This slide aims to inform readers about the characteristics of anaphylaxis, a highly serious type of allergy attack. It also gives a few tips on how to handle this disorder in an emergency.

1. Understanding Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic response that necessitates immediate attention. It
can be fatal if treatment is not administered at the shortest time possible. It can
happen when people who have allergies to certain foods, medications, insect sting,
venom, latex or medications come into contact with these.

2. Symptoms which are usually mild at its initial stages are often mistaken for plain
allergy. These usually begin 5 to 30 minutes after a person comes into contact with
an allergen, but these will become severe as the reaction progresses. After an hour
or more, anaphylactic symptoms will start to manifest. It usually affects different
systems of the body including the digestive, circulatory, nervous, and respiratory
systems.

3. If you or anyone you know manifests these signs, you should take
immediate action to prevent complications.
1. Itching
2. Hives
3. Swelling of the lips, face and tongue
4. Shortness of breath
5. Tightness of the throat
6. Coughing
7. Vomiting
8. Wheezing
9. Abdominal pain
10. Shock
11. Chest pain
12. Feeling of impending doom

4. Epinephrine or adrenaline is the most effective treatment for anaphylaxis known
today. If you notice anyone suffering from any of these symptoms after ingesting or
coming into contact with an allergen, you must inject the person with epinephrine
at once even if you're not 100% sure that he or she is suffering from anaphylaxis.

5. It's always good to act immediately because even a few minutes of delay in the
administration of treatment can lead to catastrophic results. The indications
might just be a false alarm but prompt administration which involves the injection
of epinephrine on the outer muscles of the thigh is one sure way to save the life of
the sufferer without exposing him or her to the risk of side effects.

6. Once you have administered emergency allergy treatment, you must seek
medical help or call 911 to make sure that follow-up treatment is given to the
patient