Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a big word that means your body is having a really bad reaction to something it touches, eats, or breathes. This reaction can affect your whole body and make it really hard to breathe or stay awake.
When you eat, touch or breathe in something that your body doesn't like, it reacts by releasing something called histamine. Histamine is like an alarm bell that tells your body to prepare for a fight. Your blood vessels get bigger, which allows more blood to flow to the affected area. Your blood vessels also get leaky which helps your body get rid of the bad thing faster. When you have anaphylaxis, your body makes too much histamine and this makes your blood vessels get too big and too leaky. This can cause your blood pressure to drop and your heart to beat too fast or too slow.
When your body is having an anaphylactic reaction, you might feel dizzy or faint, have trouble breathing, or have a rapid heartbeat. Your skin might turn red or you might get hives, which are itchy bumps on your skin. Your throat or tongue might also swell up, making it hard to breathe or talk.
If you feel like your body is having an anaphylactic reaction, it's really important to tell an adult right away. They might give you a shot of something called epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, which can help your body stop the reaction. They'll also take you to the hospital to make sure you're okay.
When you eat, touch or breathe in something that your body doesn't like, it reacts by releasing something called histamine. Histamine is like an alarm bell that tells your body to prepare for a fight. Your blood vessels get bigger, which allows more blood to flow to the affected area. Your blood vessels also get leaky which helps your body get rid of the bad thing faster. When you have anaphylaxis, your body makes too much histamine and this makes your blood vessels get too big and too leaky. This can cause your blood pressure to drop and your heart to beat too fast or too slow.
When your body is having an anaphylactic reaction, you might feel dizzy or faint, have trouble breathing, or have a rapid heartbeat. Your skin might turn red or you might get hives, which are itchy bumps on your skin. Your throat or tongue might also swell up, making it hard to breathe or talk.
If you feel like your body is having an anaphylactic reaction, it's really important to tell an adult right away. They might give you a shot of something called epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, which can help your body stop the reaction. They'll also take you to the hospital to make sure you're okay.