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Allergic reaction

What is an allergy?

An allergy is when the body has a reaction to a trigger. Allergic reactions usually happen within a few minutes of contact but can happen a few hours later.

Most allergic reactions are mild, but more severe reactions can occur. Sometimes mild reactions can develop quickly into a more severe reaction.

Sometimes children can have a rash that looks like an allergic reaction but it is actually caused by a viral infection. If you are still worried please look at the rash page here. 

The most severe reaction is called anaphylaxis (ana-fill-axis) and can be life threatening. The signs of this are in the red box below.  

Common triggers for allergy are:

  • Foods such as nuts, fish, shellfish, eggs and some fruits

  • Medicines

  • Bee stings

  • Wasp stings

  • Latex (a type of rubber found in some rubber gloves)

When should you worry?

If your child has any of the following:

  • Feeling of tightness in the chest or throat

  • Swelling of the mouth, face, tongue or lips 

  • Breathing fast, too breathless to talk, eat or drink 

  • Harsh noise as they breathe in (stridor)

  • Working hard to breathe, drawing in of the muscles below the ribs, or noisy breathing (grunting)

  • Breathing that stops or pauses

  • Is pale, blue, mottled or feels unusually cold to touch

  • Difficult to wake up, very sleepy or confused

  • Has a fit (seizure)

  • Has a rash that does not go away with pressure (the ‘Glass Test’)

You need urgent help

Go to the nearest Hospital Emergency (A&E) Department or phone 999

If your child has any of the following:

  • Itchy skin or a raised rash (hives)

  • Tingling of mouth

  • Dry skin, lips or tongue

  • Not had a wee or wet nappy in last 8 hours

  • Poor feeding in babies (less than half of their usual amount)

  • Irritable (Unable to settle them with toys, TV, food or hugs even after their fever has come down)

  • They are having allergic reactions frequently or you are not sure what they are allergic to

  • Getting worse or you are worried about them

You need to contact a doctor or nurse today

Please call your GP surgery or contact NHS 111 - Go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111.(111 online does not currently take questions about children aged under 5, so if your child is 4 or younger,  please call 111).

If symptoms persist for 4 hours or more and you have not been able to speak to either a member of staff from your GP practice or to NHS 111 staff, recheck that your child has not developed any red features.

If none of the above are present

  • Watch them closely for any change and look out for any red or amber symptoms

  • Additional advice is also available to young families for coping with crying of well babies – click here

  • If your child has a long term condition or disability and you are worried please contact your regular team or follow any plans that they have given you

Self care

Contact your local community pharmacist.

Continue providing your child’s care at home. If you are still concerned about your child, call NHS 111 – dial 111

What should you do?

If you are worried that your child is having a severe allergic reaction, you need to call 999 for an ambulance immediately and state anaphylaxis (ana-fill-axis).

  • If your child has an adrenaline autoinjector (Epi-pen) use it immediately

  • Remove the trigger which caused the reaction if you can

  • Sit them up if they are having difficulty breathing

  • Do not stand them up or move them

  • You can give a second dose of adrenaline (Epi-pen) after 5 minutes

If you have had to use your child’s autoinjector (Epi-pen) then they should always go to hospital for further observation.

If your child is having a mild to moderate allergic reaction, give them an antihistamine medicine to help with the symptoms.

If your child has had an allergic reaction you should avoid the trigger whenever possible.

Further information

Allergy UK has information on anaphylaxis.

Beat Anaphylaxis has information for children, young people, families and professionals.

Itchy Sneezy Wheezy has a series of videos on food allergy, anaphylaxis and how to use an epipen.

Where should you seek help?

For wear and tear, minor trips and everything in between

Self-care

You can treat your child's very minor illnesses and injuries at home.

Some illnesses can be treated in your own home with support and advice from the services listed when required, using the recommended medicines and getting plenty of rest.

Sound advice

Children can recover from illness quickly but also can become more poorly quickly; it is important to seek further advice if a child's condition gets worse.

For information on common childhood illnesses go to What is wrong with my child?

Pharmacists are experts in many aspects of healthcare and can offer advice on a wide range of long-term conditions and common illnesses such as coughs, colds and stomach upsets. You don’t need an appointment and many have private consultation areas, so they are a good first port of call. Your pharmacist will say if you need further medical attention.

Sound advice

  • Visit a pharmacy if your child is ill, but does not need to see a GP
  • Remember that if your child's condition gets worse, you should seek further medical advice immediately
  • Help your child to understand - watch this video with them about going to the pharmacy

For information on common childhood illnesses go to What is wrong with my child?

The 0-19 Service for children and young people is delivered by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and offers a single point of access for Health Visiting, School Nursing and the Family Nurse Partnership. You can contact the teams using the details below:

Single Point of Access (SPA): 01865 903 800

Email: cyp0-19@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk

Chat Health Parentline

Text us any time for confidential advice and support and you will have a response the next working day (Monday-Friday exluding Bank Holidays).

Parents and carers for children aged 0-4: Text 07312 263 081

Parents and carers of children aged 5-11: Text 07312 263 227

Young people aged 11-19 and their parents and carers: Text 07312 263 08

Health Visitors

Health visitors are registered nurses or midwives who have additional training in community public health nursing. They provide a universal service, targeted to individual needs for children aged 0-5 years. Learn more about the Oxfordshire Health Visiting Service here!

School and college Health Nurses

School Health Nurses are specialist public health nurses and have offices across Oxfordshire. They work very closely with Health Visitors to support school aged children. They are available for young people to access in secondary schools and colleges, and offer a service to children who are home educated. They work closely with children, young people and their families to support and promote health and wellbeing. Learn more about the Oxfordshire School and college Health Nursing Service here!

Family Nurse Partnership

The Family Nurse Partnership service supports parents who are aged 19 years or under at conception, or under 21 years if they have been in care. The Family Nurse works alongside younger parents in their home, offering health, wellbeing and development support and information from the early stages of pregnancy, usually up until your child is two. Learn more about the Family Nurse Partnership service here!

GPs assess, treat and manage a whole range of health problems. They also provide health education, give vaccinations and carry out simple surgical procedures. Your GP will arrange a referral to a hospital specialist should you need it.

Sound advice

You have a choice of service:

  • Doctors or GPs can treat many illnesses that do not warrant a visit to A&E
  • Help your child to understand – watch this video with them about visiting the GP or going to a walk in centre

For information on common childhood illnesses go to What is wrong with my child?

If you’re not sure which NHS service you need, you can call 111 or use 111 online.

Please note that 111 online is for people aged 5 and over. Call 111 if you need help for a child under 5.

An adviser will ask you questions to assess your symptoms and then give you the advice you need, or direct you straightaway to the best service for you in your area.

Sound advice

Use NHS 111 if you are unsure what to do next, have any questions about a condition or treatment or require information about local health services

For information on common childhood illnesses go to What is wrong with my child?

Emergency Departments (A&E) provide vital care for life-threatening emergencies, such as loss of consciousness, suspected heart attacks, breathing difficulties, or severe bleeding that cannot be stopped. If you’re not sure it’s an emergency, call 111 for advice.

Sound advice

  • Many visits to A&E and calls to 999 could be resolved by any other NHS services
  • If your child's condition is not critical, choose another service to get them the best possible treatment
  • Help your child to understand – watch this video with them about going to A&E or riding in an ambulance
Survey for parents and carers - what was the outcome of you looking at this page?