Diagnosis of Anaphylaxis

Diagnosis of anaphylaxis

Anaphylactic shock is mostly diagnosed during childhood, but can occur later in life too.

Sometimes the first time an allergy to a particular substance is known is when the child (or adult) has a serious allergic reaction to it which presents with the serious symptoms of anaphylaxis.

People with any type of allergies, asthma, eczema or allergic rhinitis, should see their doctor for confirmation of the condition. Initial diagnosis will include:

Medical history - your doctor will take notes on the duration and severity of symptoms, when they started and will order other tests as necessary
Physical examination - the doctor will perform a general physical examination of the throat, nose and ears to detect the severity of the condition

The following tests will be requested to confirm diagnosis of allergy to a particular allergen:

Allergy testing - an allergy test is usually a test which can give a clear understanding on which allergens are most likely to prompt symptoms in people with allergic rhinitis. An allergy tests is also known as a"skin prick test" and it involves pricking the forearm with a very small needle and allowing some of the allergen into the skin. This is done many times with various allergens that the allergy specialist uses (including dust and pet hair brought from home) to determine if an allergy exists to a particular substance. Usually, if an allergy to the substance occurs, it will cause the skin pricked to form a welt, rash or lump. The allergy specialist (or immunologist) will have taken note of each substance used to enable determination of the substances that cause the allergic response
Cytotoxic allergy tests - this is a simple blood test which exposes the white blood cells to a sample of the suspected allergens (food or other substance) to determine if there is any reaction (the IgA antibodies in the white blood cells will react to the food or substance if it is an allergen that the body recognises). Sometimes this test can give false positives and may not be as reliable as an allergy test
Food sensitivity test - children with allergies, asthma, eczema or hay fever often have food allergies or sensitivities and much of their subsequent symptoms may be due to this sensitivity. An elimination diet needs to be followed to work out if this food is causing any of the symptoms. The most common food sensitivities that can cause behavioural problems are: cow's milk, wheat (or gluten), oranges (and other citrus fruit), chocolate, peanuts, soy, eggs, corn, oats, apples, tomatoes. In order to test a food sensitivity, that food (and foods containing it) must be totally eliminated from the diet for two weeks (as must all foods with any artificial additives) and after that, the food can be re-introduced back into the diet to see if there are any reactions to it. This requires a lot of vigilance and strict monitoring and could be better accomplished with the help of a registered dietician or naturopath

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Last reviewed: 18 November 2007 || Last updated: 12 March 2009

Adrenaline (glossary)
Allergic rhinitis (condition)
Allergies (glossary)
Asthma (conditions)
Bronchitis (conditions)
Eczema (conditions)
Epinephrine (glossary)
Sinusitis (conditions)

NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.

Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.

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