health ABC > Allergic reaction
10 facts about pets, allergies and kids
Your child has sneezed again. That was number 26 for the day and you’re beginning to get a bit desperate. You are hesitant to put your child on medication permanently, but something has to be done. But before you do any...read more
Allergy or "allergic hypersensivity"
Allergic Hypersensitivity simply put, is an adverse immune reaction to a protein (or allergen) in our environment, which is normally harmless to the non-allergic person. It may present as mil...read more
Allergy to Wasp stings
During the summer months insects of the order Hymenoptera which include the Yellow Jacket Wasps (Vespula germanica), HoneyBee (Apis mellifera) and Paper wasp (Polistes annularis) may sting unsuspecting people...read more
Anaphylaxis and anaphylactic shock
Anaphylaxis, or anaphylactic shock, is a sudden catastrophic allergic reaction that involves the whole body. It usually occurs within minutes of exposure to the offending allergenread moreDangerous leaves!
"Leaves of three - let it be!" aptly describes this woody vine with 2-4" leaflets in groups of three. The center leaf has a longer stem than the other two. Poison ivy clings to tree trunks and ...read more
Food allergy testing
Skin Scratch Testing is the cornerstone in allergy diagnosis, it has been used for over 100 years. Skin testing is cheap, safe, easy to do and someone in the practice can easily be trained to...read more
Heredity as a risk factor in allergic reactions
Three factors increase a person’s chances to have an allergic reaction. These are heredity, the immediate environment and upper respiratory infections.If one parent is allergic to a par...read more
How mast cells work
Your body is a weapon. The immune system is a machine of war, ready to take on invaders. The immune system has its own internal affairs department: it can identify cells which are infected with viruse...read more
Injection desensitisation in allergy: immunotherapy or "allergy shots"
Few medical treatments have been shrouded in as much controversy as the practice of allergen-specific immunotherapy or desensitisation. The use of allergen-specific subcutaneous injection imm...read more
Nickel, not always that beautiful...
Nickel is a silvery-white metal that can be found in nature. It is usually mixed with other metals to produce alloys. For example, nickel-iron, which is used to manufacture stainless steel, is the most common...read more
Phobias of wasps, bees and flying insects
It's hilarious isn't it! The man or woman in the beach or in the park rushing about and flailing the air wildly as they try to avoid the wasp. Yes, maybe.... But it's not very funny not if you are that person...read more
Summer skin rashes and how to deal with them
We all love to stay out in the warm and pleasant rays of the summer sun and in the midst of nature, but this is not always wise. Too much exposure to the sun may cause skin rashes. Although many people believ...read more
What allergy confirmatory tests are available to us?
Skin Prick Testing This is one of the oldest allergy tests and is the cornerstone of primary allergy diagnosis. It was first performed by Dr Charles Blackley who was a Manchester GP and Home...read more
What constitutes a good allergy practitioner
The Practitioner (doctor or nurse) needs to have plenty of time available for the consultation and a keen interest in allergy is paramount. In Allergology (the study of Allergy) the patient&r...read more
What is food allergy?
Two different conditions Although most people describe any illness which they think maybe caused by food as a food allergy, they may only be partially correct.There are in fact two different conditions which...read more
What to do in case of an allergic shock?
Certain people develop a life-threatening allergic reaction to certain foods (such as peanuts and shellfish), medications (such as penicillin) or insect stings. The anaphylactic response occurs rapidly. It ca...read more
What you need to know about pets and allergy control
You may know that cats can cause allergic reactions. What you may not be aware of is that dogs, rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, birds, horses, cows, chickens, ducks and geese do so too.Ani...read more
