Respiratory Symptoms
Respiratory symptoms are an important hallmark of anaphylaxis. These are also one of the most commonly occurring and early symptoms of anaphylaxis. In its early stages, anaphylaxis may present in similar ways as allergy, with a runny nose and coughing. With time, anaphylaxis involve worsening symptoms. The patient develops
- Sever coughing: It leads to continuous interruption of the airways. Coughing also leads to broken air channel of inspired air, causing insufficient breathing rate per minute.
- Breathing difficulty: due to constriction of balloon-shaped alveoli within the lungs, the lung tissue does not allow for efficient contraction and relaxation. This causes the patient to feel immense difficulty in inspiring proper amount of oxygenated air, and expel all the deoxygenated air out.
- Hoarseness of voice and wheezing: The voice becomes hoarse and difficult breathing presents as long strained attempts to inspire air, and wheezing.
- The chest may feel tight and constricted.
All these presentations are actually various anaphylactic mediators secreted in immense amounts and binding to various receptors in the nose, windpipe, and other respiratory apparatus. At most of these sites, the effect of these mediators is to cause muscular contraction and narrowing of the passage, and hence, the constrained symptoms.