Also called: Anaphylactic shock
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction. It can begin very quickly, and symptoms may be life-threatening. The most common causes are reactions to foods (especially peanuts), medications, and stinging insects. Other causes include exercise and exposure to latex. Sometimes no cause can be found.
It can affect many organs:
- Skin - itching, hives, redness, swelling
- Nose - sneezing, stuffy nose, runny nose
- Mouth - itching, swelling of the lips or tongue
- Throat - itching, tightness, trouble swallowing, swelling of the back of the throat
- Chest - shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, chest pain or tightness
- Heart - weak pulse, passing out, shock
- Gastrointestinal tract - vomiting, diarrhea, cramps
- Nervous system - dizziness or fainting
If someone is having a serious allergic reaction, call 911. If an auto-injector is available, give the person the injection right away.
It sits within Immune System.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Anaphylaxis
126 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- FASC: Fish Allergy in Spanish Children - A Study of New Cases of Fish Allergy in Children and AdolescentsCarmelo Escudero
- UKK-0018 as an Immunotherapeutic for Treatment of Peanut AllergiesUkko Inc
- A Study to Assess the Safety and Risk of Hypersensitivity Reactions of Sulbactam-durlobactam in Adults With Acinetobacter Baumannii-calcoaceticus (ABC) Complex InfectionInnoviva Specialty Therapeutics
- Diagnosis and Allergen Identification of Perioperative AnaphylaxisPeking University First Hospital
- Optimizing the Diagnostic Approach to Cephalosporin Allergy TestingMassachusetts General Hospital
- Virtual Reality-Based Simulation Versus High-Fidelity Simulation for Emergency Management Training in Medical InternsSeoul National University Hospital
Research already completed
- Cause of Unexplained AnaphylaxisNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
- Screening Protocol for Genetic Diseases of Allergic InflammationNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
- Natural History of Severe Allergic Inflammation and ReactionsNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
- DEpth of EPinephrine Delivery With Auto-injectors DevicesCentre Hospitalier Régional Metz-Thionville
- Protocol of Reintroduction of Beta-lactams in Children at Low Risk of Anaphylaxis.Nantes University Hospital
- Oral Immunotherapy in Food Allergy in FinlandHelsinki University Central Hospital
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Learn More
- AnaphylaxisAmerican Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
- AnaphylaxisMedical Encyclopedia
- Anaphylaxis in Infants and Children: Responding to Severe Allergic ReactionsAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
- Anaphylaxis Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and ManagementAmerican Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
- Anaphylaxis-Like ReactionsNational Jewish Health
- Anaphylaxis: First AidMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Serious Allergic Reactions (Anaphylaxis)Nemours Foundation
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: AnaphylaxisNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Anaphylaxis. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Anaphylaxis, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.