Anaphylaxis (Severe Allergic Reaction) Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention on MedicineNet.com

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Anaphylaxis (cont.)

How is anaphylaxis diagnosed?

Once you think that you might have had an anaphylactic reaction, the first order of business is to seek emergency care. Once the acute reaction has been treated you should follow-up with your doctor who will probably recommend seeing an allergist. The allergist will assess whether or not the reaction was indeed allergic in nature. Usually, a careful and detailed medical history and selected blood or skin tests can identify the cause. Be prepared to recall your activities before the event, the food and medications you ingested, and whether or not you had any contact with rubber products.

Table 1: The Common Causes of Anaphylaxis

Causes - IgE Mediated	Examples
Medications	Penicillin, Cephalosporin, Anesthetics, Streptokinase, Others
Insect Stings	Hornet, Wasp, Yellow Jacket, Honey Bee, Fire Ant
Foods	Peanuts, Treenuts, Fish, Shellfish, Eggs, Milk, Soy, Wheat
Vaccines	Allergy Shots, Egg and Gelatin based vaccines
Hormones	Insulin, Possibly Progesterone
Latex	Rubber Products
Animal/Human Proteins	Horse Serum (used in some snake anti-venoms)

Causes - Non IgE Mediated	Examples
Medication	Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatories (Aspirin, Motrin, etc.), Morphine, Muscle Relaxants (Robaxin, Norflex, and others), Gamma Globulin
X-ray Dye
Preservatives	Sulfites
Physical	Exercise, Heat-Induced Urticaria (Hives), Cold- Induced Urticaria
Idiopathic	Unknown Cause

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Anaphylaxis - Describe Your Experience

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Anaphylaxis (cont.)

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How is anaphylaxis diagnosed?

Anaphylaxis - Describe Your Experience

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