Speaker 1: Shoo bee. Speaker 2: Now let's cover allergic reactions. We've all heard
stories of people who have died suddenly from a severe allergic reaction and these stories
are frightening. But fortunately events like this are very rare with less than 1,500 different
deaths from all different age groups and all types of allergies in the United States. Statistically
this is a very small number compared to approximately 50 million Americans that suffer from some
form of allergy. But unfortunately resent studies show that allergies of all kinds are
increasing in developed countries. Nobody knows why for sure but one prominent theory
is that we've developed to sterile a lifestyle. With the constant use of antibacterial soap
and this different hand sanitizers and air tight modern homes our bodies immune systems
are not developing to fight germs in the same way as they did in the past. Now this can
lead to over reactive immune systems. Finding a balance between healthy living and clean
living is a must. So other theories include over use of antibiotics, excessive immunizations,
highly processed foods, and environmental pollutants that have all lead to the breakdown
and confusion of the bodies natural immune system. But whatever the cause the reality
is that more people are developing allergies than ever before and we need to be prepared
to handle those emergencies from allergic reactions. Now you might find it interesting
to know that food and insect allergies are the most common causes of severe reactions
that happen outside of the hospital with food allergies being the most prevalent. Children
tend to be the most affected and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
between the years of 1997 and 2007 in the United States the number of children that
have food allergies rose by 18%. Fortunately, most children outgrow their food related allergies
by adulthood. But peanut allergies, they tend to be lifelong. Now you might be thinking
to yourself, yeah but what causes an allergy to develop? Well the immune system normally
defend the body against things that can be dangerous to your health such as viruses and
bacteria. A healthy immune system keeps a person from getting sick when harmful germs
find their way into the body by attacking and destroying the germs. An allergy results
when the immune system mistakenly targets and over reacts by attacking a normally harmless
substance that's been eaten, inhaled, injected or has contacted the skin. This substance
that causes an allergy is called an allergen. An allergen may have been introduced to the
body many times before without any trouble at all but at some point for some reason the
body flags it as an invader and triggers the immune system to attack the allergen. The
body will remember that specific allergen by producing antibodies that will be ready
to go into action to attack the allergen as soon as it enters the body. This is the reason
that an allergic reaction is often more severe the second or even the third time when it
happens. Now when the immune system attacks an allergen high quantities of histamine and
other chemicals are released into surrounding tissues and depending on the part of the body
involved the histamine and chemicals cause itching, hives, rash, sneezing. They can form
wheezing. It can make swelling, a runny nose, nausea, and even more symptoms than that.
Now, a serious allergic reaction that can be life threatening is called anaphylaxis.
This is a severe sudden reaction that affects many parts of the body all at the same time
and it typically begins within minutes after an allergen is introduced to the body. This
severe allergic reaction can cause the body's vessels all over the body to dilate. In other
words, they open all the way up and cause anaphylactic shock. The full opening of the
blood vessels causes a sudden drop in the blood pressure and the brain and the other
vital organs become oxygen starved. Anaphylactic shock will cause death if it's not treated.
Now, the treatment is epinephrine which helps constrict the blood vessels and open the airways.
Now, the most common things that cause anaphylaxis are foods such as peanuts, tree nuts, fish,
shell fish, eggs, and milk, biting or stinging insects such as bees, latex, and medications.
Now, food is generally the most common cause of anaphylaxis with peanuts being the most
common cause of fast, severe, and life threatening reactions. Because severe nut allergies tend
to affect children a lot of fear is associated with nut allergies. It has become a very popular
and emotional topic. This is the reason that many schools, airlines, food manufacturers,
and other places have become nut free zones. But more effective than banning nuts completely
there are precautions public facilities can and should practice such as having nut free
tables at lunch for children to eat. Most importantly children need to be taught what
foods to avoid. Children with allergies need to carry an EpiPen. Schools, daycares, camps,
and other places that typically serve food to children should have EpiPens for emergencies.
Now, preventing an emergency is the best but if an emergency happens you need to know how
to recognize it and be prepared to handle it. The following signs and symptoms would
indicate a person is going into anaphylactic shock: Trouble breathing. Wheezing. Tightness
of the throat. An itchiness on the tongue. Swelling of the face, eyes, lips. Hives. Itching,
flushed or pale skin. Rapid heart beat. Low blood pressure. Maybe they have nausea, vomiting
or diarrhea. Dizziness, fainting, or eventually unconsciousness. Now, children may describe
their symptoms in the following way. They may say things like it feels like something's
poking my tongue or my tongue is tingling, my mouth itches, my tongue feels like there's
hair on it, my mouth feels funny, there's something stuck in my throat. They might say
things like my lips feels tight or my body feels weird all over. And if you recognize
any of the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis, don't wait for signs and symptoms to get worse,
call 911 immediately and if it's available assist with or administer an auto injectable
epinephrine such as an EpiPen. Keep the person calm. Have them sit down and be in a position
of comfort while you're waiting for the ambulance. Let them sit in a position that's easiest
for them to breathe. Typically, this is sitting up and leaning forward. And if the person
feels faint or is not fully conscious lie them down, elevate their legs, and keep the
person warm. Talk to them, reassure them, and keep the person's airway open while monitoring
their breathing, and be prepared to start CPR if the person stops breathing and becomes
unresponsive. It is possible for a reaction to happen again after the initial reaction
so most people should be really cautious and be observed during the following 4 to 6 hours
after they had their first initial event. Remember the best way to help somebody in
an anaphylactic reaction is to recognize their signs and symptoms early, activate EMS calling
911 or a code, and then assisting them with their EpiPen to reverse their symptoms and
help save their life.