Check your symptoms
Experience of allergy symptoms can vary widely among individuals, but common symptoms to be aware of include:
- Rash, hives, or itching
- Swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat
- Shortness of breath or wheezing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea or stomach cramps
- Dizziness or fainting
Treat the symptoms
If you're experiencing symptoms:
- For a mild reaction, over-the-counter or prescribed antihistamines may help to reduce symptoms. These drugs can be taken after exposure to an allergen in the pizza.
- For a severe reaction, use an epinephrine autoinjector if it's available. If you've been prescribed one, it should be within reach. After using it, go to the emergency room immediately to ensure symptoms don't return.
Seek immediate medical help
Regardless of the severity of your reaction, you should seek immediate medical help. Even if your symptoms are mild, it's best to get checked up to prevent a secondary, possibly serious reaction.
Follow up with your healthcare provider
After your immediate medical needs have been addressed, schedule a followup appointment with your healthcare provider. They may prescribe an emergency epinephrine autoinjector and counsel you on how to avoid the allergen in the future.
Consider allergen immunotherapy
If you're frequently accidentally exposed to the allergen, ask your provider about allergen immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy is a long-term treatment that can help prevent or reduce the severity of allergic reactions. It works by changing your immune system, making it less allergic or even non-allergic to the substance.
Immune therapies from allergy firms are specially tailored to each patient's unique allergy profile and can help decrease the severity of your allergy symptoms, reduce your use of allergy medications, and improve your quality of life.
Learn to avoid the allergen
After identifying your specific allergen, learn to avoid it:
- Understand what ingredients are in the food products that you eat.
- Learn how food is prepared and use this knowledge to avoid cross-contact.
- Alert restaurant staff or hosts to your allergy when you are dining away from home.
Remember, the best way to prevent an allergic reaction is complete avoidance of the allergen.