Neither the food alone nor exercise alone causes any problem for these individuals. When exposed to a foreign substance, some people suffer reactions identical to anaphylaxis, but in which no allergy is involved. Fortunately, health care providers don't need to distinguish between anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reactions during an emergency because the treatment is the same. To prevent anaphylaxis, it is important to avoid the allergen that causes the reaction. That may not be easy since stinging insects can find their way indoors and allergenic foods can be concealed in a wide variety of preparations.
Precautions can lower the risk of anaphylaxis and minimize the severity of reactions.
There is some risk when an individual with past episodes of anaphylaxis is injected with an allergen, but experienced health care professionals working in a controlled setting can make that risk negligible. If immunotherapy is not practical or available for a particular allergen, the physician has other options. For example, if someone has experienced an anaphylactic reaction to penicillin, the physician might order skin tests before giving certain other types of antibiotics. In most cases, different classes of antibiotics are available. Rarely, someone may get an infection that requires treatment with an antibiotic known to cause anaphylaxis in that individual.