First Aid: Allergic Reactions

Before you can learn how to treat an allergic reaction, you need to establish the severity of the allergy. Some allergic reactions are mild, such as skin irritation or congestion, and can easily be treated with over-the-counter medications at home. Other allergic reactions are serious, such as difficulty breathing and life-threatening anaphylaxis, and require immediate medical attention.

Allergic reactions can be caused by a variety of factors. Some of the most common allergens are pollen, pet dander and food, particularly peanuts, shellfish, milk and wheat. People may also experience allergic reactions to medications, insect stings and bites and plants.

First Aid for Allergic Reaction – Mild

Many people have mild, treatable allergies to an assortment of common allergens. These mild allergic reactions manifest as hives, rashes and nasal congestion. Other signs of an allergic reaction include sneezing, watery eyes and runny nose.

If your symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes or a mild skin irritation, you can treat them with an at-home first aid kit. Antihistamines and decongestants are great at relieving congestion and mild breathing problems while skin itching and redness can be treated with corticosteroids and a cool compress.

First Aid of Allergic Reaction – Severe

Most severe allergic reactions appear within seconds or minutes of exposure and for people with a severe allergy, it can often be life-threatening. These serious allergies cause anaphylaxis, which requires a dose of epinephrine to alleviate the symptoms. Symptoms of severe allergies, such as anaphylaxis, include lightheadedness, nausea, weak pulse as well as swelling of the airways. If anaphylaxis is untreated, it can cause loss of consciousness, respiratory problems and cardiac arrest, which can result in death within 15 minutes of exposure.

If this is the first exposure and symptoms of anaphylaxis appear, call 911 immediately and keep an eye on the person’s airway, breathing and circulation. The sooner that the emergency personnel arrive with the epinephrine and administer the dosage, the better the chances of survival.

If the person is aware of this allergy and is accidentally exposed to the allergen, he or she will likely already have the necessary medication on hand to initally treat it, however you must also immediately dial 911. Doctors can prescribe an emergency epinephrine in the form of an EpiPen®, which injects a dose of medication into the patient’s thigh. This dosage will be enough to combat the allergen for 10 to 20 minutes but further treatment and observation is required by medical personnel. Also be sure to inform your family and friends on how to use the medication in the event that you are unable to do so yourself.

It is a common to want to upgrade your home. Perhaps when you look around you might decide that it is time for a new rug, a bigger television, or fresh paint. But have you ever considered if the first aid and safety level of your home needs an upgrade?

No matter your lifestyle, whether you live alone, with a spouse or other family, or have children, ensuring that your home is safe is extremely important. There are two steps to having a safe home:

1. Taking precautions to prevent accidents or injuries.
2. Having the necessary items to care for injuries if accidents do occur.

While no one can predict when an emergency will occur, being prepared for any potential emergency is the key aspect to the first aid safety of your home. The first step is prevention. You should ask yourself if your home has any potential hazards such as staircases with slick surfaces, unorganized cleaning products, cluttered or narrow walkways, or expired medications. Any one of these things could be a potential danger to you or even to a visitor.

Here is a sample of a home safety checklist:

• Ensure that all stairways are covered with non-slip/skid surfaces.
• Check the stairway railing to ensure that it is secure and not loose or wobbly.
• Always keep cleaning produces in a cool, dry space where there is enough room for the bottles to remain upright. Also check that all lids are fastened tightly and not leaking.
• Check drains and pipes under sinks to be sure there are no leaks. Prolonged dampness and moisture can lead to unhealthy mold.
• Replace any expired medication in medicine cabinets.
• De-clutter common walkways to avoid trip hazards.

You can always add or remove items from your own first aid safety checklist to make it personalized for your own home.

Once you taken preventative safety measures for your home, the next step is having access to emergency care. Purchasing or creating your own first aid safety kit is the best option – make sure it is well stocked and places somewhere that is easily accessible to all family members.

When it comes to your home, first aid and safety is extremely important. To learn more about how to stay safe, react to emergencies, or even save lives, visit SimpleCPR today for online safety training.

Having a first aid kit on hand for emergencies is very important. Whether you are at home, at work, or even in your car you should have access to first aid supplies in the event of an unexpected emergency situation. First aid kits can be purchased in stores or online, however it can often be more cost-effective to simply create a first aid supplies list and then purchase those items individually to make several of your own kits.

If you already have a few first aid kits, we suggest that you use your first aid supplies list to restock any used or expired items to ensure that your kit is ready for use at any time.

Listed below are the items that are recommended for every first aid kit:

• Adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
• Elastic wrap bandages
• Aluminum finger splint
• Nonstick bandages and gauze
• Cotton balls and swabs
• Instant cold packs
• Pain reliever tablets
• Cough and cold medications
• Disposable non-latex gloves
• Plastic bags in assorted sizes
• Petroleum jelly or other lubricant
• Antibiotic ointment
• Hydrocortisone cream
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellant
• Eyewash solution
• Safety pins
• Scissors and tweezers
• Thermometer
• Breathing barrier
• Small flashlight
• First aid manual
• Emergency phone numbers

Be sure to check your first aid list and kit regularly to make sure that all necessary items can be accounted for and perishable items are replaced. For more information on what should be on your first aid list and other first aid instructions, check out our training courses on SimpleCPR. You could become receive your certification in first aid care today!