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Since we were born we are susceptible to allergic reactions to everything we use, whether it is time for hygiene, time to eat and even time to medicate. After all, allergy is nothing less than your immune system fighting something strange in your body. The body’s defense system works to combat the entry of diseases and infections that want to affect your body, but it can react to the entry of something that would do well as it is in the case of drug allergy.
Drug allergy is one of the most complex allergies to diagnose since there is no specific test that points out the cause of the reaction. The only way to know about the substance is to check the last medication used before such symptoms appeared and inform the doctor. As allergy is a genetically developed problem, unfortunately, it is not possible to suspect in advance, let alone prevent it from occurring.
The symptoms of drug allergy in children can appear after immediate use of the drug, hours later or even days later, which makes diagnosis and finding the cause of the allergic reaction even more difficult. Therefore, nothing better than paying attention to the first signs and in case of any spot or redness, immediately seek a doctor who will investigate the reason and request the suspension of the medication used, thus avoiding even greater damage to the child’s health.
The drugs that usually cause the highest occurrence of drug allergies in children are antibiotics, painkillers, anti-inflammatories, diclofenac-based drugs, anticonvulsants and dipyrone. It is worth noting that any medication, even eye drops that are seen as harmless, can cause allergies to medications in children and when presenting any symptoms, the use should be suspended.
Main Symptoms of Allergy and How to Deal With It?
The best way to prevent even bigger problems is to always be alert when starting any drug treatment and to be alert to possible signs of allergy. The main symptoms of drug allergy in children are:
- Swollen lips
- Redness through the body
- Itchy body and eyes
- Rashes on the skin
- Fever
These are the symptoms considered common in the case of allergy to medications, however others more serious may occur, such as anaphylaxis where the child may have difficulty breathing, changes in the color of the skin becoming bluish including the lips, fainting, mental confusion. In addition to these symptoms, acceleration of the pulse, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain and photosensitivity where the skin surface in contact with sunlight begins to appear scaly lesions.
When you notice the first symptoms of drug allergy, it is recommended to seek immediate assistance or your trusted doctor. The first step will be to suspend the use of the medication in question and look for another alternative to continue the treatment. Usually doctors look for an alternative with substances and components different from what caused the allergic reaction and thus continue the treatment that was interrupted. Thanks to the advancement of medicine, there is an infinite list of drugs that can replace treatments for various diseases.
In the treatment of drug allergies, in addition to replacing the allergy-causing medication, the use of an antihistamine or corticosteroids may be requested to relieve and control the symptoms and discomfort of the allergy. When using the medication for the first time, care and alertness must be doubled and any different symptoms or reactions observed.
See also: How to Increase Immunity in Children
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
