Allergies

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Allergies


Everything you need to know about the potential allergies surrounding you. From why they occur, to advice on specific conditions and the tests and treatments available.



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Understanding allergies

Allergies are becoming more and more common. We look at some of the main issues surrounding them, including busting some of the main myths.

• Allergies explained - We look at allergies and their causes
• Allergens - We're all surrounded by allergens at home and outside
• Allergies and lifestyle factors - Do our diets and hygiene habits make us more allergic?
• Avoiding allergens - How to reduce your exposure to potential allergens
• Spotting an allergic child - It's possible to spot allergy-prone children
• Misconceptions about allergies - common misunderstandings about allergies

Allergic conditions

Information about allergies, from asthma to urticaria and the main conditions in between.

• Food allergies - Is it a food allergy or intolerance?
• Anaphylaxis - What happens in this sudden, potentially fatal allergic reaction
• Allergic asthma - How to identify your triggers and manage the condition
• Eczema - the causes, symptoms and treatment of allergic eczemas
• Allergic rhinitis - Similar to hay fever, but it occurs all year round
• Drug allergy - It's possible to have an allergic reaction to medicines
• Coeliac disease - A disease that prevents food being absorbed properly
• Eye allergies - These vary from mild irritation to severe conjunctival inflammation
• Hay fever - Seasonal inflammation and irritation of the nose and eyes
• Urticaria - An allergic skin reaction resembling nettle rash
• Venom allergies - Some people develop allergic reactions to stinging insects

Tests and treatments

What's involved in getting your allergy diagnosed and treated?

• Allergy testing - The tests available to diagnose a specific allergy
• Allergy treatment - Medical remedies to alleviate allergies
• Medical services for allergies - Where do you go if you suspect an allergy?

Allergies - useful contacts


Find details of organisations who can provide further information or support.

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How can one find out if he is allergic to something?

There are many different types of tests one can get. There are doctors who specialize in allergies and there are other alternative medicine practitioners who also claim to cure people of allergies.

Both of these types of people have tests to determine what kind of things you are allergic to. The doctor will have a set of needles with a little bit of the allergen in them and they will all be poked slightly into your skin at the same time. A few minutes later you will see that the ones you are allergic to have caused your skin to redden and become itchy where the needle was poked.

The alternative medicine practitioners use a system where they check how much strength you lose when you are exposed to an allergen. The things that do not affect you will not cause you to lose any strength, but the ones you are allergic to will cause your hands to become void of any strength. It's really an interesting test.

Both will give you an accurate picture of what you are allergic to, but in my opinion, the alternative medicine practitioners can really get rid of your allergies permanently, whereas the doctors will just give you medicine to take.