Tuesday, September 13, 2011

About Allergies: HIV and Allergies

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From Daniel More, MD, your Guide to Allergies
The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, infects millions of people worldwide. Twenty years ago, having HIV was basically a death sentence. Today, there are a number of medications available to control the HIV virus, so people infected with HIV are living longer and are suffering from other diseases, including allergies. People with HIV are at a high risk of developing allergic rhinitis, asthma as well as drug allergies to HIV-related medications. This increased rate of allergic disease seems to be related to an immune system imbalance that occurs with HIV infection. Treatment of these allergic diseases in a person with HIV is much the same as for a person without HIV infection, but with a few important exceptions.

HIV and Allergies
When HIV was first recognized in the early- to mid-1980's, the infection rapidly progressed to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in most people who were infected. During the 1990's, the introduction of various antiviral medications has dramatically slowed or even prevented the progression of HIV infection to AIDS. People with HIV are living longer and are developing other chronic disease common to non-HIV infected people, such as various allergic diseases.
See More About:  allergy  asthma  drug allergy

Drug Allergy
Reactions to medication are extremely common. In fact, 15-30% of all hospitalized patients will experience an unintended reaction as a result of medications. However, true allergic reactions to medications only occur in about 1 of 10 of all adverse drug reactions.

All About Allergic Reactions
I see patients in my clinic everyday who tell me that they've had an allergic reaction. However, this term means different things to different people. Most people will say that they experienced a skin rash, such as hives or tongue, lip or throat swelling, as part of their allergic reaction. Others say that their allergic reaction caused them to sneeze and have a runny nose, or have an asthma attack. The most serious form of allergic reactions is anaphylaxis, which involves a "whole body" allergic reaction, not just the skin, and can be life-threatening.

Skin Allergies
Discussion of the most common types of skin allergies, including hives, swelling, eczema and contact dermatitis. Other areas of skin allergies, including drug and medication allergies are also discussed.

 


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This newsletter is written by:
Daniel More, MD
Allergies Guide
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