ANAPHYLAXIS

What is anaphylaxis?

Anaphylaxis is an extreme and severe allergic reaction. The whole body is affected, often within minutes of
exposure to the allergen but sometimes after hours.

 What can cause anaphylaxis?

Common causes include foods such as peanuts, tree nuts (e.g. almonds, walnuts, cashews, Brazils), sesame, fish,
shellfish, dairy products and eggs. Non-food causes include wasp or bee stings, natural latex (rubber), penicillin
or any other drug or injection. In some people, exercise can trigger a severe reaction - either on its own or in
combination with other factors such as food or drugs (e.g. aspirin).

 What are the symptoms?

 generalised flushing of the skin

 nettle rash (hives) anywhere on the body
 sense of impending doom
 swelling of throat and mouth
 difficulty in swallowing or speaking
 alterations in heart rate
 severe asthma
 abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting
 sudden feeling of weakness (drop in blood pressure)
 collapse and unconsciousness

An individual would not necessarily experience all of these symptoms

 Why does anaphylaxis occur?

Any allergic reaction, including the most extreme form, anaphylactic shock, occurs because the body's immune
system reacts inappropriately in response to the presence of a substance that it wrongly perceives as a threat.

An anaphylactic reaction is caused by the sudden release of chemical substances, including histamine, from cells
in the blood and tissues where they are stored. The release is triggered by the reaction between the allergic
antibody (IgE) and the substance (allergen) causing the anaphylactic reaction. This mechanism is so sensitive
that minute quantities of the allergen can cause a reaction. The released chemicals act on blood vessels to cause
the swelling in the mouth and anywhere on the skin. There is a fall in blood pressure and, in asthmatics, the
effect is mainly on the lungs.

 What is the treatment for a severe reaction?

Pre-loaded adrenaline injection kits are available on prescription for those believed to be at risk. Adrenaline
(also known as epinephrine) acts quickly to constrict blood vessels, relax smooth muscles in the lungs to
improve breathing, stimulate the heartbeat and help to stop swelling around the face and lips.

 
TACHYCARDIA

Tachycardia is a faster than normal heart rate. A healthy adult heart beats 60 to 100 times a minute when a
person is at rest. If you have tachycardia ,the rate in the upper chambers or lower chambers of the heart, or both,
are increased significantly. Heart rate is controlled by electrical signals sent across heart tissues. Tachycardia
occurs when an abnormality in the heart produces rapid electrical signals.

When your heart's rate is too rapid, it may not effectively pump blood to the rest of your body, depriving your
organs and tissues of oxygen. This can cause these tachycardia symptoms:

 Dizziness
 Shortness of breath
 Lightheadedness
 Rapid pulse rate
 Heart palpitations — a racing, uncomfortable or irregular heartbeat or a sensation of "flopping" in the
chest
 Chest pain
 Fainting (syncope)

Causes:

 High blood pressure

 Smoking
 Heavy alcohol consumption
 Heavy caffeine consumption
 Adverse reaction to medications
 Abuse of recreational drugs, such as cocaine
 Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
INSOMNIA

Insomnia includes having trouble falling or staying asleep. It's one of the most common medical complaints.
With insomnia, you usually awaken feeling unrefreshed, which takes a toll on your ability to function during the
day. Insomnia can sap not only your energy level and mood, but also your health, work performance and quality
of life.

How much sleep is enough varies from person to person. Most adults need seven to eight hours a night. More
than one-third of adults have insomnia at some time, while 10 to 15 percent report long-term (chronic) insomnia.

You don't have to put up with sleepless nights. Simple changes in your daily habits can resolve insomnia and
restore your needed rest.

