Allergic reaction advice

Most allergic reactions are fast and some are potentially fatal so speed is the key.

With a mild to moderate allergic reaction that involves swelling of lips, face, or eyes, hives or welts, tingling mouth abdominal pain or vomiting get medical help immediately - Dial 111 and ask for an ambulance.

Where the reaction includes signs of anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) such as:

difficult / noisy breathing
swelling of tongue
swelling/tightness in throat
wheeze or persistent cough
loss of consciousness and/or collapse
pale and floppy (young children)

Dial 111 immediately and ask for Ambulance. Lay the person flat and elevate their legs. If breathing is difficult allow the person to sit but not to stand.

For more information on allergy action plans, click here.

Even if your baby does have a small allergic reaction to a food, you'll need to be prepared for the future when a more severe reaction - which often happens once the body identifies a problem food and produces antibodies to combat it -could occur if she's ever exposed to the allergen again.

Seek the advice of an allergy specialist who will be able to help you develop an action plan for managing your baby's allergies, along with instructions on how to deal with possible allergic reactions in the future.

Many children who suffer from food allergies manage reactions with the hormone, epinephrine, which is administered through an auto-injector (such as an EpiPen). These injectors have been designed for children and automatically administer the right dose of epinephrine to stop an allergic reaction.

IMPORTANT!

Ensure that everyone involved in the daily care of your baby has full knowledge of her allergies and understands what to do in the event of an allergic reaction.

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This article was written by Ella Walsh for Kidspot. Sources include Raising Children Network and ACSCIA.

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