‘Impending Sense of Doom’ Can Be Sign of ‘Life-Threatening’ Condition, Says Nurse

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From hot cross buns to chocolate eggs and special Sunday roasts, for many families the food is a significant part of Easter celebrations. However, this can rapidly become a lethal situation for some, as one nurse highlighted.

Hannah Kramer, a clinical nurse specialist at the Allergy Centre of Excellence, encouraged parents to familiarise themselves with the warning signs, and differences, between anaphylaxis and an allergic reaction. One can quickly become life-threatening with an ‘impending sense of doom’, while the other can escalate over several hours.

The expert explained: “When someone has an immediate food allergy, the reaction typically begins within seconds or minutes of exposure to the food, and within a 2-hour window from there. These symptoms would be treated with a dose of antihistamine.”

Milk, one of the most common ingredients in Easter egg hunts, is also one of the most common food allergies among babies and toddlers in the UK. The thousands of children with egg, nut and wheat allergies may be facing similar problems this Easter.

A mild or ‘typical’ allergic reaction that is usually treated with antihistamines may include symptoms like:

• Itching in or around the mouth
• Facial swelling
• Sneezing or suddenly runny nose
• Skin rashes
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Itchy hives appearing

According to the NHS, anaphylaxis is a ‘life-threatening allergic reaction’ that can develop within minutes of coming into contact with the item you’re allergic too. Cases of typical allergic reactions may also progress into anaphylaxis.

Hannah explained: “Many people think that anaphylaxis is dramatic and obvious, which of course it can be, but not always. Interestingly, people having anaphylaxis often describe ‘an impending sense of doom’, a sense of panic and fear in response to their physical bodily symptoms.