Drugs meant to cure illness Could cause allergic reactions

Skin is the largest organ of our body. It, therefore, needs to be understood carefully. Dr. Anand Kumar, Dermatologist at KIMS, Secunderabad, throws some light on the skin issues in this interview. 

How important is the skin health?

Skin health is very important. Skin is the reflection of one's internal health. It shows if your entire system is healthy or there are issues. There could be hormonal problems or some kind of allergies or digestive issues, all of these get reflected through the skin.

You mentioned allergies. Allergies are very common problem when it comes to skin health. Why do we get them?

There are various reasons why we suffer from skin allergies, ranging from substance contact to drug reactions.Please elaborate.

Some of the common kinds of allergies develop because of an external substance's contact with the human body. Say for instance there is Allergic Contact Dermatitis in which the bindi or kumkum powder on the forehead reacts with the skin leading to itching or causing blisters on the skin. Even hair dye leads to skin allergy because of the colouring chemical present in the dye. Then there is allergy caused by elements present in the air such as pollen grains that the flowers have. Farmers and those who walk in the parks are prone to developing this kind of allergy.

Then there also are drug reactions that lead to allergies that are sometimes fatal. Like in the olden days there used to be a Penicillin test to test for allergies, before giving the complete dose. If the test dose worked only then the person was eligible to get a shot of Penicillin. Pain killers of today can also cause skin allergy.

The drugs like Penicillin are meant to solve a health problem, not cause it.

Yes. But that is why such allergies are called idiosyncratic drug reactions. Even the doctors can't predict who may contract an allergy. Developing an allergy doesn't necessarily mean having a harmful substance. It's because something didn't work with one's system.

How will I know which drug will be allergic to me?

Nobody can predict such allergies. Some drugs show the allergic reaction immediately. Some in one or two days. Others in weeks. The reaction can be in any form...say rashes. Organs can also be affected. Kidneys get affected, liver can be affected, one could suffer from fever. If you have had any such reaction, you must let your doctor in the future cases know of it. MUST reveal the complete case to the doctor.

Some allergic reactions to drugs are idiosyncratic. Nobody can predict drug allergy but test dose of medication will help in detecting allergic or not.

What are the basic rules of keeping the skin healthy?

Keeping the skin supple from within is a must. One must drink a lot of water to keep the skin hydrated. Fruits and organic food helps. Add greens to it. Apply sunscreen to stay protected from the sun. But most importantly, stay happy. When you are happy from within, your skin says it.

You mentioned sunscreens, but does that not have harmful effects because after all it is made of chemicals.

Everything is made of chemicals. But they are chemicals that protect your skin.

Book Appointement: Dr. Anand Kumar, Dermatologist at KIMS, Secunderabad