3. Drug Allergies
One is said to have a drug allergy when their immune system reacts abnormally to certain medications. Depending on the person’s immune system, any medication even the common over-the-counter drugs like penicillin may induce a drug allergy. However, certain medications are more likely to cause a drug allergy compared to others. The most common symptoms of a drug allergy include rashes, fever, hives, and an itchy throat among others.
Like food allergy and other forms of allergies, drug allergy can range from mild to severe. Severe drug allergy is characterized by life-threatening symptoms affecting multiple body systems. There is a big difference between a drug allergy, drug side effect, and drug toxicity. A drug allergy as earlier discussed is an abnormal reaction of the body’s defense system to certain medications. Drug side-effect, on the other hand, is a foreseen reaction to a certain drug and often poses little threat to the person, while drug toxicity results from overdosing on a particular medication.