It’s no secret that in modern conditionsA doctor in prescribing medications is significantly limited by drug allergies. Moreover, undesirable symptoms can affect almost any organ and system of the human body, and these manifestations often significantly complicate the course of the underlying pathological process. It must be remembered that no doctor, regardless of his specialty, work experience or qualifications, often can prevent the development of undesirable reactions, especially in cases where the patient for one reason or another (perhaps even unknowingly) hides information about intolerance im some food or medicine.
Drug allergies and intolerances - causes and mechanism of formation
For most people, the news is the fact that drug allergy and individual intolerance to nutrients and medicines are not identical concepts.
В развитии любой аллергии обязательно участие the patient’s immune system is an allergen, usually a substance of a protein or similar nature; when first introduced into the body, it triggers a sensitization mechanism (production of antibodies). Accordingly, the first contact will pass without pathological symptoms, but when the allergen is reintroduced into the body, it will combine with the already developed antibodies and the classical allergic reaction will develop. At the same time, it is necessary to understand that drug allergy develops by the same mechanism, and food allergy - the first contact passes unnoticed, while repeated ingestion of even the minimum amount of provocate will cause a violent allergic reaction.
With individual intolerance mechanismthe development of the pathological process is somewhat different - in the human body there are initially no enzymes that should be involved in the metabolism of a substance, regardless of its nature. Therefore, the symptoms of malaise occur very shortly after the first contact of this compound with the patient's body. That is why, in the overwhelming majority of cases, drug allergy occurs only after repeated contact (ingress) of the allergen and the patient's body - this is how allergy to antibiotics, anesthetics, insect bites occurs.
Allergies and intolerances - is it possible to distinguish them?
At the slightest suspicion of allergies orindividual intolerance is to seek medical advice from an experienced allergist - he will be able to choose a comprehensive program of laboratory tests and additional research methods, the results of which will give an exact answer to the question about the nature of the disease. However, drug allergies and individual intolerances also differ in some clinical signs.
First, the severity of allergicthe reaction does not depend on the dose of the substance - the same manifestations will occur when the minimum (trace) amounts of the allergen are ingested, and with a sufficiently large dose of drugs or food substances. So, gluten allergy is manifested when even the minimum amount of this substance, which is contained in cereals, enters the patient’s digestive tract.
Secondly, there is a clear link betweenthe patient's age and pathological conditions - in childhood, individual intolerance is more likely, the cause of which will be the immaturity of the enzymatic systems of the body, whereas more old patients are more likely to develop an allergic reaction. Accordingly, there is a chance that the individual intolerance of the patient's body will “outgrow” with age, while allergic reactions remain with the person throughout life.
Is it possible to help with drug allergies and intolerances?
It is a different mechanism of development of the pathologicalprocess leads to different medical tactics for these conditions. In case of individual intolerance, it is necessary to limit the intake of those substances, the sensitivity to which is increased or to take, if possible, enzymatic preparations that compensate for the insufficiency of the metabolic systems of the body.
Drug allergies can be treated by twoways - non-specific therapy and specific desensitization. In both cases, the treatment program must be prescribed by a qualified doctor - this also applies to the selection of antiallergic drugs, and treatment with the use of minimal and constantly increasing doses of the identified allergen.
