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Anaphylaxis - Symptom

Alternative Names

Anaphylactic reaction; Anaphylactic shock; Shock - anaphylactic

Symptoms:

Symptoms develop rapidly, often within seconds or minutes. They may include the following:

Abdominal pain or cramping
Abnormal (high-pitched) breathing sounds
Anxiety
Confusion
Cough
Diarrhea
Difficulty breathing
Difficulty swallowing
Fainting, light-headedness, dizziness
Hives, itchiness
Nasal congestion
Nausea, vomiting
Palpitations
Skin redness
Slurred speech
Wheezing

Signs and tests:

Signs include:

Abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
Fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema)
Hives
Low blood pressure
Mental confusion
Rapid pulse
Skin that is blue from lack of oxygen or pale from shock
Swelling (angioedema) in the throat that may be severe enough to block the airway
Swelling of the eyes or face
Weakness
Wheezing

The health care provider will wait to test for the specific allergen that caused anaphylaxis (if the cause is not obvious) until after treatment.

Insect stings and allergy

Allergic reactions to medication

Antibodies

Reviewed last on: 5/2/2010
David C. Dugdale, III., MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Stuart I. Henochowicz, MD, FACP, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, Georgetown University Medical School. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Schwartz LB. Systemic anaphylaxis, food allergy, and insect sting allergy. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 274.

Simons FE. Anaphylaxis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008;121:S402-S407.

Wasserman SI. Approach to the person with allergic or immunologic disease. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 270.

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