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Anaphylaxis and EpiPen Use

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can come on fast, for example after an insect sting or a food. This guide explains why to call 911 and plan ahead with a clinician, and leaves device instructions to professionals.

What is anaphylaxis and why does it matter on farms?

Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that can affect breathing, circulation and other systems. On farms, triggers can include insect stings, foods, medicines, animal products, latex and plant or feed materials. Work is often outdoors and far from help.

This article does not give dosing or step-by-step device instructions. Those come from the prescriber, the product's official instructions and recognized training.

Keep the prescriber's name, the medication list and emergency contacts with the person or in the vehicle, so responders and family can find them quickly.

What should you do in a severe allergic reaction?

Call 911. Signs of a severe reaction can include trouble breathing, swelling of the face, lips or throat, widespread hives, dizziness, fainting, vomiting or a feeling that something is very wrong. If you are unsure, call. The dispatcher can guide you.

If the person has been prescribed epinephrine, they and those around them should follow the instructions given by their clinician and the product label. Call 911 even if symptoms seem to improve, since a reaction can return.

Medication can be damaged by extreme heat or cold, and vehicles and barns can reach both. Follow the label for storage and ask a pharmacist how to carry it during field work.

• Call 911.
• Follow the prescriber's plan and the product label.
• Stay with the person.
• Tell responders what happened and what was used.

How can you plan with a clinician?

Anyone who has had a serious allergic reaction, or who is at risk, should talk with a doctor or allergist about testing, an emergency action plan and whether to carry prescribed medication. Ask how to store it, how often to check expiration dates and how to use the device.

Share the plan with family, coworkers and anyone who works near you, so they know what to do and where the medication is kept.

Do not share prescribed medication between people. A device prescribed for one person is for that person, and a clinician should decide who needs one.

What should the farm do to be ready?

Know who on the crew has a serious allergy, with their permission, and make sure someone knows where their medication is. Keep medication where the person can reach it, protected from heat and cold according to the label, and carried with the person in the field when prescribed that way.

Take first aid training from a recognized provider that covers allergic emergencies. Know your address and how to call for help from remote areas.

After any reaction, follow up with the doctor. They may adjust the plan, refresh prescriptions and recommend testing.

• Know who is at risk, with permission.
• Keep medication reachable and in date.
• Follow label storage.
• Take recognized training.

How can exposure be reduced?

Talk with your clinician about triggers and how to avoid them. For stings, consider protective measures during outdoor work, awareness of nests and hives, and care around food and drink outdoors. Ask a local extension office or pest professional about managing stinging insects safely, and do not attempt to remove large nests without training.

Read labels on foods, feeds, products and medicines, and tell people who prepare food at farm events about any allergy. Do not guess about ingredients.

Make sure at least one other person nearby knows the signs of a severe reaction and the plan, since the person having a reaction may not be able to speak or act for themselves.

What about children and visitors?

Children and visitors, including those at agritourism or farm events, may have allergies the farm does not know about. Ask visitors to share any allergies, post clear information about food and animals, and make sure staff know how to call 911 and describe the location.

Parents should work with the child's doctor and school on a written plan, and share it with caregivers and farm relatives.

If you hire seasonal workers, ask in a respectful, voluntary way whether anyone has a serious allergy or medical condition that the crew should know about, and keep any answers private and secure.

Where can you learn more?

The CDC and the Red Cross publish allergy and first aid information. Your doctor or allergist is the authority on your own plan, and your extension office can advise on stinging insects and other farm exposures.

Agritourism and school visits often involve snacks, animal contact, hay and bees. Share allergy information with chaperones and have a plan to call 911 and describe your location clearly.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.