Allergy

A small number of people develop rashes after exposure to sunlight. There are a number of syndromes in which exposure to ultraviolet light, either outdoors or in a tanning salon,...

Treatment of irritant contact dermatitis usually involves the cessation of the aggravating activity, initiation of intensive therapy with moisturizers, and if necessary, a short course of topical steroids. Long-term prevention...

Contact dermatitis is a broad term referring to an inflammatory condition of the skin caused by direct contact with an external substance. Irritant contact dermatitis is the most common type...

My Child Has Rough, Dry Bumps That Don’t Itch On Her Upper Arms And Legs. Is This Eczema? Rashes that do not itch are not usually eczema. Rough, dry bumps...

In any patient with atopic dermatitis, the first step is to moisturize the skin thoroughly. In the past, physicians routinely recommended avoidance of bathing, believing that it caused further drying...

Allergic eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a chronic itchy skin rash. Atopic dermatitis most often begins in infancy or early childhood and resolves or improves in most cases...

It has been estimated that up to one-third of patients with chronic hives and/or angioedema have a sensitivity to aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In these patients, ingestion...

I’ve Had Hives For 6 Months, And My Doctor Has Not Been Able To Find Out What’s Causing Them. Will They Last For The Rest Of My Life? Fortunately, chronic...

Initial treatment of acute and chronic hives with or with-out angioedema relies upon oral H1 antihistamines. For many years, physicians believed that the older, sedating antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine and...

The evaluation of chronic hives should always begin with a thorough medical history and physical examination; however, in most cases a cause will not be identified. Most physicians will order...

Hives and angioedema can be divided into two categories based upon the duration of symptoms: acute and chronic. Acute hives are defined as lesions that come and go for a...

Hives, also called “urticaria,” is a type of skin rash that appears as a red, raised welt ranging in size from half an inch to 2 or 3 inches in...

After A Dental Cleaning, I Developed Swelling Of My Mouth. I Had Similar Problems While Blowing Up Balloons. What Does This Indicate? These two events both involved oral contact with...

I Was Told That I Had A Penicillin Allergy As A Baby. Should I Continue To Avoid It As An Adult? At least 10% of people in the United States...

Aspirin, which is a type of medication known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (or NSAID), is one of the most commonly used medicines in the world and a very important agent...

Currently, there are very few valid skin tests for the diagnosis of drug allergy. Drugs for which there are accepted testing protocols include penicillin and Amoxicillin, local anesthetics, muscle relaxants ...

Penicillin and its derivatives (e.g., amoxicillin, methicillin, and dicloxacillin) are the most commonly encountered antibiotics resulting in allergic reactions. These drugs contain a structure referred to as the beta-lactam ring,...

I Received A Novacaine Shot From My Dentist And Felt Very Dizzy And Sick To My Stomach. Am I Allergic To Novacaine? True allergic reactions to local anesthetics such as...

Adverse effects from drugs are extremely common and can be divided into two broad categories. Drug intolerance represents a pharmacologic effect of a medication that creates undesirable symptoms. A good...

Allergy shots for insect stings, also called venom immunotherapy, are the most effective known treatment to prevent allergic reactions to stings from honeybees, yellow jackets, hornets, paper wasps, and fire...

For an allergic patient, there are a number of ways to prevent future insect stings. Suggestions include: Avoid using perfumes, scented soaps, and other sweet or pungent body products. Avoid...

What Should I Do The Next Time I Am Stung? If bees are flying around you after the sting, always stay calm and avoid swatting at them; this will encourage...

The first step in establishing whether a patient is allergic to insect stings is a detailed history. Once the type of insect and severity of the reaction have been characterized,...

It is often very difficult to determine the source of a sting. This is why it is recommended that patients who have experienced an allergic reaction to an insect sting...

Several insects belonging to order Hymenoptera are capable of injecting venom into humans and animals by stinging or biting. These insects include honeybees, bumblebees, hornets, wasps, yellow jackets, and fire...