Allergies, Anaphylaxis, Eczema, Topical Steroid Withdrawal & Asthma

Top 10 Health Blogs 2022 Top 10 Health Blogs 2021 Free From Hero 2021 Top 10 Health Blogs 2020 Best Blogs Award 2020 20th in the Top 60 UK Health Blogs Best Free From Blog 2014
  • Home
  • About
    • In the news!
    • Advocate
    • Testimonials
  • Books
    • Anaphylaxis – The Essential Guide.
    • The Shape of Skin
  • TSW
  • Advertise
  • Discounts
  • Links
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

Updated advice on using Epipens and AAIs

22/06/2023 by Ruth Holroyd Leave a Comment

Do you know how to use an adrenaline auto injector (AAI)? Even if you think you do, please have a quick scan and read of this blog post with updated guidelines from the Medicines & Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA). Click here to Read the new guidelines for using AAIs.

What is anaphylaxis?

With over 20% of the UK’s population affected by at least one allergy, adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) are an important healthcare product used for those at risk of anaphylaxis and can save lives. Hospital admissions due to allergies and anaphylaxis in England have nearly doubled in the last twenty years, to over 26,000 admissions in 2021-22 (from 13,440 in 2001-02).

Most of you will know what anaphylaxis is, but if you’ve stumbled upon this blog for the first time today, let me explain. In a nutshell (pun intended) Anaphylaxis is an allergic reaction to protein in food, a contact allergen, venom or even drugs. The body reacts to a normally harmless substance as if it’s a virus or bacteria and it fights, sometimes to the death, because it begins to cause havoc in the person having the reaction.

Symptoms can vary from:

  • Hives
  • Vomiting
  • Closing of airways, asthma and difficulty breathing
  • Feeling of impending doom
  • Unconscious
  • And sadly in rare and tragic cases it can be fatal

EVERYONE should learn what the signs are and how to administer adrenaline because you could save someone’s life. Fast action is crucial so if in doubt, inject. You’d do any harm.

What you should do if you suspect anaphylaxis

It’s easy to panic when you feel the first signs of anaphylaxis, or think your child might be having a reaction. So here’s what you should do:

  1. Inject the adrenaline
  2. Dial 999
  3. Lie down and stay lying down – DO NOT WALK
  4. Use 2nd AAI in the other thigh if you don’t see improvement

If you’re unsure at all and think you might panic, it can help to create an Action Plan that you can print out and

Do these four things if you suspect anaphylaxis


Click here to Read the new guidelines for using AAIs.

Thanks so much to the MHRA for this post, to mark World Allergy Week (Mainly in America but let’s claim it here too!) Any chance for raising awareness.

Watch a video of how to administer adrenaline for anaphylaxis

If you’re unsure what to do in an emergency, it can help to watch a video, because when anaphylaxis actually happens we can react in different ways, stress can make you panic and do the strangest things.

https://whatallergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Clip-2_What-to-do-in-an-emergency.mp4

The crucial new information here is, if you suspect anaphylaxis, don’t walk, stay seated and if you can do so, lie down with your feet elevated. A lot of people leave a restaurant or go away to be alone when they start going into anaphylaxis and this can drastically increase the chances of a fatality.

Finally, if you need to use the second adrenaline auto injector, inject into your other thigh! This is because the muscles will be dilated from the first injection and this will mean more adrenaline gets into the system.

And if you fancy a laugh, here’s me demonstrating how to use an AAI back when I was very very young

Anaphylaxis check list

It’s not east to remember what to do, so having an Action Plan can help, and not just for kids. I have one in my Emergency Kit which means anyone can read it and know what to do for me.

  • Stay where you are – this is a tricky one if you are alone and can’t get help. You should be able to make an emergency call even in an area with no phone signal.
  • Stay calm
  • Stay sitting or lying down
  • Tell someone you’re having an anaphylactic attack
  • And Act fast!

Stay safe my allergy super heroes. Check How to Write an Anaphylaxis Action plan where you can download templates.

Anaphylaxis: The Essential Guide: An Action Plan For Living With Life-Threatening Allergies
Anaphylaxis: The Essential Guide: An Action Plan For Living With Life-Threatening Allergies

You may also be interested in reading

  • Read Anaphylaxis – The Essential Guide
  • Your cough medicine could cause anaphylaxis
  • Dairy allergic ate buttermilk by mistake… and nothing happened
  • 20 life saving anaphylaxis tips

Related posts:

Oliver Green,11 and his mum Keren Greene,38 at their home in Edgware London. Oilver who has taken part in case study to raise awareness for schools and parents to check their stocks of AAI pens and make sure they are in date and that staff training is refreshed after the long COVID lockdown. Oliver hops that by sharing his story of going into anaphylactic shock at school this will help raise awareness.20% of anaphylactic reactions occur at school adrenaline auto injectorsAdrenaline auto injectors – are they out dated? Ultasound showing muscle depth of size 10 womanAdrenaline auto-injector review; needle length

