When foreign bodies enter the human body, the immune system activates and tries to neutralize their effect and remove them. In some cases, such a reaction may occur to medications.
Penicillin allergy is age independent and may increase or even disappear over time. If an acute reaction to this drug occurs, the likelihood of allergic reactions to other antibiotics increases.
Penicillin allergy - what is it?
This antibiotic was invented one of the first, therefore, has a complex structure and high molecular weight. Because of this, it has a negative effect on humans, despite the rather high efficiency.
If you are allergic to penicillin, you can use drugs from another group of antibiotics, of course, after consulting a qualified specialist. Given that the likelihood of an allergic reaction to penicillin reaches 29%, the possibility of an alternative treatment is a real way out of the situation.
However, changes in well-being after taking this antibiotic are not always a manifestation of an allergy. Sometimes this is an individual reaction of the body - side effects of the drug. In most cases, they pass on their own, without medical intervention.
An allergic reaction can occur in two stages:
- smooth response;
- violent reaction.
In the first case, the symptoms develop gradually and worsen if you continue to take a substance that causes allergies. In the second case, immediate medical attention is required.
In order not to bring to emergency medical intervention, it is necessary to inform the attending physician about all changes in health after taking the drug. An allergic reaction to penicillin can provoke intolerance to other antibiotics.
For example, if a person is allergic to penicillin, ceftriaxone can cause a similar reaction. Such facts must be taken into account when prescribing a course of treatment.
The main causes of allergies
The main reason is a specific reaction of the immune system, so an allergy to penicillin is very dangerous. In addition, some factors can contribute to its development, among them:
- Weakened state of immunity.
- Hypersensitivity to various allergens.
- The use of the drug when there is already another allergic reaction.
It is also worth careful to use penicillin if previously there was an unusual reaction to it. In such cases, experts recommend preliminary skin tests and make decisions based on the results.
Allergy Symptoms
The problem is that the symptoms of penicillin allergy do not appear when you first use the drug. Immunity needs some time to “understand” whether proteins are alien and how to react.
Symptoms can be both local and systemic. If in the first case changes can be observed only in a separate organ or group of organs, in the second they will affect the whole organism.
The strength of the reaction depends on sensitivity to the allergen. If the allergic reaction is violent, then quite a small amount of an allergic substance is quite enough.
Conversely, if the sensitivity is very weak, then you just need an impressive dose, so that at least some symptoms appear. The most common manifestations:
- A rash of various types occurs most often.
- Jaundice. As a result of the breakdown of red blood cells, the skin color changes.
- Edema. Usually affects the mucous membranes and soft tissues.
- Anaphylactic shock.
Usually, a rash on the skin is accompanied by a fairly severe itching. In rare cases, bubble formation is observed, accompanied by exfoliation of the epidermis.
An allergic reaction with edema or epidermal necrolysis is possible, which can lead to death.
For the disappearance of symptoms, stop using penicillin. With repeated use of the antibiotic, a negative reaction is almost always observed.
Treatment
When the first signs of an allergy appear, you should immediately stop taking penicillin. The nature of further actions will depend on the reaction to the drug.
If the allergy is mild, it is quite enough to take certain drugs: Fexofenadine, Loratadine when taken orally, and Suprastil or Tavegil intramuscularly.
If an allergic reaction is accompanied by anaphylactic shock or Quincke's edema, then it is necessary to enter Epinephrine very quickly. In case of its absence, you can use "Dexamethasone" or "Prednisolone".
When a rash appears, you can use an anti-inflammatory ointment. If it does not help or the rashes intensify, it is necessary to consult a specialist.
If necessary, administer the antibiotic intramuscularly or intravenously, this should be done by a medical professional in a hospital. In addition, after the injection, you must at least 30 minutes be under the supervision of a doctor. This is due to the possibility of severe allergic reactions after an injection.
If you are allergic to penicillin, treatment can be done at home, but you should be very careful about the slightest changes in well-being. Any deterioration should be noted and should be reported to the attending physician.
Penicillin analogs
If a person is allergic to penicillin, how to replace it is a completely adequate question. Specialists usually just choose drugs from another group. It is not recommended to make a choice on your own, because it can seriously aggravate the situation.
Today, there are a lot of drugs that can fully replace the antibiotic of the penicillin group. For example, amoxicillin with allergies to penicillin shows good results. In some cases, antibiotic therapy may additionally be required.
Child allergy
An allergy to penicillin in a child is accompanied by almost the same symptoms as in adults. Only in most cases is it turbulent in nature and develops very rapidly.
To minimize the possibility of an allergic reaction, you need to:
- observe dosage;
- number of injections;
- intervals between receptions.
When the first signs of high sensitivity to the drug appear, you must stop using it, and if you feel worse and the process flows into a difficult stage, you must immediately call an ambulance.
If a rash appears after taking penicillin, the doctor gives recommendations and reports the drug, which will replace the antibiotic of the penicillin group.
When to see a doctor
As soon as a person notices unusual changes on his body or a deterioration in health after taking an antibiotic, experts recommend not to hesitate and immediately go to the hospital. If there is an allergy to penicillin, then the consequences can be very different, even fatal.
No need to risk your own health and hope that everything goes away by itself. Only a specialist can correctly assess the situation and make the right decision.
Possible complications
When antibiotics are prescribed, an allergy to penicillin is a fairly common occurrence. Despite the fact that it can occur in every third, there are some factors that can significantly increase the likelihood of its occurrence:
- the presence of allergies to other drugs;
- frequent use of penicillin or high doses;
- allergy to food and other species;
- high sensitivity to drugs in relatives;
- the presence of certain types of diseases.
Prevention
The only 100% way to prevent this is to not take the drug. To do this, it is worth following some recommendations of specialists:
- Tell your healthcare provider that you are allergic to penicillin. If he does not ask, be sure to say this, but it is better to make sure that there is a corresponding entry in the medical documentation.
- Special bracelet. It is advisable to have such an accessory with you. It displays basic information about human health, including allergic reactions.
- Buy an auto-injector with adrenaline. It is especially important if the allergy proceeds in a severe stage and can lead to sad consequences. An injector is usually recommended by the attending physician. He must teach how to use it.
How to prepare for an appointment with a doctor
If an allergic reaction to penicillin occurs, then at the first visit of a specialist, he will ask a lot of questions. The accuracy and correctness of the diagnosis and course of treatment will depend on the quality and completeness of the answers.
To answer all questions as accurately as possible, you need to follow some recommendations:
- Record in detail which drugs and when they were taken. This is useful not only for allergies.
- If there were any consequences, you need to indicate which ones.
- Symptoms and the chronology of their appearance.
- Are there any other drugs besides an antibiotic?
- Do dietary supplements and the time of taking medications be included in the diet.
- The presence of diseases: chronic, genetic and others.
- Do relatives have an allergy?
If you take notes immediately after the onset of a symptom, then this does not take much time, and everyone should have a family history in an accessible place. It will greatly simplify the work of most doctors in case of emergency.