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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffThe best way to prevent anaphylaxis is to avoid substances that you know cause this severe reaction. Follow these steps:
- Wear a medical alert necklace or bracelet to indicate if you have an allergy to specific drugs or other substances.
- Alert your doctor to your drug allergies before having any medical treatment. If you receive allergy shots, always wait at least 30 minutes before leaving the clinic so that you can receive immediate treatment if you have a severe reaction to the allergy shot.
- Keep a properly stocked emergency kit with prescribed medications available at all times. Your doctor can advise you on the appropriate contents. This may include an epinephrine autoinjector. Make sure your autoinjector has not expired. These medications generally last 18 months.
- If you're allergic to stinging insects, exercise caution when they're nearby. Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants. Avoid bright colors and don't wear perfumes or colognes. Stay calm if you are near a stinging insect. Move away slowly and avoid slapping at the insect.
- Avoid wearing sandals or walking barefoot in the grass if you're allergic to insect stings.
- If you have specific food allergies, carefully read the labels of all the foods you buy and consume. Manufacturing processes can change, so it's important to periodically recheck the labels of foods you commonly eat. When eating out, ask about ingredients in the food, and ask about food preparation because even small amounts of the food you're allergic to can cause a serious reaction.
Be prepared
It's important to do everything you can to prevent an anaphylactic reaction by avoiding your triggers. But even if you're careful, at some point you'll likely be exposed to the substance you're allergic to. Fortunately, you can be prepared to respond quickly and effectively to an allergy emergency by knowing the signs and symptoms of an anaphylactic reaction, and having a plan to quickly treat those symptoms.
- Austen KF. Allergies, anaphylaxis, and systemic mastocytosis. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2858746. Accessed June 2, 2010.
- Lieberman P, et al. The diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis: An updated practice parameter. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2005;115:S483.
- Tips to remember: Anaphylaxis. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/whatisanaphylaxis.stm. Accessed June 4, 2010.
- Simons FE. Anaphylaxis. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2010;125:S161.
- Yamashita Y, et al. Cutting edge: Genetic variation influences Fc-epsilon RI-induced mast cell activation and allergic responses. The Journal of Immunology. 2007;179:740.
- Simons FE. Anaphylaxis: Evidence-based long-term risk reduction in the community. Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America. 2007;27:231.
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