Information › Guide › Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis: recognise it and act
Anaphylaxis is a fast, severe allergic reaction affecting several parts of the body at once. It can start within minutes of eating an allergen and is life-threatening. People at risk are prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector, and the one thing it cannot do is help from a drawer at home.
Short of breath, a swelling tongue or throat, or dizzy after eating? Use the adrenaline auto-injector if one has been prescribed and call 112 straight away. Even if it then seems to get better.
How to recognise anaphylaxis
- Signs: rapidly swelling face, lips or throat; breathing difficulty, wheezing, a hoarse voice; hives all over the body; dizziness, paleness, fainting; vomiting and stomach cramps. Often two or more at once.
- Act: adrenaline auto-injector into the outside of the thigh, straight through clothing. Then call 112, even if it seems to get better. Lie down with legs raised, unless breathing is hard; then sit.
- A second reaction after a few hours happens; that is why anaphylaxis is always followed by observation in hospital.
What to do in a severe reaction
- Always carry the injector, also on short outings. Check the expiry date.
- Tell people around you (school, work, sports club) where the injector is and how it works.
- This site helps you choose in the shop; it does not replace a doctor, an action plan or an injector.
What this site does and does not do
We read the ingredient list and the allergen declaration as the supermarket publishes them, and hide every product that contains the allergen. Products without allergen information are hidden by default too: unknown is not the same as safe. What we cannot do is read the pack in the shop. Recipes change, and the information here can lag behind. When in doubt the label in your hand decides, and for questions about your health your doctor or dietitian.
More guides
Per allergen — milk, gluten, nuts, peanut and the rest.
Something not right? Tell us