Severe allergies: types and what to do?

Severe allergy is a more familiar name for acute allergic conditions, this is how attacks of bronchial asthma caused by allergies, anaphylactic shock, stenosis - narrowing of the trachea and larynx, urticaria, Quincke's edema, acute allergic conjunctivitis and rhinitis are designated in clinical practice.

Despite the long history of the disease, many years of studying the factors that provoke it, allergies have not yet encountered any real counteraction from modern medicine. The efforts of doctors undoubtedly bring results, but the number of allergy sufferers is growing every year, and severe allergies or, more precisely, acute conditions continue to be recorded by inexorable statistics. According to statistical information, almost every tenth inhabitant of the planet suffers from one or another form of allergy, and the number of allergens has doubled over the past twenty years. The main "provocateurs" of acute allergic reactions are pollen, epidermal, food, inhalation, medicinal, parasitic allergens. Quite recently, the list of factors causing allergies was replenished with a new substance - latex.

A severe allergy is an acute, rapid immune reaction, a conflict. In clinical practice, reactions are usually divided into four categories, three of which are considered the most dangerous. The severity of symptoms depends on the state of the immune system; if it is weakened, a severe allergy is almost inevitable. Allergies know no age, social or gender boundaries and can debut at any age from birth to old age. Those who may have a hereditary factor are most susceptible to allergies. So, if one of the parents had a severe allergy, an acute reaction to an allergen, the child will most likely also be allergic, but it is quite possible that the disease may occur in a more erased form. The most dangerous type of allergic reaction is called an immediate-type reaction, when the immune response develops very intensively, literally in a matter of minutes.

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Types of Severe Allergies

Toxicoderma of allergic etiology

This is one of the types of drug allergy, which most often manifests itself dermally, that is, in the form of skin rashes. The rash may appear in the area of drug administration if it is administered by injection. If the drug is in tablet form, the skin rash, as a rule, has a diffuse, widespread nature. The most dangerous form of toxicoderma is an exfoliative manifestation of dermatitis, in which the water-salt balance changes, the upper layers of the epidermis begin to peel off, the level of protein compounds in the blood drops significantly, and an infection occurs. One of the most threatening complications of toxicoderma is necrolysis syndrome or Lyell's syndrome. This is an acute necrotic disease that is provoked by both severe allergies and general poisoning of the body.

In necrolysis, the skin comes off in huge chunks, and the lower layers die. This condition is usually provoked by sulfanilamide drugs, less often by the penicillin group, erythromycins and tetracyclines. A severe allergy of this type can develop within a few hours, most often necrolysis syndrome affects allergy sufferers with a genetic predisposition to acute allergic reactions.

First aid consists of immediate administration of antihistamines such as calcium gluconate and calcium chloride intravenously, and the administration of large doses of hormonal agents (prednisolone) is mandatory. Intoxication can be reduced by drip administration of reosorbilact and hemodez. A patient with Lyell's syndrome and other forms of toxicoderma must be hospitalized.

Acute anaphylactic reaction

A severe allergy can also manifest itself as anaphylactic shock, a systemic reaction considered life-threatening. Blood pressure drops rapidly, consciousness is impaired, convulsions begin, and the heart stops beating. Anaphylaxis can be caused by a drug allergen, chemical intoxication, a bite of a poisonous animal or insect, or a blood transfusion. In the initial stage, a severe allergy manifests itself as hyperemia of the skin, a feeling of heat in the extremities, swelling of the face and itching, urticaria, and increased lacrimation. If measures are not taken in a timely manner, the reaction rapidly develops, up to Quincke's edema, when the larynx swells greatly, breathing becomes difficult. The person feels sick and dizzy. The most severe form of anaphylactic reaction is considered to be shock, which occurs suddenly, accompanied by cyanosis of the skin, a sharp drop in blood pressure, threadlike pulse, swelling of the throat, lungs, urination, and often cardiac arrest and cerebral edema.

First aid for an anaphylactic reaction is a clear algorithm of actions. It is necessary to immediately call an ambulance, and until it arrives, put the allergy sufferer in a horizontal position, slightly raising his legs. If possible, wrap the patient in warm blankets, turn the head so that vomit does not get into the nose and throat, does not block breathing. It is also necessary to provide fresh air in the room by means of ventilation. If anaphylaxis is caused by a bite and the poison getting into the blood, cold should be applied to the wound, and the area above the bite should be bandaged or tied with a tourniquet. This will help slow the spread of toxins throughout the body. If the patient has been poisoned by food or medications that caused an allergic reaction, before the doctors arrive, the stomach should be washed with a weak (pale pink) solution of potassium permanganate or vomiting should be induced. All these actions are possible only if the person is conscious.

In a hospital setting, the allergy sufferer's cardiac activity is usually restored by administering dopamine or adrenaline, and the allergic reaction is reduced by prednisolone or another hormonal drug. Euphyllin is administered to normalize respiratory activity, especially severe conditions associated with swelling of the bronchopulmonary system require intubation. Standard antihistamine therapy is then administered in combination with treatment aimed at restoring the functions of the affected organs and systems. Severe allergy in the form of anaphylactic shock is a life-threatening manifestation of the disease that can develop in a matter of minutes. Therefore, it is important not to miss the first signals that indicate the development of anaphylaxis.

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What to do if a severe allergy develops?

A severe allergy, an acute allergic condition is a dangerous manifestation of a disease, which, as a rule, requires immediate action both from the allergy sufferer and from the people around him. At the slightest alarming symptoms listed above, you need to call an ambulance, especially if we are talking about the health of a child. If help is provided in a timely manner, the danger of life-threatening consequences is minimized. In the future, a person suffering from an allergy should exclude contact with the provoking factor, undergo a course of antihistamine therapy and be attentive to the symptoms and manifestations of the immune system, since a severe allergy can recur.