Drug Allergy

Did you ever know that whenever we take medicines to treat us from a certain disease can cause a drug allergy? Well, I have some information about what is drug allergy, its symptoms, which medicines can often cause drug allergy and how it is treated and diagnosed.

Drug allergy is an allergic reaction to a medication. When the drug enters the body, it triggers a response by the immune system which creates specific IgE antibodies. When the drug is taken again, the IgE antibodies go into action,this release large amounts of histamine that attempt to expel drug from our body.

This kind of allergy can cause irritation such as an upset stomach. Some can cause hives, skin rash, itchy skin or eyes, congestion, and swelling in the mouth and throat. Severe reactions from drugs taken can cause difficulty in breathing, blueness of the skin, dizzines, fainting, anxiety, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea, diarrhea and abdominal disturbances.

The most common drug that can lead to drug allergy is penicillin and other antibiotics. Other drugs that do not involve IgE antibodies are sulfe drugs, barbiturates, anticonvulsants, aspirin, non-steroidal agents and contrast dye material.

Drug allergies are diagnosed by a careful review of the patient�s medical history and symptoms by a physician. If an allergy to an antibiotic such as penicillin is suspected, your doctor may do a skin test to confirm the allergy. However, skin testing does not work on all drugs and in some cases could be dangerous. Because of the potential risk associated with a reaction, if a patient has had a severe, life-threatening, allergic-type reaction to a particular drug, doctors will not consider that drug a viable treatment option, and will not usually conduct tests to determine if the initial reaction was a “true” allergic response.

Mild symptoms of drug allergy can be treated with antihistamines and corticosteroid. For coughing and lung congestion, adregenic bronchodilators may be prescribed. For severe symptoms, epinephrine is usually injected.

Desensitization is occasionally used for penicillin allergy. This technique is designed to desensitize your body to particular allergy-causing agents. Penicillin is injected periodically at increasingly larger levels until your immune system learns to tolerate the drug.

Whenever you have a drug allergy, you should consult a doctor or a specialist because drug allergy can sometimes lead to death.

By: yeovandZ