Sometimes an allergy occurs unexpectedly and menacingly. What to do in such cases? How does an allergy to medicines manifest, how not to get confused if your life or the life of loved ones is in danger? In order to answer these questions, you need to study your enemy. Allergy is a specific immune response to an allergen, expressed in the production of antibodies and immune T-lymphocytes.
There are many types of specific reactions to various stimuli. The most insidious and dangerous is the allergy to drugs.
The danger is that the disease may not occur immediately, but as the allergen accumulates in the body. Another difficulty comes down to the symptoms of a drug allergy. They can be very different, and sometimes they are not associated with the use of a particular drug. In order to understand what steps should be taken for the timely diagnosis and treatment of drug allergies, the complications of drug allergies should be classified.
Classification
Complications arising from the action of drugs can be divided into two groups:
1. Complications of immediate onset.
2. Complications of delayed manifestation: a) associated with a change in sensitivity;
b) not associated with a change in sensitivity.
At the first contact with the allergen, no visible or invisible manifestations may occur. Since medications are rarely taken once, the body's response increases as the stimulus accumulates. If we talk about the danger to life, then go ahead complications of immediate manifestation. Post-drug allergy causes:
- anaphylactic shock;
- Quincke's edema;
- urticaria;
- acute pancreatitis.
The reaction can occur in a very short time period, from a few seconds to 1-2 hours. It develops quickly, sometimes with lightning speed. It requires emergency medical care.
The second group is often expressed by various dermatological manifestations:
- erythroderma;
- exudative erythema;
- bark-like rash.
It appears in a day or more. It is important to distinguish skin manifestations of allergies from other rashes in time, including those caused by childhood infections. This is especially true if there is an allergy to the drug in the child.
Allergy Stages
- Direct contact with the allergen. The emergence of the need to develop appropriate antibodies.
- Isolation of specific substances by the body - allergic mediators: histamine, serotonin, bradykinin, acetylcholine, "shock poisons". The histamine properties of blood are reduced.
- There is a violation of blood formation, spasm of smooth muscles, cell cytolysis.
- The immediate manifestation of an allergy in one of the above types (immediate and delayed manifestation).
The body accumulates an “enemy” element and shows symptoms of drug allergies. The risk of occurrence increases if:
- there is a genetic predisposition (the presence of drug allergies in one of the generations);
- long-term use of one drug (especially antibiotics of the penicillin or cephalosporin series, aspirin-containing drugs) or several drugs;
- the use of medication without medical supervision.
Now the question is, if there was an allergy to drugs, what should I do?
First aid for allergies with immediate complication
It is necessary to correctly assess the situation and act immediately. Urticaria and Quincke's edema, in essence, are one and the same reaction. Numerous itchy blisters of porcelain-white or pale pink color (urticaria) begin to appear on the skin. Then an extensive edema of the skin and mucous membranes (Quincke's edema) develops.
As a result of edema, breathing is difficult and asphyxia sets in. In order to prevent death, you must:
- immediately call emergency medical care;
- flush the stomach if the medicine has been received recently;
- if the medicine cabinet has one of such drugs as Prednisolone, Diphenhydramine, Pipolfen, Suprastin, Diazolin - immediately take it;
- do not leave the victim for a minute until the ambulance arrives;
- To reduce skin itching, lubricate the surface of the blisters with a 0.5–1% solution of menthol or salicylic acid.
The most dangerous reaction of the body to drug allergies is anaphylactic shock. The symptoms of a drug allergy in this form are scary. A sharp decrease in pressure occurs, the patient turns pale, there is a loss of consciousness, convulsions. It’s important not to panic. First aid:
- call "ambulance";
- turn your head to the side, disengage your teeth and pull out your tongue;
- lay the patient so that the lower limbs are slightly above the head;
- of the drugs used drug "Adrenaline".
Quincke's edema and anaphylactic shock require immediate hospitalization.
First aid for allergies with delayed complications
This is a less dangerous drug allergy. Treatment can be carried out at home, but under the supervision of a doctor.
How does skin allergy from drugs appear:
- limited rashes (in certain areas of the body);
- common rashes (rash uniform throughout the body);
- the rash may be itchy, in the form of nodules, vesicles, spotty;
- The manifestation of allergic erythema (damage to the skin and oral mucosa with spots that have sharp boundaries). Spots cover the inner (extensor) surfaces of the body more.
