Anyone who has ever experienced such a reaction should go to all extremes to prevent a recurrence and should carry medications for prompt self-administration. Should there be a recurrence, the person should go straight to the nearest medical facility, even if the self-administered medication seems to give temporary relief. Anyone who has had a significant reaction to a medication should know the name of the medication and, along with the names of close relatives, carry this information at all times. A medallion or bracelet is easy identification for medical personnel to find. Type I reactions include anaphylactic shock, as noted above, as well as allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, and many acute skin reactions such as acute drug reactions.
Autoimmune antibodies are far more common than generally appreciated and tend to increase with age.
Their activity is generally a factor in many age-related problems. Many bacteria, including some normally found in our gastrointestinal tract, share antigens similar to those located on some human cells. Significant exposure to an immune response such as these bacterial antigens can evoke autoimmune diseases. An example of this is the role of the intestinal organism klebsiella in precipitating ankylosing spondylitis in genetically susceptible people. This becomes a significant concern in leaky gut syndrome.