Immunology and Allergology >>>> Allergy to antibiotics

Allergy to antibiotics.

Antibiotic treatment is not a harmless therapy, but when necessary, pathogenic bacteria do not leave a person a choice. The body of not all people accepts this method of treatment, and often an allergic reaction to antibiotics develops.

An allergic reaction to antibiotics is not expected because antibiotics are expected to have some effect. But antibacterial drugs, like any other drugs, can have side effects, which is what the allergic reaction turns out to be.

The cause of an allergy to antibiotics may lie in both hypersensitivity to the active substance itself and to excipients, which, along with conventional food additives, can cause allergies. Antibacterial drugs of plant or artificial origin (synthetic) can act as antigens and cause an immune response. In addition, the cause of an allergic reaction to antibacterial drugs may be an unfortunate coincidence of an already existing in the process of a chronic course of an infectious disease with taking antibacterial drugs.

No one is immune from antibiotic allergies, and people of all ages and both genders are at risk. But according to statistics, the tendency to sensitize the body is often an innate predisposition.

An allergic reaction to antibiotics can develop with lightning speed according to the principle of anaphylactic shock, Quincke edema or toxic epidermal necrolysis and have a systemic effect, or manifest itself as local changes (rash, blisters, swelling of skin tissue or mucous membranes, itching).

What if there are signs of an antibiotic allergy? An antibacterial agent is excluded from the treatment of the disease if an allergy develops to it. Further, in order to continue the treatment of an infectious disease, tests are performed for other antibacterial agents (for example, of another pharmacological group) and a drug is selected for which there is no immune response. Antibacterial drugs are tested by skin tests or analysis for the presence of IgE in the presence of a specific antibiotic in the body.

There is drug therapy for allergy to antibacterial drugs.

Antibiotic allergy treatment is carried out depending on the extent of the allergic reaction. With local allergy to antibiotics, antihistamines are used for internal (tablets, drops, syrups) and external use (ointments, creams).

Persistent allergy to antibacterial drugs is treated with systemic antiallergic and anti-inflammatory drugs (hormonal action). In case of anaphylactic shock, epinephrine and prednisone are used.