It is necessary:
- stop taking the drug that causes allergies. If there were several drugs, antibiotics and drugs containing aspirin are primarily excluded;
- take anti-allergic drugs inside : "Diazolin", "Diphenhydramine", "Suprastin".
After you stop taking the medicine that causes the allergy, the rash goes away by itself, and no additional interventions are required.
Survey methods
Diagnosis should be used if symptoms of an allergy to drugs appear occasionally. If an allergy manifests itself in an acute condition and the hospital is inevitable, a diagnosis will be made there, tests made and a course of treatment prescribed. In the case of sluggish forms, patients are not always in a hurry to seek medical help, forgetting that every next meeting with an allergen will manifest a more pronounced and strong reaction.
Knowing about the problem, contact an allergist in a medical institution. Modern diagnostics provides several methods for identifying the culprits of allergic reactions. The most informative of them:
- Linked immunosorbent assay. The patient is sampled. If the serum reacts with the allergen, the analysis shows the presence of LgE antibodies.
- Provocative tests. The patient’s blood is mixed with a drug that can cause allergies.
Diagnosis is important for patients who first resort to anesthesia, as well as in the case of the initial use of the drug in people prone to allergic reactions.
Treatment
The question is, if there is an allergy to the medicine, how to treat? After establishing a diagnosis and identifying drugs that have an allergy, they proceed to the same drug therapy. The following drugs are prescribed:
- calcium chloride;
- antihistamines ("Diphenhydramine", "Diazolin", "Tavegil");
- glucocorticoids ("Dexamethasone", "Hydrocortisone", "Prednisolone").
Non-traditional methods of treating drug allergies include:
- acupuncture;
- hirudotherapy;
- herbal medicine.
It is necessary to take measures for the prompt elimination of the drug that caused the allergic reaction:
- heavy drinking (preferably alkaline mineral water) ;
- daily cleansing enemas;
- the use of enterosorbents;
- Intra-droplet administration of cleansing preparations (hemodez).
Intramuscular and intravenous use of vitamins is advisable only if there is a 100% guarantee of the absence of allergies to them.
If an allergy to the skin from drugs causes itching, baths from decoctions of herbs, soda compresses are used to eliminate it.
Reasons for the development of drug allergies
The modern world cannot be called environmentally friendly for humanity. Harmful substances of chemical, biological, toxic origin are emitted into the atmosphere every second. All this negatively affects the state of the immune system. Failure of immunity entails terrible consequences: autoimmune diseases, symptoms of drug allergies and other irritants.
1. When people eat poultry and animals grown on modern feed and vaccinated with medicines, people don’t even suspect that they come into contact with many medicines every day.
2. Frequent unreasonable use of drugs.
3. Inattentive study of the instructions for use of the drug.
4. Self-medication.
5. The presence of chronic parasitic infection.
6. The presence of stabilizers, flavors and other additives in drugs.
Also, one should not forget about the possibility of responding to the mixing of drugs.
Prevention
If you are allergic to drugs, what should I do to prevent it from happening again? It is mistakenly believed that the only method for the prevention of drug allergies is to refuse the medicine that causes it. Strengthening immunity has been and remains an important tool in the fight against allergies. The stronger the immunity, the less likely it is that this dangerous disease will occur.
Preventive measures include:
- Hardening.
- Physical education and sports.
- Proper nutrition.
- Lack of bad habits.
- If there were allergic manifestations of any drugs, this should be indicated on the medical record.
- The use of antihistamines before vaccination.
- Knowing that you have a drug allergy or any other form of allergy, it is best to always have antihistamines with you . If you are prone to shock, Quincke's edema, let there always be an ampoule of adrenaline and a syringe in your pocket. It can save a life.
- Before using anesthetics at the dentist's appointment, ask for a test.
If you adhere to these tips, the symptoms of an allergy to drugs will not recur.
Summary
If a motorist starts refueling his iron horse with low-quality gasoline, the car will not last long. For some reason, many of us do not think about what they put on their plate. A balanced diet, clean water is the key to strong immunity and the ability to say goodbye to not only food, but also drug allergies. Any disease leads a person who finds out about him into a state of shock. Over time, it becomes clear that most of our diseases do not require treatment so much as lifestyle changes. Drug allergy is no exception. In the modern world, and especially in the post-Soviet space, attention to one’s health is lacking at the proper level. This leads to undesirable and sometimes fatal consequences. It is cheaper and easier to prevent the disease than to spend money and energy on its treatment later. Now that we know how allergies to drugs manifest, knowing the enemy in the face, it’s easier to fight him. Be healthy.