aspirin-allergy : Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

What is Aspirin Allergy?

Some people are truly allergic to aspirin. Others have what doctors call a non-allergic sensitivity to it. That means when they take the drug, they have symptoms -- sometimes dangerous ones -- but they don’t have an allergy. People with this condition sometimes have problems with other similar medicines for pain. These common medications are part of a group called no steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. 

What are the precautions for Aspirin Allergy?

• Avoid aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Avoid drugs with aspirin as an ingredient
• People with aspirin-induced asthma can usually take acetaminophen to relieve pain

Talk to your doctor if you think you may have aspirin sensitivity.

What are the symptoms of Aspirin Allergy?

An aspirin allergy or sensitivity, or a reaction to NSAIDs, can cause symptoms that range from mild to severe. Reactions occur within minutes to hours of taking the medication. They may include:

• Hives
• Itchy skin
• Runny nose
• Red eyes
• Swelling of the lips, tongue or face
• Coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath
• Anaphylaxis — a rare, life-threatening allergic reaction

If you have asthma, nasal polyps, chronic sinusitis or chronic hives (urticaria), you're more likely to have a reaction to aspirin or NSAIDs. When a reaction occurs, it can worsen symptoms of these conditions.

How is Aspirin Allergy treated?

• Many people with aspirin sensitivity can be "desensitized" under close medical supervision so that they can eventually take aspirin safely.
• During the desensitization process, very low doses of aspirin are taken each day, with the doses slowly increasing over time.

Undergoing aspirin desensitization followed by a daily aspirin dose can also improve asthma and slow the rate at which nasal polyps grow in people with the aspirin triad.