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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffAnaphylaxis symptoms usually occur within minutes of exposure to an allergen. Sometimes, however, anaphylaxis can occur a half-hour or longer after exposure. Anaphylaxis symptoms include:
- Skin reactions, including hives along with itching, flushed or pale skin (almost always present with anaphylaxis)
- A feeling of warmth
- The sensation of a lump in your throat
- Constriction of the airways and a swollen tongue or throat, which can cause wheezing and trouble breathing
- A feeling of impending doom
- A weak and rapid pulse
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
- Dizziness or fainting
When to see a doctor
If you, your child or someone else you're with has a severe allergic reaction, call 911 or seek emergency medical help. If the person having the attack carries an epinephrine autoinjector (such as an EpiPen, EpiPen Jr or Twinject), give him or her a shot right away. Even if symptoms improve after an emergency epinephrine injection, a visit to the emergency department is still necessary to make sure symptoms don't return.
If you or your child have had a severe allergy attack or any signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis in the past, make an appointment to see your doctor. The diagnosis and long-term management of anaphylaxis are complicated, so you'll probably need to see a doctor who specializes in allergies and immunology.
- 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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