Meda pharmaceuticals have launched a brand new product for hay fever sufferers in the form of Dymista. Dymista is a new intranasal spray which is now available on prescription for moderate-to-severe hay fever sufferers in the UK. The drug is a novel formulation of a corticosteroid and an antihistamine.

“People often think of hay fever as a 'nuisance' condition, causing little more than a runny nose and itchy eyes. Unfortunately, the reality is that hay fever and allergic rhinitis can have a prolonged impact on quality of life by preventing people from sleeping, working, studying and even carrying out simple everyday tasks,” said Maureen Jenkins, Clinical Services Director, Allergy UK.

“Many people cannot control their symptoms, despite the wide range of treatments available. These people should talk to their doctor or a specialist to assess the severity of their disease and receive adequate treatment for symptom control.”

Hay fever is often underestimated and those unfamiliar with the allergic condition may not understand the implications that it has on the sufferer. Dymista offers a unique method of treatment by combining the antihistamine with the steroid in one intake, which aims to relieve the sufferer of his/her symptoms faster and more effectively.

Download Allergy UK’s Hay Fever and Allergic Rhinitis factsheet for more information about the allergic conditions.

Sara Holtby, Sales & Marketing Director at Bio-D first heard of this unique and inspiring fundraising appeal last October when attending the Industry Group Meeting organised by Allergy UK and instantly knew Bio-D had to be part of it. As a company they share the same ambitious aims and objectives as Allergy UK and it seemed like the perfect fit and a great way to further support the 21 million allergy sufferers across the UK. 

To kick-start their fundraising, Bio-D is donating money from each order placed on its website for any of their endorsed Allergy Friendly Products. This offer runs up till 9 June 2013. The team is hoping to be able to donate a generous sum to Allergy UK at the end of the year and this activity is just one of many fundraising activities they have planned to ensure their Charity of the Year relationship is a success. 

Sara says “Bio-D applauds the work that Allergy UK does to educate people about allergies and provide support for sufferers and we wanted to help Allergy UK to continue its vital work. As producers of Allergy Friendly products, we're delighted to be supporting the Nurses Appeal by donating 10p from the sale of all of our Allergy UK accredited laundry products between now and 9th June. Visit www.biodegradable.biz for more information."   

Rebecca Carey, Fundraising Manager at Allergy UK says 'We are thrilled to have the support of Bio-D who are committed to supporting our Nurses Appeal. The money they raise will make a huge difference to the services we are able to offer allergy and intolerance sufferers across the UK'. 

'Allergy UK has launched a nationwide fundraising appeal to raise £1million to provide specialist allergy nurseswithin communities across the UK. We are taking action after listening and responding to the voice of the allergy sufferer through its surveys, online forum and national helpline. Allergy UK’s nurses will help to support GPs to meet the challenge the current allergy epidemic is placing on them within an already overloaded Primary Care health system' 

For more information about Allergy UK, visit www.allergyuk.org or call 01322 619898.

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Press enquiries:

Alison Parham (Communications Officer) or Sophie Williams (PR Assistant), Allergy UK

T:01322 611 655, E:press@allergyuk.org

Bio-D: Tracey Baty

Direct line:       01430 871360

Mobile: 07971 961574

E mail:             traceybaty@three60marketing.co.uk

Web:                www.three60marketing.co.uk

Notes to editors:

Allergy UK is the operational name of the British Allergy Foundation; the leading national medical charity providing advice, information and support to people with allergies and food intolerance. Allergy UK acts as the 'voice' of allergy sufferers, representing the views and needs of those affected by this multi organ disease.Allergy UK is a certified member of The Information Standard, which is an independent certification scheme for health and social care information supported by the Department of Health. For further information and to see a list of all certified members to the scheme, please visit: www.theinformationstandard.org

Allergy UK makes a difference by:

To enable our helpline staff to keep abreast of latest research into allergy and to keep them up to date in their training so that they can answer the questions that we receive, we often attend lectures in all aspects of allergy and its associated medical conditions. This week we attended the 7th Allergy Academy Food Study Day, this event is aimed at health care professionals who regularly manage children with food allergy, and provides an insight into the current evidence base behind the management of food allergy. 

