SurvivalMedicineBlog

Allergic reactions and anaphylaxis

Not medical advice. This is an archive article for general information when professional care is hard to reach. It is not a diagnosis, treatment, or cure. Read the disclaimer. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.

A mild allergy can be a stuffy nose, itchy eyes, or a few hives. A severe reaction, called anaphylaxis, is an emergency. It can follow a sting, a food, a medicine, or something the person has never reacted to before.

Treat these as an emergency

• Swelling of the tongue, lips, or throat
• Wheezing, a tight chest, or trouble speaking in full sentences
• Widespread hives together with dizziness, vomiting, or a sense of doom
• Fainting, or a person who becomes confused or very pale

Call your local emergency number at the first sign of a severe reaction. Do not wait to see if it passes. If a clinician has prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector for this person, use it the way that clinician and the device instructions taught you, and still get emergency care. An injector is not a reason to stay home.

While you wait for help, keep the person still, on their back unless they are vomiting or struggling to breathe. If breathing is hard, let them sit up. Loosen tight clothing. Do not give food, drink, or other medicines in place of emergency care.

People who have had a severe reaction need a follow-up plan from a clinician, including whether they should carry prescribed emergency medicine. Essential oils, herbs, and home remedies do not stop anaphylaxis. Older dosing advice of that kind was removed from this page.

Stings are a common trigger outdoors. See also spider bites for bites that are not an allergic emergency, and Read this First.