Allergic Emergencies Are You at Risk?

Are You at Risk?

Risk and Severity

IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS INFORMATION IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR A DIAGNOSIS BY YOUR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL. ONLY A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL CAN ASSESS THE RISK OF HAVING AN ALLERGIC EMERGENCY. This information is being provided for your education and to facilitate a discussion with your health care professional.

An allergic emergency is a severe allergic reaction to an allergen, typically foods, insect venom, medications, or physical exercise.  People at risk of having an allergic emergency include those that have had a prior anaphylactic reaction. In addition, individuals who have had a prior mild reaction to an allergen may also be at risk, because a severe reaction may be preceded by a less serious one. The severity of previous allergic reactions is not a predictor of the severity of future reactions. We encourage you to talk to your health care professional should you be concerned that you or your child may be at risk for an allergic emergency.

Anyone can develop a severe allergy at any time in life, but certain factors may make some individuals susceptible to having an allergic emergency. These factors can be divided into two categories: 1) general factors that increase the risk of having a severe allergic emergency and 2) factors that may increase the severity of a severe allergic emergency. These are shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Factors that increase the risk of having a severe allergic emergency include (Figure 1):

  • Exposure to certain allergens (triggers) such as food (eg, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, eggs, and milk), stinging or biting insects (eg, bees, ants, and ticks), latex, and medications (eg, penicillin) for those who are allergic
  •  Age: Adolescents and young adults are at an increased risk of having a severe allergic emergency triggered because of inconsistent behaviors in avoiding known triggers and carrying an epinephrine auto-injector

Factors that may increase the severity of a severe allergic emergency include (Figure 2):

  • Age: The elderly are at an increased risk of having a more severe allergic emergency because of accompanying disorders and medications used to treat accompanying disorders such as heart disease. In addition, the elderly are at an increased risk of having a more severe allergic emergency if they are exposed to insect venom (eg, stung by an insect)
  • Disorders which make the symptoms of allergic emergencies difficult to recognize such as impaired vision, seizures, or depression
  • Medications or chemicals which make the symptoms of allergic emergencies difficult to recognize such as antidepressants, sedatives, or alcohol
  • Disorders such as asthma (especially if severe or not controlled with medication), heart disease, high blood pressure and cerebrovascular disease, such as stroke
  • Certain medications used in the treatment of heart disease such as beta-blockers, which may block the medicinal benefits of epinephrine  

Talk to your health care professional to determine if you may be at risk for an allergic emergency — and if you should be prescribed an EpiPen Auto-Injector. It’s important that those at risk for an allergic emergency avoid known allergy-causing triggers and always carry an EpiPen Auto-Injector.

Allergic emergencies are unpredictable, and mild symptoms can progress rapidly to a severe reaction that may be life-threatening.