How do you know if allergic reaction is serious?
- Skin rashes, itching or hives.
- Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat.
- Shortness of breath, trouble breathing or wheezing (whistling sound during breathing)
- Dizziness and/or fainting.
- Stomach pain, bloating, vomiting or diarrhea.
- Uterine cramps.
These antibodies travel to cells that release histamine and other chemical mediators, which cause allergy symptoms to occur. The human body carries out an allergic cascade in three stages: sensitization, “early-phase,” and “late-phase.”
"If you have a simple rash, and you're itching, you can probably go to urgent care. But if you have a rash and vomiting, you should go to the ER." An anaphylactic allergic reaction can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical treatment.
Most severe allergic reactions occur within seconds or minutes after exposure to the allergen. Some reactions can occur after several hours, particularly if the allergen causes a reaction after it has been eaten. In very rare cases, reactions develop after 24 hours.
The ER medical personnel will monitor the patient and provide additional medications ensuring the allergic symptoms are under control. Many allergic reactions can be managed with the right medical care. However, for the more severe ones you need to visit the ER especially if you suspect anaphylaxis.
If you're experiencing hives that interfere with your ability to breathe or eat, it is important that you get medical attention immediately at an urgent care center. This is especially true if you have taken medicine for allergies (or had one recently) and these symptoms develop afterward.
An antihistamine pill, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), isn't enough to treat anaphylaxis. These medications can help relieve allergy symptoms, but they work too slowly in a severe reaction.
Anaphylaxis symptoms usually occur within minutes of exposure to an allergen. Sometimes, however, anaphylaxis can occur a half-hour or longer after exposure. In rare cases, anaphylaxis may be delayed for hours.
- feeling lightheaded or faint.
- breathing difficulties – such as fast, shallow breathing.
- wheezing.
- a fast heartbeat.
- clammy skin.
- confusion and anxiety.
- collapsing or losing consciousness.
Anaphylaxis symptoms occur suddenly and can progress quickly. The early symptoms may be mild, such as a runny nose, a skin rash or a “strange feeling.” These symptoms can quickly lead to more serious problems, including: Trouble breathing. Hives or swelling. Tightness of the throat.
Can urgent care treat allergic reaction?
Allergic reactions are one of the most common reasons that people make a visit to urgent care. While an emergency room can address this as well, many allergic reactions are not life-threatening, which is why urgent care is a great option.
- feeling dizzy or lightheaded.
- itchy skin or a raised rash (hives)
- swelling of the lips, face and eyes (angioedema)
- coughing, wheezing, breathlessness, noisy breathing or a hoarse voice.
- sneezing or an itchy, runny or blocked nose.
- feeling sick or being sick.
- tummy pain.
- diarrhoea.
Immediate action required: Call 999 if:
you get a skin rash that may include itchy, red, swollen, blistered or peeling skin. you're wheezing. you get tightness in the chest or throat. you have trouble breathing or talking.
When your body is hypersensitive to certain stimuli, its negative response can be classified into four distinct types of allergic reaction: anaphylactic, cytotoxic, immunocomplex, or cell-mediated. Each one is triggered in different ways and can manifest differently in each person.
Difficult or noisy breathing. Swelling of tongue. Swelling or tightness in throat.
You can't just go to a pharmacy and ask for an EpiPen. You need to have a prescription for one, and you should fill that prescription long before you have an allergic reaction serious enough to use the EpiPen. You should have the pen available for when you have an allergic reaction.
Symptoms of anaphylaxis can be mild, and they may go away on their own (most anaphylactic reactions will require treatment). But it's difficult to predict if or how quickly they will get worse. It's possible for symptoms to be delayed for several hours.
Most cases are mild but any anaphylaxis has the potential to become life-threatening. Anaphylaxis develops rapidly, usually reaching peak severity within 5 to 30 minutes, and may, rarely, last for several days.
A nonprescription oral antihistamine, such as loratadine (Alavert, Claritin, others), cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy, others) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl Allergy, others), may help relieve itching. Consider whether you might prefer a type that doesn't cause drowsiness.
When antihistamines and steroids don't work, there are a few more treatments that your doctor might suggest. Asthma medications like montelukast (Singulair) or zafirlukast (Accolate) can help hives, including those made worse by aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
What will Hospital do for hives?
Treatment with corticosteroids, which you take by mouth, will sometimes reduce swelling when antihistamines don't work. But doctors usually save them for more severe cases. Your doctor may also consider a biologic drug, omalizumab (Xolair), for chronic hives in people age 12 and over.
A rash can be a sign of a serious medical emergency called anaphylaxis when it happens along with other symptoms. Call 911 if you have a rash and any of these is occurring: It is spreading rapidly. You're having trouble breathing.
It can take anywhere from a few hours to 10 days. Typically, it takes from 12 hours to 3 days. Even with treatment, symptoms can last 2 to 4 weeks. Learn more about contact dermatitis causes, symptoms, and treatments.
An antihistamine pill, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), isn't enough to treat anaphylaxis. These medications can help relieve allergy symptoms, but they work too slowly in a severe reaction.
"If you have a simple rash, and you're itching, you can probably go to urgent care. But if you have a rash and vomiting, you should go to the ER." An anaphylactic allergic reaction can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical treatment.
Definition of Anaphylaxis
It can be mild, moderate to severe, or severe. Most cases are mild but any anaphylaxis has the potential to become life-threatening. Anaphylaxis develops rapidly, usually reaching peak severity within 5 to 30 minutes, and may, rarely, last for several days.
- Cough, difficulty or irregular breathing, wheezing, itchy throat or mouth, and difficulty swallowing.
- Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
- Itchiness, red bumps or welts on the skin (hives), and skin redness.