What is an Allergic Emergency?

An allergic emergency, medically defined as anaphylaxis (a-na-fi-LAX-is), is a severe allergic reaction that can occur quickly (as fast as within a couple of minutes) and may be life threatening. Symptoms of an allergic emergency vary but can include hives, itching, flushing, and swelling of the lips, tongue, and roof of mouth. The airway is often affected, resulting in tightness of the throat, chest tightness and difficulty breathing. These reactions can also be accompanied by chest pain, low blood pressure, dizziness and headaches. An allergic emergency can be caused by a number of triggers, including but not limited to certain foods, stinging and biting insects, medications, and latex.

Make sure you speak with your health care professional about how to identify the signs and symptoms of an allergic emergency.  If you, your child or someone you're caring for shows signs or symptoms of an allergic emergency, inject the health care professional-prescribed EpiPen or EpiPen Jr. immediately, then promptly call 911 and seek immediate medical attention. Failure to inject EpiPen Auto-Injector at the first signs of an allergic emergency can be life threatening.