How to Know if You Need an Allergy Emergency Pen
Know that an emergency pen is used to treat severe allergic reactions., Make an appointment with a board-certified allergist., Send your medical records to the allergist., Prepare to answer questions about your medical history., Be ready for a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know that an emergency pen is used to treat severe allergic reactions.
An emergency pen is a device that delivers the life-saving drug epinephrine to someone experiencing anaphylaxis, which is a severe allergic reaction.
You might need an emergency pen if your allergic reactions include symptoms such as:
Dizziness and/or fainting Skin reactions like hives, itching, and flushed or pale skin Low blood pressure Swollen tongue or throat Trouble breathing Rapid or weak pulse Vomiting Diarrhea -
Step 2: Make an appointment with a board-certified allergist.
If you think you have had an allergic reaction to an insect sting or to a particular food, you should contact a board-certified allergist immediately set up an appointment with the allergist as soon as possible.Visit the website of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology at http://allergist.aaaai.org/find/ to find an allergist near you.
Your medical provider can prescribe you an emergency pen if you have a known allergy. , To prepare for your visit with the allergist, you will need to gather your medical records, including previous allergy testing, histories of allergic reactions, and chart notes from doctors that previously treated you.
Contact the doctors that treated you in the past and ask them to send your medical records to the allergist., When you visit the allergist, they will ask you questions about your medical history in general and you allergy symptoms in particular.
The allergist may ask you about:
The type and duration of allergy symptoms The situations and seasons when the symptoms occur How long you have had the symptoms What types of medications, including allergy medications, you take Whether a suspected allergy has caused an anaphylactic reaction in the past , When you visit the allergist, they will perform a physical exam.
During the exam, the allergist will focus on your eyes, ears, throat, nose, heart, and lungs as they look for signs of allergic disease and past reactions.
The doctor will also examine your skin closely as part of the physical exam.Be prepared to talk about your medical history, as your doctor will ask you if have or have had heart disease, high blood pressure, arrhythmia, coronary artery disease, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, or a thyroid disorder.
They may also ask if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. , After your doctor completes the physical exam and reviews your medical history, they will decide what further testing is needed.
These tests can include blood tests, skin tests, and/or oral food challenges.Skin tests, sometimes called a puncture test or a scratch test, may include the injection of potential allergens into your skin to determine if you are allergic to them.
Skin tests are typically not painful.
During food challenge test the allergist will ask you to eat a potentially allergenic food, like peanuts, and will then monitor your reaction.
Skin tests are best performed within three or four weeks of an anaphylactic reaction.
Your doctor may also perform an allergy blood panel to look for reactions that could be triggered by foods, medications, and stinging or biting insects. , Once you complete your initial visit, you will need to schedule a follow-up appointment with your allergist.
At this appointment, the allergist will help create a long-term treatment plan for your allergies.
This can include the prescription of an allergy emergency pen which consists of injectable epinephrine.
The pen is commonly known as the emergency pen. -
Step 3: Send your medical records to the allergist.
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Step 4: Prepare to answer questions about your medical history.
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Step 5: Be ready for a physical exam.
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Step 6: Complete diagnostic testing.
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Step 7: Follow up with your allergist.
Detailed Guide
An emergency pen is a device that delivers the life-saving drug epinephrine to someone experiencing anaphylaxis, which is a severe allergic reaction.
You might need an emergency pen if your allergic reactions include symptoms such as:
Dizziness and/or fainting Skin reactions like hives, itching, and flushed or pale skin Low blood pressure Swollen tongue or throat Trouble breathing Rapid or weak pulse Vomiting Diarrhea
If you think you have had an allergic reaction to an insect sting or to a particular food, you should contact a board-certified allergist immediately set up an appointment with the allergist as soon as possible.Visit the website of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology at http://allergist.aaaai.org/find/ to find an allergist near you.
Your medical provider can prescribe you an emergency pen if you have a known allergy. , To prepare for your visit with the allergist, you will need to gather your medical records, including previous allergy testing, histories of allergic reactions, and chart notes from doctors that previously treated you.
Contact the doctors that treated you in the past and ask them to send your medical records to the allergist., When you visit the allergist, they will ask you questions about your medical history in general and you allergy symptoms in particular.
The allergist may ask you about:
The type and duration of allergy symptoms The situations and seasons when the symptoms occur How long you have had the symptoms What types of medications, including allergy medications, you take Whether a suspected allergy has caused an anaphylactic reaction in the past , When you visit the allergist, they will perform a physical exam.
During the exam, the allergist will focus on your eyes, ears, throat, nose, heart, and lungs as they look for signs of allergic disease and past reactions.
The doctor will also examine your skin closely as part of the physical exam.Be prepared to talk about your medical history, as your doctor will ask you if have or have had heart disease, high blood pressure, arrhythmia, coronary artery disease, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, or a thyroid disorder.
They may also ask if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. , After your doctor completes the physical exam and reviews your medical history, they will decide what further testing is needed.
These tests can include blood tests, skin tests, and/or oral food challenges.Skin tests, sometimes called a puncture test or a scratch test, may include the injection of potential allergens into your skin to determine if you are allergic to them.
Skin tests are typically not painful.
During food challenge test the allergist will ask you to eat a potentially allergenic food, like peanuts, and will then monitor your reaction.
Skin tests are best performed within three or four weeks of an anaphylactic reaction.
Your doctor may also perform an allergy blood panel to look for reactions that could be triggered by foods, medications, and stinging or biting insects. , Once you complete your initial visit, you will need to schedule a follow-up appointment with your allergist.
At this appointment, the allergist will help create a long-term treatment plan for your allergies.
This can include the prescription of an allergy emergency pen which consists of injectable epinephrine.
The pen is commonly known as the emergency pen.
About the Author
Lori Chavez
Brings years of experience writing about lifestyle and related subjects.
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