The Kings College Allergy Academy was established to support health care professionals in their education of allergic disease, and as we know this is an ever growing problem.    

The day covered topics such as, predicting the outgrowing of food allergy, engaging adolescents in the management of food allergy and risk factors for the development of peanut allergy, looking at the research being covered in the LEAP study.

Internationally acclaimed speakers, including Professor Hugh Sampson, from America Professor Berni-Canani, from Italy as well as Professor Gideon Lack from the UK led the lectures and it really was a fascinating day. 

Many of you will have heard of the close call that Minister for Employment Jo Swinson had at the weekend, Ms. Swinson who is allergic to peanuts, accidentally ate something containing them, and went into anaphylaxis, which could have potentially been fatal. Thankfully she realised very quickly that something was wrong and headed straight for hospital where she was given the appropriate medication. Although Ms. Swinson has been allergic to peanuts for many years she has never had such a serious reaction, and it just goes to highlight that no matter how used to managing your allergy you are, eating out has its risks and you can still get caught out. Ms. Swinson’s message to everyone was that they should always carry their auto-injectors of adrenaline if they have been prescribed them, and their friends should know what to do to help them. Sound advice for anyone with a food allergy.

Aqueous cream contains a heavy duty detergent, sodium lauryl sulphate, which strips the skin of oils. Soap-free cleansing and frequent moisturising is essential in maintaining a healthy skin barrier in dry, inflamed skin conditions.  

Although aqueous cream is cheap to buy and prescribe, there are many effective non-soap products to clean and to moisturise dry or inflamed skin.

Izzy started rowing the 34 km distance strongly and maintained her pace and strength through the gruelling 10 sets of 3.4km, with only a 2 minute break between each one. Her training and challenge were meticulously overseen by personal trainer and friend, Eleanor Dick, co-owner and manager of At-One-Training in Crouch end.

Izzy dedicated herself to this challenge, even organising activities on the day such as a raffle. She achieved all this whilst not letting her studying slip at Channing School. As a result of all the activities she raised over £2,000 and still has more donations to come in. The money raised will go towards Allergy UK’s £1 million Nurses Appeal, for which Izzy is fronting the campaign as allergy is a subject very close to her heart.

Izzy says: “I am really pleased that it went well on the day and that I came in under my target of 3 hours and 30 minutes. All the training I have done since January definitely paid off. I am so grateful to everyone who sponsored me and donated money and prizes. A special thanks to Eleanor for training me, to Dermot Murnaghan and Michelle Collins for their support and to Allergy UK who have been there helping me from the start. If I can help just one family with a child with anaphylaxis or allergy then it will all have been worth it”.

Rebecca Carey, Fundraising Manager for Allergy UK say “Izzy is incredible! She has been such an inspirational supporter of Allergy UK and is so determined to spread the word about the vital support we provide to all those suffering from allergy and intolerance. She already has ideas for her next fundraising challenge and is holding a collection at Sainsbury’s in Finsbury Park on the 1st and 2nd of June. There is no stopping her!”

The money Izzy raised will be dedicated to the Allergy UK Nurses Appeal which will see specialist Allergy UK nurses placed in the heart of communities across the UK. Each nurse, funded by Allergy UK for three years, will support GP’s and Primary Care teams by providing dedicated care and support to over 1,000 sufferers and their families each year, saving the NHS both time and money.

