|
Penicillin allergy is one of the most common drug allergies.
It is not yet established why some people develop penicillin
allergy and others don’t. The prevention of any allergic
reactions generally focuses of the awareness. The treatment
of any kind of alergic reactions involves medications, but
in case of any serious developments, the emergency medical
assistance is advised. In case of the penicillin allergy,
taking the drug could be rather dangerous as the allergic
responses developing with the penicillin allergy varies from
irritating rashes to the life threatening reactions such as
difficulty breathing.
Signs and symptoms: Most common signs and symptoms of
penicillin alergic reactions may include: rashes, hives,
itchy eyes, swollen lips – tongue and faces i.e. angioedema.
However, the most serious allergic reactions to penicillin
is the anaphylactic response which could be life threatening
too. Such reactions usually occur abruptly after the
exposure of penicillin especially in the highly sensitive
people and may cause contraction of the airways, making
breathing very difficult. Even blood pressure may drop to
life threatening levels making the person feel giddy or
unconscious.
Some other signs and symptoms may include: wheezing,lightheadedness ,slurred speech, rapid or weaker pulse rate,
blueness of skin – lips and nail beds, diarrhoea, nausea and
vomiting.
Causes: Penicillin belongs to the drug family known as beta-lactam
antibiotics. Such group of drugs includes penicillin and
amoxicillin which are relatively economical and usually
effective enough to eliminate many common bacterial
infections. Such infections include skin, ear, sinus and
upper respiratory infections.
Treatment: The penicillin alergic person should take
antihistamine like diphenhydramine that helps relieving
itching and calms down the rashes. In case of serious
reactions oral or injectable corticosteroids are
recommended.
|
|
