This is a question we’ve got from one of our readers: can dog allergy cause death?
The answer is that any allergy can cause death. It all depends on how violent the allergic response to the allergent exposure is. To make it more clear, one can have a mild allergy to mold, let’s say, and experience only slight symptoms of irritation, itching or sneezing. The same person can have an extremely severe allergy to wasp venom, without even knowing it. In the moment he gets stung by a wasp and his body gets in contact with the venom, a raging allergic reaction is triggered, with major implications for all vital systems functions, like breathing or blood circulation. The immune system wrongly assumes that the body is in major danger, and it starts a real war against the enemy, with the purpose of neutralizing it as soon as possible. This is called anaphylaxis, or anaphylactic shock, and it is a major affection which needs emergency treatment with epinephrine. There’s very little time from the occurrence time until death installs: only a few minutes, so in case this happens to somebody near you, don’t wait: call the paramedics. If you’re lucky, they’d save the person’s life.
Usually, people who were diagnosed with severe, life threatening allergies, must carry with them an epinephrine pen, and administer themselves the drug immediately after they’ve been exposed to the allergen.
If you know that you or one of your family members is allergic, you’d better test yourself and tell the other members of your family to get tested too, so you minimize the risk of suffering an anaphylaxis.
Even though you know that you only have a mild allergy to some substance, like dog dander, you still have to be careful. First, you shouldn’t have a dog at all, but if you do, you must watch yourself and call an ambulance at the slightest signs that your allergy worsens. Repeated exposure to the allergy-triggering factor leads in time to the aggravation of the symptoms, up to a severe or even lethal level.
So, allergy is not at all a joke and it should be treated seriously. Never ignore it, or you’ll pay a price with many times can be too high, for a disease which can be kept under control for a lifetime.
Categories: Dog Allergy
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