Medication allergies are wrongly blamed for rashes in about 25% of the time…

MedWire reports, “Drug (as in medication) allergies are wrongly blamed for causing skin rashes in around one-quarter of cases,” according to a study published in the January issue of the British Journal of Dermatology. After evaluating “612 patients with suspected cutaneous drug reactions,” researchers found that only 75.9% “of the patients had suffered a bona fide drug reaction.” Of the remaining cases, 20.6% “were not drug related, and…3.5% were of indeterminate cause.” The study authors advocated “more thorough assessment of patients with suspected drug reactions, including full dermatologic and allergologic workup.”

Allergy is commonly wrongly blamed for a lot of skin diseases.  Of course, this problem is infinitely worse when it comes to pseudo-health practitioners with no scientific basis of practice. So be VERY SKEPTICAL when someone tells you your rash is due to an “allergy”.

An allergy refers to a SPECIFIC reaction against a SPECIFIC substance (allergen). An example would be hives (aka urticaria, a specific skin condition) induced by nut protein (a specific class of allergen). A negative example (and it is THE MYTH of all myths) is that eczema (atopic dermatitis) is due to specific allergies. Ignorance on the part of the practitioner is often disguised behind the label of “allergy”.

Admitting ignorance is a virtue and recognising ignorance is an inducement to learn. Hiding ignorance is fraud.