“Are you allergic to any medications?” Physicians and nurses ask this question over and over. Everyone is more attuned to patient safety, especially, allergy issues. And it’s true whether we’re discussing food, drugs or environmental exposures. But what constitutes a drug allergy? There seems to be a lot of confusion about this because not everyone understands the difference between a drug allergy and a drug side effect. An allergic reaction is a complicated process involving your immune system. Allergic reactions typically involve rashes (often hives), itching and swelling of the throat and other parts of the airway. Some cause varying degrees of difficulty breathing or swallowing. In severe cases, which we call anaphylaxis, not only do the above symptoms occur, but the patient may also have a completely or nearly closed airway, severe wheezing, low blood pressure, loss of vision and hearing (associated with low blood pressure), vomiting and diarrhea,…