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Medicine vocabulary · History Taking and Examination

Allergy

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˈælərdʒi/nounCore term

In medicine, allergy means: A harmful reaction of the immune system to something that is normally harmless, such as a medicine, a food or pollen.

In Turkish: alerji, aşırı duyarlılık

How it is used

Every history and prescription includes drug allergies. Doctors ask 'Do you have any allergies?', record the reaction (rash, swelling, anaphylaxis) and write NKDA (no known drug allergies) when there are none.

Example sentences

  1. Does she have any allergies to medicines, like penicillin?

  2. He's allergic to penicillin; it gave him a rash and swollen lips.

Common collocations

  • drug allergy
  • allergic to
  • allergic reaction
  • no known drug allergies
  • food allergy
  • prescriptionA doctor's written or electronic instruction saying which medicine a patient should get, how much, how often and for how long.
  • side effectAn effect of a medicine or treatment that is not the main one intended, and is often unwanted, such as drowsiness or an upset stomach.
  • rashAn area of skin that changes in colour or texture, for example becoming red, spotty, bumpy or itchy.
  • antibioticA medicine that kills bacteria or stops them from growing, used to treat bacterial infections. It does not work against viruses.
  • take a historyTo ask a patient structured questions about their current problem, past illnesses, medicines, family and lifestyle in order to understand what is wrong.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: History Taking and Examination

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.