Imagine this: you are in the office of your doctor with sore throat. The sister asks, “Any allergies?” And without hesitation, you reply: “Penicillin”. This is something you have said for years – maybe from childhood, maybe because the parent told you so. The sister nods, makes a note and moves.
But here’s the kick: There is a great chance not to allergic to penicillin. About 10% to 20% of Americans say they are allergic to penicillin, but in fact less than 1%.
I am a clinical associate professor of pharmacy specializing in infectious diseases. I study antibiotics and drug allergies, including ways to determine whether people have penicillin allergies.
From my research, I know that it is incorrectly referred to as allergic to penicillin, it can prevent you from getting the most appropriate, most fascinated treatment for infection. It can also put you at an increased risk of antimicrobial resistance, which is when an antibiotic no longer works against bacteria.
The good news? In recent years, it has become much easier to determine the truth of the question. More and more clinicians now admit that many labels of allergy to penicillin are incorrect – and there are safe, simple ways to understand your actual allergy status.
Sedentary
Penicillin, the first antibiotic drug, was discovered in 1928, when a doctor named Alexander Fleming extracted it from a mold called Penicillium. It became widely used to treat infections in the 40s. Penicillin and closely associated antibiotics such as amoxicillin and amoxicillin/clavulanate, which goes on the name of the brand, Agmentin, are often prescribed to treat common infections such as ear infections, streptoco, urinary tract infections, pneumonia and dental infections.
Alexander Fleming (Getty Images)
Penicillin antibiotics are a class of narrow -spectrum antibiotics, which means that they are aimed at specific types of bacteria. People who report they are allergic to penicillin are more likely to receive broad-spectrum antibiotics. Wide -spectrum antibiotics kill many types of bacteria, including beneficial, which facilitates resistant bacteria to survive and spread. This excessive use accelerates the development of antibiotic resistance. Wide-spectrum antibiotics can also be less effective and are often more expensive.
Why the discrepancy?
People are often labeled as allergic to antibiotics as children when they have a reaction as a rash after taking one. But skin rashes are often found with childhood infections, with many viruses and infections actually causing rashes. If the child is taking an antibiotic at this time, it can be labeled as allergic, although the rash may be caused by the disease itself.
Some side effects such as nausea, diarrhea or headache can happen with antibiotics, but they do not always mean that you are allergic. These general reactions usually go alone or can be managed. A doctor or pharmacist may talk to you about how to reduce these side effects.
People also often take allergies to penicillin who move in families, but having an allergy relative does not mean that you are allergic is not hereditary.
Finally, about 80% of patients with real allergy to penicillin will lose allergy in about 10 years. This means that even if you were allergic to this antibiotic, you may not be anymore, depending on the time of your reaction.
Why does it matter if I am allergic to penicillin?
Believing you are allergic to penicillin, when you are not, it can negatively affect your health.
On the one hand, you are more likely to get stronger, broad-spectrum antibiotics that are not always the most appropriate and can have more side effects. It is also possible to get an infection after surgery and spend longer in the hospital when hospitalized for infection. Moreover, your medical accounts can be higher due to the use of more expensive medicines.
Those with penicillin allergies can benefit from tests to confirm or exclude allergy (Alamy/PA)
Penicillin and his loved ones are often the best instruments that doctors need to treat many infections. If you are not really allergic, you think that outside can open the door to more favorable, more effective and more accessible treatment options.
How can I know if I’m really allergic to penicillin?
Start by talking to a medical specialist as a doctor or pharmacist. Allergic symptoms can vary from a mild, self -limiting rash to severe swelling of the face and breathing problems. The healthcare professional may ask you a few questions about your allergies, such as the incident, how soon after the start of the antibiotic, the reaction arose, whether treatment is needed and whether you have been taking such medicines since then.
These issues can help distinguish between a true allergy and an unalgic reaction. In many cases, this interview is enough to determine that you are not allergic. But sometimes more testing can be recommended.
One way to find out if you are really allergic to penicillin is by testing the skin of penicillin, which includes small skin stabbing and small injections under the skin. These tests use penicillin -related components to safely check for true allergy. If the skin testing does not cause a reaction, the next step is usually to take a small dose of amoxicillin while observed in your doctor’s office just to make sure it is safe.
A study published in 2023 showed that in many cases the skipping of the skin test and the passage directly to the small dose of the test can also be a safe way to check for a true allergy. In this method, patients take a low dose of amoxicillin and are observed in about 30 minutes to see if a reaction occurs.
With the right questions, testing and experience, many people can safely recover penicillin as an option to treat common infections.
Elizabeth W. Covington is an associated clinical professor of pharmacy at the University of Objn.
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