Anaphylactic reaction; Anaphylactic shock; Shock - anaphylactic

Symptoms develop rapidly, often within seconds or minutes. They may include the following:

• Abdominal pain or cramping
• Abnormal (high-pitched) breathing sounds
• Anxiety
• Confusion
• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty swallowing
• Fainting, light-headedness, dizziness
• Hives, itchiness
• Nasal congestion
• Nausea, vomiting
• Palpitations
• Skin redness
• Slurred speech
• Wheezing

Signs include:

• Abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
• Fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema)
• Hives
• Low blood pressure
• Mental confusion
• Rapid pulse
• Skin that is blue from lack of oxygen or pale from shock
• Swelling (angioedema) in the throat that may be severe enough to block the airway
• Swelling of the eyes or face
• Weakness
• Wheezing

The health care provider will wait to test for the specific allergen that caused anaphylaxis (if the cause is not obvious) until after treatment.

Images

Insect stings and allergy

Allergic reactions to medication

Antibodies

Food allergies

Hives

Anaphylaxis

Shock

Allergic reactions

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Anaphylaxis Overview

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Anaphylaxis Treatment

Review Date: 05/02/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III., MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Stuart I. Henochowicz, MD, FACP, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, Georgetown University Medical School. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)