DEBORAH: IN TONIGHT’S WOMAN’S DOCTOR SIMPLY BEING A WOMAN IS ONE OF THE RISK FACTORS OF DEVELOPING A DRUG ALLERGY. SYMPTOMS CAN START RIGHT AWAY OR EVEN WEEKS LATER, AND MAY BE MILD OR SEVERE. BUT MERCY MEDICAL CENTER DOCTOR JONATHAN RICH SAYS A DRUG ALLERGY IS DIFFERENT THAN A DRUG SIDE EFFECT, AND THAT CAN BE CONFUSING. AND HE SAYS THERE’S SOMETHING >> PROBABLY THE CLASSIC THING YOU MIGHT SEE IS A RASH, PEOPLE BREAK OUT IN HIVES, WE TEND TO SEE SOMETHING THAT’S LIKE AFFECTING THE WHOLE BODY, IF THEY’RE TAKING A PILL FOR INSTANCE, YOU COULD HAVE A LOCAL REACTION TO LIKE A CREAM OR SOMETHING, BUT FOR SOMEONE WHO’S ON A PILL MEDICATION LIKE ANTIBIOTIC, FOR INSTANCE, IT IS GOING THROUGH THE WHOLE BODY SYSTEM SO WE’RE ALMOST LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT’S SYSTEM WIDE. DEBORAH: DR. RICH SAYS ANTIBIOTICS ARE ONE OF THE MORE COMMON THINGS PEOPLE ARE ALLERGIC TO. HE SAYS SOME OF THE MORE SEVERE DRUG ALLERGY REACTIONS ARE WHEEZING, BREATHING DIFFICULTY, OR SWELLING OF THE
Woman's Doctor: Know these symptoms of drug allergies
Updated: 5:30 PM EDT Aug 19, 2019
Simply being a woman is one of the risk factors of developing a drug allergy. Symptoms can start right away or even weeks later and may be mild or severe.Mercy Medical Center Dr. Jonathan Rich said a drug allergy is different than a drug side effect, and that can be confusing, and he said there's something specific to watch out for."Probably the classic thing you might see is a rash, people break out in hives, we tend to see something that's affecting the whole body. If they're taking a pill, for instance, you could have a local reaction to like a cream or something, but for someone who's on a pill medication like an antibiotic, for instance, it's going through the whole body system, so we're almost looking for something that's system-wide," Dr. Rich said.Rich said antibiotics are one of the more common things people are allergic to. He said some of the more severe drug allergy reactions are wheezing, breathing difficulty or swelling of the lips.
BALTIMORE — Simply being a woman is one of the risk factors of developing a drug allergy. Symptoms can start right away or even weeks later and may be mild or severe.
Mercy Medical Center Dr. Jonathan Rich said a drug allergy is different than a drug side effect, and that can be confusing, and he said there's something specific to watch out for.
"Probably the classic thing you might see is a rash, people break out in hives, we tend to see something that's affecting the whole body. If they're taking a pill, for instance, you could have a local reaction to like a cream or something, but for someone who's on a pill medication like an antibiotic, for instance, it's going through the whole body system, so we're almost looking for something that's system-wide," Dr. Rich said.
Rich said antibiotics are one of the more common things people are allergic to. He said some of the more severe drug allergy reactions are wheezing, breathing difficulty or swelling of the lips.