14/10/2025
Many people live with allergies, and in some cases, these can be life-threatening. Severe peanut allergies are just one example.
Unfortunately, there isn’t enough public awareness about what happens when someone experiences a severe allergic reaction, known as anaphylaxis.
When this happens, things can become chaotic. Most people with severe allergies will know what they are allergic to and may wear a medical alert bracelet or have emergency information on their phone.
It’s great to see Waterloo Road helping to raise awareness about this important issue.
If you come across someone having an anaphylactic reaction, call 999 immediately.
Most people with severe allergies carry an adrenaline auto-injector (such as an EpiPen -other brands are available)
Look for it and remove it from its container.
If it’s an EpiPen, remember: “Blue to the sky, orange to the thigh.”
Hold the blue end in your hand, press the orange tip firmly against the outer mid-thigh until you hear a click, and hold it there for 3 seconds. You don’t need to remove clothing, the device is designed to go through fabric.
Keep the person lying down with their legs raised if possible (unless breathing is difficult, in which case let them sit up).
Let the 999 call handler know that adrenaline has been given, they’ll tell you whether a second dose is needed. Keep the used injector with the patient for the ambulance crew.
