A penicillin allergy occurs when your immune system reacts negatively to the antibiotic penicillin or an antibiotic in the penicillin family (beta-lactam antibiotics). Penicillin is a medicine that treats infections. When you take penicillin, the medicine destroys the outer wall of bacterial cells. This ultimately kills and removes a bacterial infection from your body. Just because you have a penicillin allergy today doesn’t …

Alcohol intolerance is an inherited metabolic disorder. Metabolic disorders affect your metabolism, the way your body converts and uses energy. An inherited metabolic disorder means you got this condition from your parents — they each passed down a mutated (changed) gene that resulted in this disorder. Even if your parents don’t have the condition, they can pass it to you. …

Pet allergies are certain proteins — called allergens — on your pet that cause your allergic immune system to overreact. These allergens are in animal fur, skin, urine (pee) and saliva (spit). It’s also in pet dander, which is tiny scales from your pets’ skin, hair or feathers. Usually, these proteins are harmless. However, your allergic immune system views them …

Alcohol poisoning happens when there’s so much alcohol in your bloodstream that it starts shutting down life-supporting areas of your brain. These areas control your breathing, heart rate and temperature. Alcohol poisoning is life-threatening. Alcohol poisoning typically happens when you consume a large amount of alcohol in a short amount of time. It often happens from drinking excess alcohol-containing beverages, like beer, …

A shellfish allergy is a type of food allergy. Shellfish are animals that live in the water and have a shell-like exterior. There are two types of shellfish: Crustaceans: shrimp, crayfish, crab, lobster. Mollusks: clams, scallops, oysters, mussels. What fish is shellfish? If you have a shellfish allergy, don’t eat these ingredients and foods: Abalone. Clams (such as cherrystone, littleneck, pismo, quahog). Cockle. …

Alcohol use disorder (sometimes called alcoholism) is a common medical condition. People with this condition can’t stop drinking, even if their alcohol use upends their lives and the lives of those around them. Alcohol use disorder can be mild, moderate or severe. Treatments may include medication and behavioral therapy. While people with this condition may start drinking again, studies show …

A wheat allergy is one of the most common types of food allergies. Your immune system overreacts to wheat you’ve ingested (eaten or drunk) or inhaled (breathed in). For many people, ingesting wheat is harmless. However, if you have a wheat allergy, your immune system views wheat as a harmful “invader,” like a bacterium or virus. A wheat allergy can be deadly. If …

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. It’s a sign of infection or injury to the tissues. Several things can cause hepatitis, including viruses and toxins. Heavy alcohol use is also one of them. Acute alcohol-induced hepatitis (formerly known as alcoholic hepatitis) might only be a temporary response to overindulgence. But when alcohol-induced hepatitis becomes a chronic condition, it threatens to do permanent damage to your …

Most healthy people lose up to 100 strands of hair per day. As part of your hair’s growth cycle, new strands grow and take the place of the ones you shed. When you start to shed more strands — and fewer or none grow back — the condition is considered alopecia (hair loss). There are several types of hair loss, and it …

Churg-Strauss syndrome is a disorder marked by blood vessel inflammation. This inflammation can restrict blood flow to organs and tissues, sometimes permanently damaging them. This condition is also known as eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). Adult-onset asthma is the most common sign of Churg-Strauss syndrome. The disorder can also cause other problems, such as nasal allergies, sinus problems, rash, gastrointestinal …