During an allergic reaction, your immune system overreacts when exposed to an allergen.
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What Causes an Allergic Reaction?
It most commonly involves excess release of an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE).
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DTH is not usually a dangerous or life-threatening allergy the way an IgE-mediated reaction can be.
What Does an Allergic Reaction Look Like?
Anaphylaxis usually affects at least two organ systems in the body.
The most common triggers of anaphylaxis are foods (such as peanuts), medications, and insect stings.
Severe allergic reactions can be life-threatening.
When in doubt, seek immediate treatment.
How Is an Allergic Reaction Diagnosed?
Skin Test
The most common allergy skin test is theskin prick test.
During this test, a healthcare provider pricks your skin with a small amount of an allergen.
If the area becomes red within 15 minutes, you might be allergic to the substance.
Skin testing doesnt measure allergy severity.
Design your challenge with the help of a healthcare provider.
During the challenge, youll remove one or more potential triggers from your diet for several weeks.
Then, slowly reintroduce potential allergens one at a time.
Experiencing a reaction is a clue you might be allergic to that substance.
Some people should only perform challenge testing under direct clinical supervision.
High IgE levels indicate an allergy, but the test doesn’t provide information about the specific allergen.
A similar blood test is the specific IgE test.
It looks at the IgE antibodies you have to specific substances.
However, these IgE tests can’t indicate potential allergy severity.
It is a more conservative measure than specific IgE tests.
What Can You Do for an Allergic Reaction at Home?
After using the epinephrine, seek medical attention right away as the effects wear off within 20 minutes.
Anaphylaxis can return, so further treatment and observation will be necessary.
If the affected person passes out, monitor their breathing and heart rate.
If they don’t have a pulse, administerCPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
Even if symptoms resolve after administering epinephrine, seeing an emergency healthcare provider is a good idea.
Drugs likeBenadrylmay help reduce skin symptoms in someone with anaphylaxis.
Can You Prevent an Allergic Reaction?
For example, someone allergic to peanuts can attempt to avoid peanut products.
For example, thorough and regular household cleaning may decreaseallergies to dust mites.
Immunotherapyis an approach healthcare providers may recommend to reduce your risk of allergic reactions in the long term.
Over time, you may reduce or eliminate your allergic response.
What Is the Long-Term Outlook?
Most people who experience anaphylaxis will fully recover without any long-term issues.
People who are not treated have relatively higher risks of long-term complications compared to those who are.
Healthcare providers often diagnose allergic reactions based on your symptoms and medical history.
However, skin tests, elimination tests, and blood tests are potential options to identify specific allergen triggers.
Treatment ranges from over-the-counter medications to emergency intervention in a healthcare setting.
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