The most severe allergic reaction is anaphylaxis. With anaphylaxis, the whole body is rapidly involved and this is what makes it so deadly. While an anaphylactic reaction may start as a sudden itching of the eyes or face, it then progresses very rapidly to other bodily systems.

Anaphylaxis is known mostly for its potential to cut off a person’s breathing, but other symptoms can also be dangerous. The patient can experience a host of symptoms including abdominal pain, very low blood pressure, cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, mental confusion or dizziness, loss of consciousness and shock. A person may have swelling in virtually any part of the body, including the lungs, heart and circulatory system. In some cases, patients may actually have reduced blood flow in the capillaries, which contributes to the severity of the reaction.

According to recent statistics, there could be as many as 57,000 Americans who experience an anaphylactic event each year. Some research indicates that actual anaphylactic events could be under-reported because less severe anaphylaxis is sometimes mistaken for asthma.

Of reported anaphylactic incidents, there will be approximately 200 to 400 deaths. While it’s surprising that an allergy can cause a death, part of the reason for the number of deaths is the speed at which anaphylaxis escalates in severity. It can only take 1 to 2 minutes to move from a mild allergic reaction to a full anaphylactic attack.

Anaphylaxis is most common with certain kinds of allergens, including foods, bee and wasp stings and drugs. Other allergens associated with this severe reaction are latex and peanuts. Even a minute amount of the allergen can be sufficient to start the anaphylactic reaction. This makes avoidance of the allergen of vital importance.

With anaphylaxis, fast treatment of the reaction is critical. The chemical epinephrine is the first response treatment of choice for anaphylactic shock. It should be given to the patient as soon as possible. Epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) works in the whole body rapidly constricting the blood vessels, relaxing the muscles in the airway and lungs, reversing swelling, and stimulating the heartbeat. As a result, adrenaline effectively treats the full range of the most dangerous effects of an anaphylactic reaction.

Since rapid dosing with epinephrine can mean the difference between life and death, patients with these life-threatening allergies will be prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector or EpiPen. An EpiPen is a device that injects the epinephrine directly into the body. Ideally, the injection site should be a large muscle with a minimum of fat coverage, so that the epinephrine can enter the blood stream as quickly as possible and be carried to the body’s various reaction sites.

You must have a prescription for an EpiPen because the device needs to be loaded with the correct dose of adrenaline for your body. However, sometimes one EpiPen is not enough. Many medical professionals now recommend that a patient with severe anaphylaxis should carry at least two EpiPens at all times, so that a second dose can be administered if symptoms increase in severity or cannot be controlled while waiting for medical help.