When should you go to an allergy specialist? We’re sure your GP is great. They’re fantastic as a person to talk to when you’re not sure if there’s something wrong with you. But a GP has to have a wide range of knowledge to be able to cover every possible ailment. They can’t be an expert on them all – that’s why they’ll refer you to a specialist if needed. All of this to say that, when it comes to allergies, there’ll be a limit to what they can do for you. And that’s fine! It just means you might have to look for an allergy specialist to help you navigate your condition. You might wonder, thoug ..read more

Do you know the difference between allergies and intolerances? Peanut allergies. Lactose intolerances. Sometimes food really doesn’t agree with us, does it? And it makes life that much more annoying. Both of these examples will stop you eating something you might genuinely enjoy, and you have to tiptoe around them, trying to avoid ever coming into contact with them. So it stands to reason that they’re practically the same condition, just to different foods. But allergies and intolerances aren’t the same. There are crucial differences that separate the two, and it can be a case of life and deat ..read more

How boiled peanuts could be the answer to peanut allergies according to this study Amongst all the food allergies that exist, the peanut allergy might be the one that comes to mind first. It’s become practically synonymous with child allergies, and not without reason. They affect around 2% of children in the UK, with it seemingly increasing over the past few decades. So it’s no surprise when new research into the topic comes out. We’ve even covered it ourselves in the past. But there’s a new study that’s taking its own approach – with interesting results. Let’s look at what they did and what t ..read more

It’s almost tree pollen season – here’s what you can do to help your allergies While hay fever is seen as a ‘summer’ allergy, it can actually start much earlier than that for some people. While we may typically think of hay fever (otherwise known as allergic rhinitis) as an allergy to flower pollen, it usually isn’t. For some, it means an allergy to grass. Or weeds. Or trees, which are due to start causing symptoms any day now. If you have the condition, you’ll know the familiar feelings of a stuffy nose, itchy eyes, a scratchy throat, or whatever your personal pains are. And starting from aro ..read more

3 allergy pet peeves – and what you can do about them Allergies are already annoying enough, right? At their worst, they’re life-threatening. And even at their best, they can ruin your day, leaving you with constantly itchy eyes, a runny nose, or a scratchy throat. Your whole life has to adapt around them. To make matters worse, we all have those allergy pet peeves that make them that much harder. It’s usually people around us who do them too. People not taking your condition seriously. People acting dumb when you tell them for the hundredth time that no, you can’t have gluten. They can really ..read more

What allergies to look out for in your vegan diet Veganism is on the rise. The number of people looking for an animal-product-free life is increasing and now makes up 3% of the UK population. It might not sound like much, but that’s over 2 million people. And the UK market for meat substitutes is the largest in Europe, worth over 500 million euros. Whether you do it because you love animals, are conscious of your impact on the environment, or just want to be healthier, then that’s fantastic! You do you. But a vegan diet doesn’t mean you can escape food allergies. And some might not get your at ..read more

How to talk to your child about their allergies We spend a lot of time in our blog talking about how you, as a parent, can navigate the challenges of your child’s allergies. Whether it’s answering your burning questions, talking about allergies in infants, or just general food allergy tips, we have you covered. But we never cover how to talk to your child about their allergies. And it’s important to do. You can’t be around them 24/7 and they deserve to know how to manage their condition. So let’s bring them into the conversation. We’ve got some advice for how you can talk to your child about t ..read more

How does the environment affect our allergies? We can definitely be allergic to triggers in our environment. Pet dander, dust, mites, pollen – these are all in our surrounding environments and can cause varying levels of discomfort and reactions. But outside of being the source of our allergies, can the world around us affect them in other ways? That’s not an unpopular theory, and there are plenty of studies out there into the effects of the environment on our health. From pollution to climate change, there are people looking into how these changes impact our health. So let’s look at some of t ..read more

Why there’s plenty to be positive about when it comes to your allergies There’s so much about our allergies that can get us down. If you have a food allergy, you can’t just go and enjoy a pleasant meal without having to work for it. Or if you have hay fever, you can’t take in the great outdoors without the antihistamines first. Add onto that all of the doom-and-gloom news about allergies, and it’s easy to see how it can be a drag on your life. So let’s have some optimism instead! There’s still plenty to be happy about. If you look for it, you can find the signs that living with an allergy is e ..read more

Does your child have an allergy? Here are your burning questions answered Being a parent is already difficult enough. You’re probably already well aware of the trials and tribulations of raising a small human. They can be naughty. They get sad. And sometimes you look back fondly on the days when you had so much more time and freedom. But would you change that for the world? Of course not. Raising your child or children is a privilege – one that can, unfortunately, come with some challenges. Such as food allergies. It adds another complication onto an already tough task. And we understand why t ..read more