When Your Child Has Anaphylaxis

Certain foods， insect bites and stings， and some medications can cause allergic reactions in children who are sensitive to them. Anaphylaxis is the most severe type of allergic reaction. It may occur from a few minutes to an hour or two after contact with an allergen (a substance to which someone is allergic). Anaphylaxis can cause the airways to swell， making it hard to breathe. It also may cause a sudden drop in blood pressure. That means less oxygen reaches your child’s brain and other vital organs. Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency—it can be fatal if not treated quickly.

What Causes Anaphylaxis?

Children can react to many substances， but some of the most common allergens include:

Foods， especially milk， egg， wheat， soy， peanuts， shellfish， and tree nuts (such as almonds， cashews， and walnuts)

Insect bites and stings

Medications such as antibiotics

Latex， a type of rubbAllergy shots

What Are the Symptoms of Anaphylaxis?

In an allergic reaction， the immune system mistakes a substance as harmful and floods the whole body with powerful chemicals. These chemicals can cause symptoms such as:

Itching skin and hives (raised bumps on the skin)

Swelling of the mouth or face?Trouble breathing， cough， wheezing， or trouble swallowing

Lightheadedness， dizziness， or fainting

Nausea， vomiting， or diarrhea

Stomach pain or cramping

Confusion

Slurred speech

Anxiety (feeling of doom)

If Your Child Has Symptoms of Anaphylaxis， Act Quickly!

If your doctor has prescribed an injectable epinephrine (such as EpiPen， Adrenaclick， Twinject)， use it right away. Then call 911 or emergency services.

How Is Anaphylaxis Treated?

In the hospital:

Your child is likely to be given epinephrine (adrenaline) and antihistamines to help stop the allergic response.

The doctor will ask about substances your child may have been exposed to and whether a similar reaction has occurred before. Certain tests may also be done.

Your child will be observed for a few hours or overnight to make sure symptoms don’t return.

Your child will be referred to his or her doctor or an allergist (a doctor who specializes in allergies) for follow-up care.

Using Injectable Epinephrine

To treat a future attack， the doctor will prescribe injectable epinephrine. This is epinephrine in a form you or your child can use. It is a pen with a hidden needle that’s released by a spring. Here is how to use one type of injectable epinephrine called the EpiPen (your doctor or pharmacist can tell you about other types):

Grasp the pen in the middle， not on the end.

Snap off the safety cap.

Point the tip of the pen anywhere on the outside of your child’s thigh.

Push the pen into the thigh. Wait to hear a click， and then hold for 8 seconds to release the epinephrine.

As soon as you’ve given the shot， call 911.

Have your child lie down with legs raised or a pillow under the knees until help arrives.

Older children should be taught how and when to use the EpiPen themselves.

Preventing Anaphylaxis

To help prevent allergic reactions:

For food allergies: Read package labels carefully， use caution in restaurants， and explain your child’s allergy to teachers， caregivers， and other parents.

For bee or wasp allergies: Have your child wear long sleeves， long pants， and shoes outdoors. Avoid clothing your child in flowery patterns or bright colors. Strong smells can attract bees， so avoid perfume， cologne， or highly scented laundry soaps. Use caution in fields， gardens， picnic areas， and around garbage cans.

Tell your child’s doctor， dentist， and pharmacist of any allergies your child has to medications. Keep a list of alternate medications handy.

過敏反應是緊急疾患，孩子有過敏反應必須及時診治以免發生危險。對孩子最常見的過敏原包括食物（尤其是乳、蛋、豆、花生等），昆蟲叮咬，抗生素等藥物，乳膠，過敏疫苗注射等。發生過敏反應時，免疫系統會誤以為某一物質有害并將強有力的化學物質充滿整個機體。這些化學物質會導致諸如皮膚發癢、口臉腫脹、呼吸困難、咳嗽、氣喘、吞咽困難、頭暈、惡心、嘔吐、胃痛、言語不清、焦慮等癥狀。孩子出現過敏反應，需立即行動，服用醫生開出的腎上腺素，并尋求急救服務。以下可幫助防止過敏反應：可通過仔細閱讀包裝標簽，使用飯店的注意事項以預防食物過敏；帶孩子去戶外時，給孩子穿長袖、長褲，避免讓孩子靠近絢麗的圖案，鮮亮色或強烈氣味，在田野、花園或野餐時留心注意事項，以避免蜂類引起的過敏；告訴醫生、牙醫、老師等有關孩子對哪些食物過敏的信息，手頭準備可替換的藥物等等。

[http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2014/06/04/eating-breakfast-may-not-matter-for-weight-loss/]