It is no secret that in modern conditions, the doctor’s ability to prescribe medications is significantly limited by drug allergy. Moreover, undesirable symptoms can affect almost any organ and system of the human body, and these manifestations often significantly aggravate the course of the main pathological process. It must be remembered that not a single doctor, regardless of his specialty, work experience and qualification, can often prevent the development of undesirable reactions, especially in cases where the patient for one reason or another (perhaps even out of ignorance) hides information about intolerance im certain foods or drugs.
Drug allergy and intolerance - causes and mechanism of formation
For most people, the news is that drug allergies and individual intolerance to food substances and medicines are not identical concepts.
In the development of any allergy, the participation of the patient's immune system is mandatory - an allergen, usually a substance of a protein or similar nature, when it first enters the body, it triggers a sensitization mechanism (antibody production). Accordingly, the first contact will pass without pathological symptoms, but when the allergen re-enters the body, it will combine with the already developed antibodies and a classic allergic reaction will develop. At the same time, it must be understood that both the drug allergy and the food allergy develop according to the same mechanism - the first contact goes unnoticed, while the repeated contact of even a minimal amount of provocative substance will cause a violent allergic reaction.
With individual intolerance, the mechanism of development of the pathological process is somewhat different - in the human body initially there are no enzymes that should participate in the metabolism of a substance, regardless of its nature. Therefore, symptoms of malaise occur very shortly after the first contact of this compound with the patient's body. That is why drug allergy in the vast majority of cases occurs only after repeated contact (ingestion) of the allergen and the patient’s body - this is how an allergy to antibiotics, anesthetics, and insect bites occurs .
Allergies and intolerances - can they be distinguished?
At the slightest suspicion of an allergy or individual intolerance, you should seek the advice of an experienced allergist for medical advice - he will be able to choose a comprehensive program of laboratory tests and additional research methods, the results of which will give an exact answer to the question about the nature of the disease. Nevertheless, drug allergy and individual intolerance differ in some clinical signs.
Firstly, the severity of the allergic reaction does not depend on the dose of the substance - the same manifestations will occur when minimal (trace) amounts of the allergen get in, and with a sufficiently large dose of medications or food substances. So, an allergy to gluten is manifested when even a minimal amount of this substance, which is found in cereals, enters the patient’s digestive tract.
Secondly, there is a clear connection between the patient’s age and pathological conditions - in childhood, individual intolerance is more likely, the cause of which is the immaturity of the enzymatic systems of the body, while in older patients it is more likely to develop an allergic reaction. Accordingly, there is a chance that the patient’s individual intolerance will “outgrow” with age, while allergic reactions remain with the person throughout life.
Is it possible to help with drug allergies and intolerances?
It is the different mechanism for the development of the pathological process that determines the different medical tactics in these conditions. With individual intolerance, it is necessary to limit the intake of those substances for which sensitivity is increased or to take, if possible, enzymatic preparations that compensate for the insufficiency of the metabolic systems of the body.
Drug allergies can be treated in two ways - nonspecific therapy and specific desensitization. In both cases, the treatment program should be prescribed by a qualified doctor - this also applies to the selection of anti-allergic drugs, and treatment using minimal and constantly increasing doses of the identified allergen.