If you're found yourself suffering from hay fever this spring, you're one of the staggering 44% of adults in the UK who has the most common chronic disease in Europe.
Allergies affect more than 150 million Europeans, with up to 20% of sufferers living with a severe and debilitating form of the condition. It's predicted that by by 2025, half of Europe's entire population will be affected by some form of allergy, according to Allergy UK - and currently the UK has some of the highest allergy rates in the world, costing the NHS an estimated £900 million a year.
Some of the most common allergens include tree and grass pollen (hay fever), foods like peanuts, milk and eggs, house dust mites, animal fur, insect stings from the likes of bees and wasps, and certain medicines. The symptoms of an allergy can range from mild to very serious, with almost a third of allergy sufferers having had to change their lifestyle to reduce the impact, so it's important to be able to recognise the key warning signs.
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Allergy symptoms
According to the NHS, common symptoms of an allergic reaction can include:
- A runny nose or sneezing
- Pain or tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead
- Coughing, wheezing or breathlessness
- Itchy skin or a raised rash (hives)
- Diarrhoea
- Feeling or being sick
- Swollen eyes, lips, mouth or throat
Sometimes, an allergy can cause more serious symptoms that could be life-threatening if not treated quickly. You should call 999 if you experience the following signs, which may indicate that you are having a serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis which needs urgent treatment in hospital:
- Feeling lightheaded or faint
- Tightness in the chest or throat
Breathing difficulties – such as fast, shallow breathing
- Swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue or throat
- Wheezing
- Clammy skin
- A rash that includes blistered or peeling skin
- Confusion and anxiety
A fast heartbeat
- Collapsing or losing consciousness
What to do if you think you have an allergy
You should see a GP if you suspect that you or your child may have an allergy. Your doctor may arrange some allergy tests to be carried out, or refer you to a specialist allergy clinic to get these done.
A common allergy test is the skin prick or patch test - this is when a small amount of the allergen is put onto your skin to see whether there is a reaction. Other tests include blood tests to check for allergens that may be causing your symptoms, or being put on a special diet to figure out which foods you could be allergic to.
How to treat an allergy
Firstly, it's important to avoid the thing you're allergic to whenever possible. Of course, this isn't always an option - for the likes of hay fever sufferers, just stepping outside can be enough to trigger your allergies - but there are also medications available to help ease your symptoms.
Mild allergic reactions can be treated with antihistamines, which can be bought over the counter at most pharmacies and supermarkets, or steroid tablets or creams which will need to be prescribed by your GP. For more severe allergies, emergency medicines are available called adrenaline auto-injectors, such as EpiPens, which sufferers must carry with them at all times.
It's also possible for severe allergic reactions to be treated via a process called immunotherapy, or desensitisation. This involves carefully exposing you to whatever you're allergic to over time, so that your body gradually gets used to it- but this should only ever be carried out by a medical professional.
You can find further support on living with an allergy, including eating out, travelling abroad and advice for parents who have children with allergies, on the Allergy UK website.
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