in your presence, it is vital that you stay calm and controlled as your panic could just make the problem worse, particularly if you’re dealing with a child or someone of a nervous disposition. Anaphylaxis often results in respiratory distress, which in itself can be extremely frightening, but you must stay as calm and relaxed as possible.

If the person concerned has fallen into unconsciousness, the best thing you can do is to put them into the recovery position and wait until medical services arrive.

Finding Out Before an Attack Happens

Unfortunately, many people are unaware they have severe reactions to a particular substance until they have had an attack of anaphylaxis, as an allergy like this can develop at any stage of life. The good news is that this doesn’t have to be the case and you can get yourself tested against up to 25 different allergens with www.lifelabtesting.com.

Simply visit our website, order your test and wait for your pack to come through the post. You then just need to activate your test and send us your blood sample, which will be tracked throughout its journey. Once we have screened your sample against a wide range of allergens, we’ll let you know by email and tell you how to access your results online.

It’s that simple.

If you’d still like to know more, then take a look round our website, which is packed with info or if you’d like a chat with one of our expert team, log into ‘live chat’ and start talking.

Anaphylaxis, like many other types of allergic reaction, is eminently avoidable, but you can only do so if you know what you’re dealing with. It could literally be a question of life and death, which sounds dramatic, but is regrettably true.

Take control of your life and get yourself tested today. We’re just a few taps of the keyboard away!