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Allergic shock – maximum reaction of the immune system
An allergic shock (anaphylactic shock) is based on an overreaction of the immune system, triggered by a very specific substance, a so-called allergen.
The resulting allergic reaction spreads to the entire body. Not only the skin is affected (itching or redness), but also another organ system.
Preventing anaphylaxis from insect venom
You can undergo immunotherapy (hyposensitization) at the allergist. Here, your body slowly gets used to the pathogen that triggers the immune response. Thus, over 80 percent of patients can be made “immune” to the allergen and no longer react to it in the future.
triggers an immune response
A particularly large number of people are allergic to drugs such as insulin, penicillin and acetylsalicylic acid, as well as the iodinated contrast medium used in X-rays. The same applies to insect bites from bees, wasps, bumblebees and hornets. Food allergies are common to eggs, nuts, milk, seafood, and soy. Other triggers for an immune overreaction include pollen, animal dander, mold and house dust.
Particularly strong immune overreactions occur in cross-allergies. A cross-allergy is present as soon as the antibodies directed against very specific allergens also detect other, comparable allergens from other allergen sources and also trigger an allergic reaction when they come into contact with them. For example, it can happen that the body’s own immune system not only reacts to pollen from grass or trees, but also to substances in certain nuts, spices or types of fruit in which comparable allergens are found.
First aid for anaphylactic shock
- The most important question for an allergic person with an overreactive immune system is whether they have an emergency kit .
- If the affected person does not have an emergency kit from the doctor or is unconscious, i.e. not responsive, you must call the emergency doctor immediately , as the allergic person needs medication to survive the incident.
- If the person is unconscious, they should be placed in a stable lateral position .
- If you have circulatory problems, you can put your allergy sufferer’s legs up.
- Sitting up with your arms supported backwards helps to get better air if you have shortness of breath.
- In the event of respiratory or cardiac arrest, begin resuscitation immediately .
If the allergy sufferer has an emergency kit and the immune reaction only manifests itself in reddening of the skin, headaches, itching and wheal formation, taking the antihistamine and cortisone preparation in the emergency kit can help. If you have any other symptoms, you or the allergic person should go to the adrenaline auto-injector immediatelyto grab. Hold the auto-injector shaft with one hand and pull off the light gray protective cap. Now place the black tip of the adrenaline syringe on the allergy sufferer’s thigh (this can also be done through the pants). Keep the injector pressed against the leg until it triggers automatically and you hear a clear noise. Press the auto-injector onto your thigh for another ten seconds. You can then remove the injector and massage the puncture site for another ten seconds. The adrenaline injected into the body increases blood pressure, heart function normalizes, circulation stabilizes, and muscles and bronchi relax, making breathing easier. Some emergency kits also contain a spray that relieves the allergy sufferer’s shortness of breath.
In both scenarios you should remove the allergen – for example bee venom – from the body as quickly as possible. In this case, by removing the bee stinger from the puncture site.
Correctly identify symptoms
After contact with the allergen, the affected person reacts within a few seconds to 20 minutes with symptoms of an allergic shock. Rarely, these can only appear several hours after contact. A distinction is made between four different degrees of severity.
1. Mild allergic reaction
In the case of a mild reaction to an allergen, the affected person suffers from the first allergy symptoms such as itching, reddening of the skin, wheal formation and swelling of the affected area can occur (e.g. with an insect bite). Headaches and hoarseness can also occur.
2. Pronounced allergic reaction
With such an immune reaction, the symptoms mentioned above are usually accompanied by a feeling of tightness in the chest, tachycardia, nausea and vomiting.
3. Dangerous allergic reaction
The person affected suffers from dizziness and shortness of breath due to the narrowing of the airways, which leads to panic attacks. It can also lead to unconsciousness. The blood pressure also falls quickly due to the widening of the body’s own blood vessels and fluid leaks through the vessel walls. This causes cardiovascular problems and theTolfioow organs are no longer supplied with enough blood.
4. Organ failure
Essentially, the most severe form of allergic reaction happens the same as any other immune overreaction, albeit to a much greater degree. This most extreme form, anaphylactic shock, ends with respiratory and cardiovascular arrest. The length of time before the shock occurs depends on how acute the situation is and how poorly the person concerned tolerates the allergen with which they came into contact. The result is all the more life-threatening the faster the anaphylactic shock occurs after contact with the triggering allergen.
