Antibiotics are the greatest achievement of mankind. Thousands of people have saved their lives. But there are also a lot of side effects from these drugs.
Allergy to antibiotics is a fairly common reaction to medications. Its occurrence does not depend on a certain age. And this reaction manifests itself not always immediately after taking an antibiotic.
In some cases, the symptoms of allergy after taking antibiotics become noticeable after a certain time. Accordingly, many people begin to struggle with the consequences, and not with the root cause. How does the antibiotic allergy manifest and what if you have detected allergic reaction symptoms? We will try to disassemble these questions in detail in the article.
Causes of
Allergy after antibiotics is explained as a reaction of the human immune system to the action of metabolites of the antibiotic. Such reactions are quite rare, based on immunological mechanisms.
Kinds of antibiotic allergy:
- Sudden manifestation of allergic reaction, which develops within 1 hour.
- The accelerated reaction of , manifestations of allergy are detected within 72 hours.
- Late manifestations of , which can occur after 3 days or more.
The exact reasons why individuals are allergic to an antibiotic are not established. But is known for risk factors, the presence of which significantly increases the likelihood of developing a negative reaction from the body to the drug:
- prolonged antibiotic intake( more than 7 consecutive days);
- repeated courses of treatment;
- availability of other types of allergy;
- weakened immunity;
- parallel reception of other drugs;
- hereditary predisposition.
It is characteristic that the allergy after antibiotics is observed more often in adults than in children. In most cases, the pathological immune response is manifested in the beta-lactam series.
Symptoms of
Symptoms of allergy to antibiotics are pronounced, they can appear due to other allergic reactions, manifested in this way:
- Photosensitivity .Open areas of skin that are exposed to sunlight can cause redness and vesicles filled with a clear liquid. There is also itchy skin.
- Hives. It is characterized by the appearance of red spots on the skin, which can merge into one. Itching and burning of affected skin areas is also observed;
- Skin rashes .An allergic rash can have a different size and spread both throughout the body, and on its individual parts( hands, abdomen, face, etc.);
- Quincke Edema. It manifests itself in the form of edema of individual parts of the patient's body( larynx, lips, eyes, fingers, etc.), itching and redness of the skin.
The most severe manifestations of allergy to antibiotics are the common body lesions, which are more often observed in middle-aged patients. These include:
- Syndrome Stevens-Johnson - the appearance of rashes on the skin, inflammation of the mucous membranes and high body temperature in response to taking antibiotics.
- Toxic epidermal necrolysis( Lyell's Syndrome) .With this complication, large bubbles form on the reddened skin, they are filled with liquid. When they burst, the skin is removed by pieces, leaving large wounds. However, Lyell's Syndrome is extremely rare.
- Drug fever .With this condition, high thermometers are recorded on the 5th-7th day of treatment. After antibiotic cancellation, the temperature returns to normal within 2-3 days, with repeated use of antibiotic of the same group, the temperature jump can be observed in the first day. About a medicinal fever on an antibiotic speak, if there are no other reasons of rising of temperature, a characteristic sign is the bradycardia arising at the moment of a fever.
- Serum-like syndrome - this reaction to the use of an antibacterial drug can develop in a few weeks. This condition is characterized by pain in the joints, skin rashes, fever, lymph nodes;
- Anaphylactic shock .It develops immediately after taking an antibiotic and is manifested by a sharp decrease in blood pressure, swelling of the larynx, difficulty breathing, skin flushing, and heart failure. This is a dangerous phenomenon that requires urgent medical attention.
Fortunately, such severe reactions to taking antibiotics are rare, and allergy symptoms often have a local characteristic. The most common allergy to penicillin in an adult and a child can manifest itself in the form of various eruptions.
Allergy to antibiotics: photo
As an allergy to antibiotics is manifested in the form of a characteristic rash on the skin can be seen in the current photo.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of antibiotic allergy is carried out with the help of certain tests for sensitivity to allergens. The doctor asks about the history of the person's illness and any previous allergic reactions. After performing a physical examination, he prescribes one of the following tests for an allergy to antibiotics.
- Allergy skin allergies .On the skin of the forearm, drops with suspected antibacterial substances are applied and a scratcher performs small scratches. After that, the result is evaluated: in the presence of skin changes, hypersensitivity is proved.
- Blood test for immunoglobulin E .When it is found on a specific antibiotic, the diagnosis is considered reliable.
What to do to get rid of allergies to antibiotics? The first thing to do is to abandon the pills or injections that have been prescribed to you. If you notice that the rash began to appear after the intra-drip administration of drugs, you urgently need to give up this drug. Refusal of the drug, causing allergies - a reliable way to treat allergies.
How to treat an allergy to antibiotics
Treatment of antibiotic allergy occurs according to a fairly standard scheme and involves the following measures:
- immediate discontinuation of the drug;
- cleansing of the body with the help of hemosorption or plasmapheresis;
- administration of antihistamines and glucocorticosteroids;
- symptomatic treatment;
- specific hyposensitization.
Allergic reactions to antibiotics in adults and children are similar in many respects, so treatment of rashes on the skin and other manifestations of an allergic reaction is chosen similar, except for dosages. Of course, the local treatment will be preferable for the child, but only if they are not burdened with anything.
Medication for
For local, skin symptoms, the patient is prescribed antihistamines( Loratadine, Lorano, Cetrin) in the form of tablets and ointments. Also effective are enterosorbents that help to remove the antibiotic from the body: Polysorb, Enterosgel, Activated Carbon.
With more pronounced changes, hormonal agents are prescribed in dosages corresponding to the weight of the patient and the severity of the course of the disease. These include prednisolone and its derivatives. Adrenaline is prescribed for anaphylaxis.