After a food allergy reaction, knowing what to do next isn’t always obvious. If you’ve been evaluated by an Atlanta allergist and given a food allergy treatment plan, you likely have an idea of the appropriate steps to follow. But many people never receive formal allergy testing, and may not even know what triggered the reaction. So what should you do if you or your child experience symptoms after eating?
Key Steps to Follow After a Food Allergy Reaction
Food allergy reactions can appear suddenly and range from mild to severe, including life-threatening symptoms in the worst cases. Noticing the signs and responding quickly can help protect you and your family from serious complications.
Identify the Warning Signs of a Food Allergy
People may respond in different ways after eating foods like peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish and wheat. Mild or moderate reactions typically include hives, itching, nasal congestion, mild swelling, stomach pain or nausea. Signs of a very severe reaction, known as anaphylaxis, can involve throat tightness, trouble breathing, wheezing, dizziness or fainting.
Use Your Emergency Medication Right Away
If you have already been diagnosed with a food allergy, your allergist may have prescribed epinephrine as a first-line treatment. An epinephrine auto-injector ensures that you or another party can quickly administer this emergency medication at the first sign of severe symptoms. With mild reactions, stop eating immediately and document what was eaten, and the symptoms you experienced.
Seek Immediate Care for Severe Food Allergy Symptoms
Severe food allergy symptoms need medical evaluation, even if they begin to improve after receiving epinephrine. Emergency responders can monitor breathing, heart rate and blood pressure to ensure you don’t face any further risk. For those with mild or moderate reactions, visit your allergist for testing. Food allergy testing is important to help with diagnosing your allergy and determining the best treatment approach.
Continue Monitoring After Symptoms Improve
A biphasic reaction means that allergy symptoms recur hours after the initial reaction – even though the person has not been re-exposed to the allergen. One study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology that included food-triggered reactions found that approximately 1 in 20 anaphylaxis cases involved a biphasic reaction. This is why it’s very important to monitor symptoms over the next few hours, even after the initial reaction appears to have resolved.
Update Your Food Allergy Prevention and Response Plan
A follow-up appointment after a food allergy reaction is a good time to create or update a food allergy treatment plan. For those experiencing symptoms for the first time, your allergist will need to confirm the suspected trigger, then recommend food allergy management techniques. Anyone with a history of allergies may need epinephrine refills, and might also want to discuss oral immunotherapy treatment for allergen desensitization.
Expert Support With Food Allergy Reactions in Atlanta
For help managing a food allergy, speak with our Atlanta-area allergist team today. We provide dependable allergy testing and treatment for adults and children dealing with food allergy reactions. Call (678) 668-4688 or request an appointment.
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