Insomnia signs and symptoms may include:

 Difficulty falling asleep at night

 Awakening during the night
 Awakening too early
 Not feeling well rested after a night's sleep
 Daytime fatigue or sleepiness
 Irritability, depression or anxiety
 Difficulty paying attention or focusing on tasks
 Increased errors or accidents
 Tension headaches
 Gastrointestinal symptoms
 Ongoing worries about sleep

Insomnia most often stems from some other problem, such as a medical condition that causes pain or use of
substances that interfere with sleep. Common causes of insomnia include:

 Stress,Anxiety
 Depression. You might either sleep too much or have trouble sleeping if you're depressed. This may be
due to chemical imbalances in your brain or because worries that accompany depression may keep you
from relaxing enough to fall asleep. Insomnia often accompanies other mental health disorders as well.
 Medications. Prescription drugs that can interfere with sleep include some antidepressants, heart and
blood pressure medications, allergy medications, stimulants (such as Ritalin) and corticosteroids. Many
over-the-counter (OTC) medications, including some pain medication combinations, decongestants and
weight-loss products, contain caffeine and other stimulants. Antihistamines may initially make you
groggy, but they can worsen urinary problems, causing you to get up more during the night.
 Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Coffee, tea, cola and other caffeine-containing drinks are well-known
stimulants. Drinking coffee in the late afternoon can keep you from falling asleep at night. Nicotine in
tobacco products is another stimulant that can cause insomnia. Alcohol is a sedative that may help you
fall asleep, but it prevents deeper stages of sleep and often causes you to awaken in the middle of the
night.
 Medical conditions. If you have chronic pain, breathing difficulties or need to urinate frequently, you
might develop insomnia. Conditions linked with insomnia include arthritis, cancer, congestive heart
failure, diabetes, lung disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), overactive thyroid, stroke,
Parkinson disease and Alzheimer's disease. Making sure that your medical conditions are well treated
may help with your insomnia. If you have arthritis, for example, taking a pain reliever before bed may
help you sleep better.
 Change in your environment or work schedule. Travel or working a late or early shift can disrupt
your body's circadian rhythms, making it difficult to sleep. Your circadian rhythms act as internal
clocks, guiding such things as your wake-sleep cycle, metabolism and body temperature.
 Poor sleep habits. Habits that help promote good sleep are called "sleep hygiene." Poor sleep hygiene
includes an irregular sleep schedule, stimulating activities before bed, an uncomfortable sleep
environment and use of your bed for activities other than sleep or sex.
  'Learned' insomnia. This may occur when you worry excessively about not being able to sleep well
and try too hard to fall asleep. Most people with this condition sleep better when they're away from
their usual sleep environment or when they don't try to sleep, such as when they're watching TV or
reading.
 Eating too much late in the evening. Having a light snack before bedtime is OK, but eating too much
may cause you to feel physically uncomfortable while lying down, making it difficult to get to sleep.
Many people also experience heartburn, a backflow of acid and food from the stomach to the
esophagus after eating. This uncomfortable feeling may keep you awake.

Insomnia and aging

Insomnia becomes more prevalent with age. As you get older, changes can occur that may affect your sleep.
You may experience:

 A change in sleep patterns. Sleep often becomes less restful as you age. You spend more time in
stages 1 and 2 of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and less time in stages 3 and 4. Stage 1 is
transitional sleep, stage 2 is light sleep, and stage 3 is deep (delta) sleep, the most restful kind. Because
you're sleeping more lightly, you're also more likely to awaken. With age, your internal clock often
advances, which means you get tired earlier in the evening and wake up earlier in the morning. But
older people still need the same amount of sleep as younger people do.
 A change in activity. You may be less physically or socially active. Activity helps promote a good
night's sleep. You may also be more likely to take a daily nap, which also can interfere with sleep at
night.
 A change in health. The chronic pain of conditions such as arthritis or back problems as well as
depression, anxiety and stress can interfere with sleep. Older men often develop noncancerous
enlargement of the prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia), which can cause the need to urinate
frequently, interrupting sleep. In women, hot flashes that accompany menopause can be equally
disruptive.

Other sleep-related disorders, such as sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome, also become more
common with age. Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing periodically throughout the night and then
awaken. Restless legs syndrome causes unpleasant sensations in your legs and an almost irresistible
desire to move them, which may prevent you from falling asleep.

 Increased use of medications. Older people use more prescription drugs than younger people do,
which increases the chance of insomnia caused by a medication.

Sleep problems may be a concern for children and teenagers as well. Some children and teenagers simply have
trouble getting to sleep or resist a regular bedtime because their internal clocks are more delayed. They want to
go to bed later and sleep later in the morning.