Penicillin Allergy

March 19th, 2007 by Steve | View blog reactions

Many illnesses are treated by a common antibiotic popularly know as penicillin. The day it was discovered was the day of a huge breakthrough in the medicine world. Penicillin comes from the penicillin mold. This mold is blue green in color and can be found on oranges that are moldy. Before the advent of penicillin, diseases and infections that are just a bother to us now, were very deadly and dreaded. Many years has penicillin become the only useful antibiotic for treating numerous illnesses. The medicine is easy to produce, it is affordable and doctors all over the world keep using it.

There are however some who cannot take the presence of penicillin in their system. An allergy from penicillin is a very dangerous thing and has often caused death. Allergic reactions can be merely bothersome rashes. However, an allergy from penicillin can also cause severe breathing problems. Nowadays, if you go to the hospital, you may be asked if you are allergic to penicillin. This is because doctors are being careful; they just cannot administer penicillin to a person without knowing his possible reactions to it. So it is imperative that you yourself know whether you are allergic to penicillin or not.

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The reason why some get allergic to penicillin and others do not is not clear even up to now. Also, nobody has yet determined why one person only has a mild allergic reaction to penicillin and why another would have a life threatening reaction. To everyone out there, if you are allergic to penicillin, there is only one thing you can do. Avoid taking it as much as possible! The good news is there are now other antibiotics in the market that are as useful as penicillin but do not cause allergic reactions.

The common symptoms of a penicillin allergy are many. One is the occurrence of rashes. It could be a mild rash or dark and red rashes that tend to caver the body. Lips could become swollen, the tongue and face as well. The swelling also varies from a minor to a severe one. The eyes would also get bloodshot, become watery and highly irritated. The dangerous symptoms are those that make the bronchial airway swell, restricting breathing capabilities. Blood pressure could also suffer from a sudden drop. Lightheadedness would then ensue. It is important to be aware of all these symptoms if you have an allergy from penicillin. That way, you can take immediate action such as calling for help.

If you accidentally take in penicillin while in the hospital, be sure to call the attention of your doctor immediately. An anaphylactic reaction, wherein difficulty in breathing occurs, is a very dangerous symptom and could occur immediately upon taking penicillin. The other milder symptoms could take hours to manifest. Today, there is not yet a cure for a penicillin allergy. If you are a parent and your child has not yet taken penicillin, inform the doctor of this. It might be that your child has some penicillin allergies and you really cannot be too careful.

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