How can I find out if I am allergic to penicillin?
A lot of people don't know if they are allergic to penicillin. They may have heard stories of an allergic reaction in their childhood, or they couldn't have anyone to tell them whether allergy to medicines. It is not a quick solution to take penicillin and find out, because even the least suspicion of allergy should be treated as potentially dangerous.
There are several things that can be done to test whether a person is allergic to penicillin. The first is to listen to any stories. Reports about the response to penicillin should be taken seriously and told to doctors. Allergy can take a lifetime, and if there is no reason why penicillin is the only suitable drug for the condition, it should not be tested or used.
Yet some people show an allergy to penicillin as adults, and this is usually for a single, simple reason. The first dose of penicillin rarely causes a reaction. This is often the second time people take a medicine, that there is an allergic reaction. If someone is worried about it, oneFrom possible ways to check is to perform an allergic skin test with an allergy sufferer. These may be able to find out if people show an allergic reaction after they have been given penicillin in the past.
The same advice would apply to anyone who is not sure that he is allergic to penicillin. It is quite easy to find allergists in most communities who can verify allergy, although it is still technically possible to have an allergic reaction later. Doctors may be interested in this approach if they absolutely must prescribe penicillin to treat infection. If the patient is not sure, he can first test an allergy to determine whether there is an allergy.
One of the reasons why many people consider it so important to know whether allergic to penicillin is that the allergic reaction to this medicine can be extremely serious and instantly threatening life. Those who react in the past are very likely to experience andnavylaxis if they now take a medicine. This may include symptoms such as airway closure, lips and tongue swelling and eventually unconsciousness.
In a hospital environment where the drug is tested after a negative skin test, the hospital staff is well equipped to handle the emergency situation, if a person is allergic to penicillin, often before most of this reaction. At home, however, people do not have the same medical options and would have to call 911, hoping that help will come quickly. For these reasons, many people are heading towards an allergist before adopting a prescription for penicillin when they relate to allergy.