anaphylaxis

Definition

Extreme sensitivity to a substance such as a foreign protein or drug.

Etymology

Borrowed from French anaphylaxie, coined by French physiologist and parapsychologist Charles Richet and French zoologist Paul Portier from the Ancient Greek ᾰ̓νᾰ- (ănă-, “(intensifier) thoroughly”) from ᾰ̓νᾰ́ (ănắ, “to, again, upon”) and φύλαξις (phúlaxis, “protection, watching, guarding”).

Example Sentences

• "“Anyone who has experienced or witnessed an anaphylaxis reaction knows it can be very stressful deciding when to inject epinephrine to themselves or a child and often delay,” Dr. Jonathan Spergel, chief of the allergy program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said in a news release from ARS Pharmaceuticals."
• "He said a bite could send someone into anaphylaxis, which is a narrowing of the airways and lowering of blood pressure, within minutes."
• "While we wait, she [Maggie Aderin-Pocock] reassures me that she always carries an EpiPen, and says she has recently become an ambassador for the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, an allergy awareness charity named after teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperousse, who died from anaphylaxis in 2016."