Filed Under: Allergies, Anaphylaxis Tagged With: adrenaline for anaphylaxis, allergic reaction, anaphylactic shock, anaphylaxis, anaphylaxis guidelines, how to use an epipen, treating anaphylaxis, what to do when you have an anaphylactic attack

About Ruth Holroyd

Author of 'Anaphylaxis: The Essential Guide: An Action Plan For Living With Life-Threatening Allergies' and 'The Shape of Skin, both available as paperback or Kindle on Amazon. Ruth is a Writer, Blogger and Patient Expert in allergies, asthma, anaphylaxis, eczema and topical steroid withdrawal.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome to my blog!

https://whatallergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/IMG_2853.mp4

Hello, I’m Ruth, author and blogger

Ruth

 

Hi I'm Ruth. I've grown up with eczema and multiple life-threatening allergies and collected more as I've got older.  It started with a peanut allergy and now I'm allergic to milk, wheat, soya and many more. In this blog I share tips, advice and things I've learnt living with allergies, asthma and eczema with a focus on topical steroid withdrawal. You can buy my books, which are brilliant by the way! The first is Anaphylaxis: The essential guide and the second, The Shape of Skin, healing poems for eczema and sensitive skin. The reviews speak for themselves. If you want to chat you can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn (links below). Do get in touch. And please comment on blogs, it makes a humble blogger do a little happy dance!

Subscribe today for Free Resources

Share and Connect

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Allergies Anaphylaxis Asthma Awards Coeliac Cold Sores Cooking Digestion Eating Out Eczema FreeFrom Awards Hay Fever Indoor Allergies Industry News Mental Health Natural remedies Nutrition Poetry Product Review Rant Recipes Restaurant Review Skin care Topical Steroid Withdrawal Travelling Vegan

The Shape of Skin – poetry for eczema

The Shape of Skin poetry for eczemaThe Shape of Skin

Strange, striking and sensitive poems for people with eczema, psoriasis, topical steroid withdrawal and troubled skin.

Readers comments include: "Powerful, relatable, Absolutely bloody fantastic (pun intended)..."

Buy it now on Amazon

Buy ‘The Anaphylaxis Guide’ Now

Anaphylaxis - the essential guideAnaphylaxis - The Essential Guide. An action plan for living with life threatening allergies.

"This book is such a great wealth of information and a delight to read! A must read for anyone with allergies or connected to an allergy sufferer. Congratulations!" Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, Natasha Foundation

Find out more

get help - in distress?

Pollen Free Flowers and Plants

Read my blog, "Allergen and pollen free, artificial plants for your home"Faux la fleur artificial pollen free plants

Please Review my book on Goodreads

Ruth Holroyd's books on Goodreads
The Reluctant Allergy Expert: How to kill the fear that anaphylaxis could kill you The Reluctant Allergy Expert: How to kill the fear that anaphylaxis could kill you
reviews: 3
ratings: 3 (avg rating 5.00)

Get Free Resources

Get Free Resources

  • Food, Mood and Symptoms Diary
  • Topical Steroid Withdrawal handout for doctors
  • Anaphylaxis Action Plan
  • 50 x Food Real Challenge
  • Eat the Rainbow Food Challenge
  • More coming soon!

Click here to Subscribe and you'll receive a link to download!

Follow What Allergy on TikTok

For even more hilarious content, check out my new TikTok account

tiktok logo

Chocolate, cake mixes & more – Top14 Free

Read my product review for Gnawbles, like Maltesers and Ferrero Rocher rolled into one.

Gnawbles freefrom top 14 allergens

Use Coupon Code WHATALLERGY10 FOR 10% OFF everything you buy!

Natural skincare for Eczema / TSW

Balmonds Natural SkincareBalmonds Natural Skincare - Use code: WHATALLERGY for 20% off

Testimonials

Find out why people love this blog!

“I think your blog is fab – I send it to everyone who has skin problems and allergies.” 
Sarah

Read more testimonials here.

Archives – Find old blog posts

Mental Health

Set intentions not resolutions for 2024

Why do we think eczema is ugly?

OMG! Me in a film on eczema and mental health

Eating Out

My coffee shop allergy – reacting to milk vapour?

Coeliacs and Vegans have it easy

Milk and wheat allergen free fish and chips

Asthma

Do you need Health Insurance for Allergies & Asthma?

Did Covid cause asthma and eczema flare?

What if you couldn’t have your Ventolin inhaler?

Copyright © 2025 · Terms Of Use · Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · [footer_Privacy_Policy #"privacy policy"] Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in