Q Are there cases where I need to go to the emergency room for urticaria? I want to know when it's dangerous.
A Urticaria itself is usually not an emergency, but when certain symptoms appear together, call 119 immediately or go to the emergency room. Breathing difficulty due to throat or laryngeal swelling, low blood pressure, and impaired consciousness accompanying urticaria is anaphylaxis (life-threatening emergency). If you have an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen), use it immediately and call 119.
Detailed Answer
Warning symptoms requiring immediate emergency room visit:
① Throat tightening sensation, voice changes, difficulty swallowing → suspected laryngeal angioedema
② Breathing difficulty, wheezing → bronchospasm
③ Rapid swelling of face, lips, and tongue
④ Dizziness, low blood pressure, fainting sensation
⑤ Urticaria with abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea → possible systemic anaphylaxis
If any of these apply, call 119 without delay. If prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector, inject into the thigh immediately. Antihistamines and steroids are not first-line emergency treatment for anaphylaxis.
Korean Medicine Perspective
At Dongjedang, anaphylaxis history and epinephrine auto-injector prescription status are always confirmed at the first visit. Patients with laryngeal edema or anaphylaxis history are strongly recommended to manage with Korean medicine alone rather than alongside a conventional emergency response system. Please be sure to inform us before any procedure of allergic history as bee venom acupuncture and other natural-derived treatments can rarely cause hypersensitivity reactions.
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