Idiosyncrasy

Generality

Idiosyncrasy is a condition of hypersensitivity, or abnormal reactivity, towards various substances (food, drugs, environmental pollutants, etc.) towards which the organism is intolerant. This state is neither induced nor accompanied by immunological phenomena, as happens, for example, in the case of allergy.

The "idiosyncrasy recognizes a genetic predisposition and can derive from the patient's own (constitutional) alterations. Some of these reactions are due to a phenomenon of susceptibility to an antigen to which one had already been exposed previously, to be traced back to an" intolerance or a normal but abnormal response. Other times, the "idiosyncrasy is related to an" enzymatic anomaly, which disturbs the metabolism of the substance in question. In a certain number of cases, hypersensitivity is congenital, primary and not attributable to any known mechanism.
Regardless of the cause, the idiosyncratic reactions manifest themselves with various types of clinical pictures (urticaria, rhinitis, nausea, diarrhea, breathing difficulties, etc.), which sometimes prove to be lethal.
The most used therapy for the management of this pathological reaction is based on the administration of specific antagonist drugs.

What's this?

Idiosyncrasy is a particular predisposition of the organism to react in an abnormal, excessive and / or violent way, when it comes into contact with a drug or certain substances, even if harmless. To be clear, the idiosyncratic reactions are different from those due to an overdose or to the side effects of drugs, which occur with a certain regularity.