How can I avoid anaphylactic shock ?

• Minimise the risk. Be vigilant about exposure to the allergen. If you are food allergic, read labels like Sherlock Holmes - look for the "hidden allergen". You can easily recognise a packet of peanuts but may miss the word "groundnuts" on the side of a tin of curry sauce. Ensure your home is free of the particular allergen. This is particularly important where a child is at risk. If you are wasp or bee allergic, do not wear bright or shiny clothing or accessories while outdoors, and use an insect repellent containing diethyl-m-toluamide.

• Be assertive and explicit about asking for detailed information about foods from manufacturers and restaurants. The more we ask the more they will understand the importance of accurate, detailed ingredient lists.

• Be particularly careful in restaurants, where proprietors are under no obligation to list ingredients. Question staff very directly. It may be necessary to speak with a senior manager or the chef. Remember that staff may not be fluent in English, or the chef may be especially creative and may like to throw in a handful of something extra for flavour or texture. Some people find it helpful to carry a letter that clearly explains how serious their allergy is and what they need to avoid. It can be particularly useful to have this translated into the relevant foreign language when travelling on holiday.
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• Be alert to all symptoms! Don't kid yourself - denial of the symptoms is foolish.

• Make sure you are completely comfortable with both the adrenaline kit and the method of administration that has been prescribed for you. If you are hesitant about it, ask for a different kind of adrenaline kit and make sure everyone in your family knows how to administer it - and when. Do not be frightened of adrenaline. The dose you will administer has very few side effects, which will pass quickly in any case. Adrenaline was widely used in asthma attacks before the current generation of drugs was developed. It has been around for a hundred years and is a very reliable and well understood drug. In rare cases, where there are heart difficulties or where a patient suffers from palpitations, there could be difficulties. If you are likely to be affected in this way, please discuss the issue in detail with your doctor.

• Develop a crisis plan for how to handle an emergency. Get your allergist or GP to help. Have this written out for family and friends - put it on the bulletin board at home; carry one in your pocket. If a child is the person at risk, make sure his teachers and friends' parents have a copy - along with the adrenaline. Make sure everyone knows where the adrenaline is when you go out, or when you are at home.
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• Wear a MedicAlert bracelet. A MedicAlert bracelet gives brief details of the person's condition and a contact number for further detailed medical information to be obtained in an emergency.

• Be open about your allergy problem and its potential consequences with your family, friends and colleagues.

• There are a range of particular steps that are appropriate to help minimise risks in the school environment. The Campaign has developed guidance on this area which can be obtained as outlined below.
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The information in this site should not be considered in any way whatsoever as medical advice or opinion. Readers must consult with their own doctor to deal directly with their specific circumstances. Products mentioned are not endorsed and are referred to solely as a matter of convenience to the reader.

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