Penincillin Allergy Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

What Is Penincillin Allergy ?

It is the abnormal response of the immune system to penincilline, an antibiotic medicine. The drug is prescribed to treat numerous bacterial illnesses. Few symptoms of the allergy are:

Itching.
Rash.
Hives.

Not necessarily the aforementioned symptoms are likely to developed, though; a penincillin allergy can also instigate more intense reactions, a condition commonly known as anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is characterized by a life-threatening allergic reaction that affects various systems of your body. In case of anaphylaxis, the patient needs immediate trip to the nearest hospital.

What Are The Symptoms Of Penincillin Allergy ?

Usually, the symptoms triggered by a penincillin allergy develop within 50-60 minutes after taking the medicine. Quite rarely, reactions arise after hours, days, or even weeks. Common symptoms of penincillin allergy are as followed:

Itchy and watery eyes.
Runny nose.
Wheezing.
Breathing difficulties.
Swelling.
Fever.
Itching.
Hives.
Skin rash.

What Causes Penincillin Allergy ?

In the normal course of action, our immune system helps our body guard against the harmful, foreign substances, such as bacteria and viruses. In case of penincillin allergy, the immune system erroneously finds penincillin drug as something dangerous for the body. In majority instances, the allergic response occurs when the immune system of a body turns sensitive to penincillin.

More specifically, when you take the medicine for the first time, the immune system spots the drug as a dangerous substance, and to counteract the ‘perceived’ danger, it makes an antibody. In addition to this, next time you take the type of penincillin, the antibodies identify it, whereas the immune system produces chemicals to protect the body against the ‘harmful substance’, consequently developing the symptoms of penincillin allergy.

How Are The Risk Factors Of Penincillin Allergy ?

Anyone can develop an allergy to the drug, though a number of factors raise its chances, such as:

Allergy to some other drug.
Have had other allergies in the past for example hay fever or food allergy.
Prolonged usage of penincillin.
A family member with drug allergy.

How Is Penincillin Allergy Diagnosis ?

Diagnostic tests and a thorough physical evaluation are needed for diagnosing penincillin allergy precisely. The doctor will need details regarding the following:

The onset of signs,
Exact time the patient took drugs at.
Worsening or improvement of signs.

All of these factors will help him decide well. To ascertain his doubts, the doctor can either conduct further tests or suggest the following:

Skin tests.
Graded challenge.

For the purpose, the doctor will recommend an allergist, say allergy specialist.

How Is Penincillin Allergy Treatment ?

To treat the allergic reaction, the doctor will review the following treatment options:

Antihistamine.
Corticosteroids.
Withdrawal of medicine.
Epinephrine injection (for anaphylaxis).

To avoid the medicine rooting the allergic reaction is the best prevention against penincillin allergy. In case there is no other alternate option, the doctor can suggest a treatment named, drug desensitization. The option enables the patient to complete the course of penincillin, prescribed for treating some infection.

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