As part of Spring Allergy Week this news seemed very relevant. The number of people with hay fever in the UK has almost doubled! Why is this? Mine has certainly been worse with streaming eyes, wheezing, sneezing and itchy skin. Here's the stats: Half (49%) of UK population report suffering from hay fever symptoms, almost double previous estimatesMore than a third (37%) … [Read more...]
Allergy, Oral Allergy Sydrome or Lipid Transfer Protein?
I recently attended an online webinar entitled "When plants and allergies collide", organised by the Anaphylaxis Campaign with Dr Isabel Skypala of the Royal Bromsgrove Hospital presenting. To say it was an eye opener would be an understatement. I know all about allergies and I thought I knew quite a bit about Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS) but I'd never even heard of Lipid … [Read more...]
Almond allergy #101
I lived my whole life thinking I was allergic to almonds but never quite knowing for sure. I knew I'd been exposed to them by mistake in a snack bar years ago which contained nibbed almonds and I didn't react. At the time I continued to avoid them because I was too scared to risk it and worrying about cross contamination. Allergy blood tests recently confirmed - I am not … [Read more...]
All year round hay fever…
Could it be possible? Sadly, yes it is. If you're allergic to grass, tree pollen, weeds, moulds, dust, air borne pollutants and allergens you could experience hay fever symptoms all year round! My eyes water pretty much all the time. This can be caused by different air borne particles or just be a symptom of dry eyes, something many people experience as they age, during … [Read more...]
Nowt to do with hay or fever
Have you ever thought about the phrase 'hay fever' before? We all know what it means, it conjures images of sneezing, wheezing, watery eyes and swollen stuffy noses, but it has absolutely nothing to do with hay or fever. The correct term should actually be 'allergic rhinitis' but that doesn't roll off the tongue so easily. Hardly anyone uses this term in normal every day … [Read more...]