Allergy is by no means a harmless disease. Sometimes the reaction proceeds so quickly that the outcome becomes fatal. For example, if Quincke's edema occurs, first aid may be too late.
Even if the doctors arrive in time, the consequences for the patient can be very, very serious. Allergies occur most often for completely unexpected reasons, in an absolutely unpredictable place and at the most inconvenient time. The fault can be medications, and ordinary household chemicals, and food, and insect bites, and even just the smell of perfumes in a crowded train, when it is impossible to get out or push into another car. A man suddenly begins to sneeze, cough, lose his voice. And the worst thing is that it begins to swell quickly! This is Quincke's edema. First aid should come immediately. The account goes on for minutes.
Quincke edema disease - symptoms
The emergency response of an organism to a foreign invasion is immediate. Quincke's edema spreads instantly. It is formed either under the skin, or - worst of all - on the mucous membranes. Tongue, throat, trachea, bronchi, lungs are susceptible to this lesion. The patient suffers from shortness of breath, he does not have enough air, he breathes with a whistle and a barking cough. Without timely assistance, air into the lungs ceases to flow due to laryngeal edema, and the patient dies. Moreover, an allergic person can die from anaphylactic shock, which also happens quite often, and this is the most difficult of immediate allergic reactions.
It is necessary to disseminate knowledge as widely as possible about what is Quincke's edema. First aid before emergency medical attention should be provided correctly. Most importantly, do not forget that in threatening cases with edema of the larynx and asphyxia
(lack of air) you need to act quickly.
Quincke's edema - first aid
First of all, you need to call an ambulance. To calm the patient, open the windows for access to fresh air, eliminate the same medicine, food or smell, that is, exclude the presence of an allergen. Remove all the tightening parts of the patient’s clothing: ties, scarves, belts and so on. If possible, you need to make a cold compress on the edematous place and drip into the nose, for example, "Naphthyzinum".
It will narrow the vessels, which will help withstand the intensity of edema. It is very good to take an antihistamine like Suprastin immediately. Doctors will continue to fight for the patient’s life: if they have difficulty breathing, they will introduce glucocorticoid hormones and take them to a stationary clinic where there is a specialized department and doctors (ENT). Patients after treatment should adhere to a special
hypoallergenic diet. Citrus fruits, chocolate, eggs, milk, fish, wheat, tomatoes, nuts and much more are excluded from the diet. Next, the doctor prescribes medication. Most often, these are drugs to enhance the body's production of a C1 inhibitor, since it is precisely because of its insufficiency that Quincke edema occurs. Photos demonstrate this disease at different stages. It is almost impossible to prevent a reaction. Those who know the reason for Quincke's edema do not need first aid, because they can avoid taking the “wrong” food or allergy-causing medications. The main danger lies precisely in the lack of knowledge of allergens.