It’s important to know if you’re allergic to penicillin as a reaction can be life-threatening. Listen to any past reactions and communicate them to doctors. An allergy skin test can also be done to check for a reaction. In a hospital setting, staff can deal with an emergency, but at home, call 911.
Many people don’t know if they are allergic to penicillin. They may have heard stories about an allergic reaction in their childhood, or they may have no one to tell them if they are allergic to the drug. The quick fix to this is to not take penicillin and find out because even the slightest suspicion of an allergy should be treated as potentially dangerous.
There are a few things that can be done to check if a person is allergic to penicillin. The first of these is to listen to any story. Reports of penicillin reactions should be taken seriously and communicated to doctors. An allergy can last a lifetime, and unless there is some reason penicillin is the only suitable drug for a condition, it shouldn’t be tried or used.
Yet some people develop penicillin allergies as adults, and this is usually for a single, simple reason. The first dose of penicillin rarely causes a reaction. It is often the second time people take the medicine that an allergic response occurs. If anyone is concerned about this, one possible way to check is to have an allergy skin test with an allergist. These may be able to tell if people are experiencing an allergic response after receiving penicillin once in the past.
This same advice applies to anyone who is unsure if they are allergic to penicillin. It’s easy enough to find allergists in most communities who can test for an allergy, although it’s still technically possible to have an allergic reaction afterwards. Doctors may take this approach if they absolutely must prescribe penicillin to treat an infection. When a patient is unsure, she may first perform an allergy test to determine if an allergy exists.
One of the reasons many people find it so important to know if they are allergic to penicillin is because an allergic reaction to this medicine can be extremely serious and immediately life-threatening. Those who have had a reaction in the past are very likely to get anaphylaxis if they take the medicine now. This can include symptoms such as closing of the airways, swelling of the lips and tongue and eventually unconsciousness.
In a hospital setting where the drug is tried after a negative skin test, hospital staff are well equipped to deal with the emergency if a person is allergic to penicillin, often before much of that reaction occurs. At home, though, people don’t have the same medical options and should call 911, hoping help will arrive quickly. For these reasons, many people see an allergist before accepting a prescription for penicillin if they are concerned that an allergy may exist.
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