Allergy UK is the leading national medical charity providing advice, information and support to people with allergies and food intolerance. With one in three of us being affected by allergies at some point in our lives the charity knows first-hand how important accessible dedicated allergy advice is from a health care professional. With so few allergy specialists through the whole of the UK, Allergy UK provides vital support to all those affected by allergies and food intolerance, no matter where they live. Allergy UK makes a difference through a dedicated helpline (01322 619898) and by providing information and guidance to empower sufferers, so that they can manage their symptoms and receive appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

To find out more about Allergy UK visit www.allergyuk.org or to support Izzy visit: www.justgiving.com/Isobel-Mills1

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Press enquiries:

Alison Parham (Communications Officer) or Sophie Williams (PR Assistant), Allergy UK

T: 01322 611 655, E: press@allergyuk.org

Notes to editors:

Allergy UK is the operational name of the British Allergy Foundation; the leading national medical charity providing advice, information and support to people with allergies and food intolerance. Allergy UK acts as the 'voice' of allergy sufferers, representing the views and needs of those affected by this multi organ disease. Allergy UK is a certified member of The Information Standard, which is an independent certification scheme for health and social care information supported by the Department of Health. For further information and to see a list of all certified members to the scheme, please visit: www.theinformationstandard.org

Allergy UK makes a difference by:

Awareness was key and what better way to raise awareness than sharing the experiences of real people with real-life stories? We’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with families and individuals who have contacted us through social media or our national helpline. We would like to thank all those that have stepped up to tell their touching story in order to raise awareness and reach out to others.

We’ve hit the headlines in regional and national press and through the radio airwaves across the country! It’s all been go, go, go here in the press office but aside from the success of the national media coverage, we’ve also seen a great response from our online followers.

We like to think of our Facebook page as a place where allergy sufferers and parents of children with allergy can come for information, new resources, updates on our work and to see what others are up to in the allergy community. During Allergy Awareness Week, we updated our page with information from the Nurses Appeal which launched on Monday 22nd April. We provided links to listen live when our experts were on air on the radio and even circulated our brilliant new appeal video which has reached an astonishing 14,000 Facebook users and is still being shared! Head over to our Facebook page to watch and share the video with others.

Twitter has seen plenty of action too and we’ve been busy hash-tagging for the appeal. There’s been a fantastic increase in Allergy UK’s followers this week and people have been responding to our tweets. It’s been really great to see such much engagement with our online community. It’s especially rewarding when people show their support, so if you’re on Twitter, why not give us a follow and #LetsFightAllergy together.

We’ve also been working with some fabulous bloggers who have backed our Nurses Appeal by blogging about our campaign. Thanks to their support we are spreading the message even further. If you would like to join our team of allergy bloggers, please get in touch with us (press@allergyuk.org) as we’re always on the lookout for more people with creative, new ideas.

Any support that you can give for the Nurses Appeal will be greatly appreciated. If you’re on Facebook, please do keep sharing the video - the more views we have the more we can demonstrate the need for better support for allergy sufferers! Don’t forget to spread the word on Twitter too, let’s get #LetsFightAllergy trending.

Thank you to everyone for your support so far…now let’s really see how far we can spread the word for our fantastic new campaign online!

The measles vaccine is not grown in whole eggs, but in cells which are derived from hens – and these cells do NOT contain any egg protein. Therefore, the MMR vaccine is safe in all egg-allergic children (including those with severe allergy) and all egg-allergic children should have the vaccine.

The administration of the MMR vaccine to egg-allergic children has an excellent safety record and may be administered to all egg-allergic children as a routine procedure in primary care.

For further information please contact our helpline on: 01322 619898.

If you have been prescribed an Epi-pen or Jext auto injector we recommend that you watch a demonstration video via our adrenaline auto injectors factsheet.

If you would like any more support or advice with your allergies or on the use of your auto-injector please call our helpline on 01322 619898.

Click the button below to download your Adrenaline Auto-Injector Poster
 

We are launching our £1million Nurses Appeal to help us to fund Allergy UK nurses within local communities across the Britain. Our aim is to raise all-important funds so that we can really make a difference to allergy sufferers, by funding specialist allergy nurses in local communities.

Following reports written over the last 10 years including ‘Allergy – the Unmet Need’ (2003), two parliamentary Health Select Committee investigations in 2004 and 2007 and recent research evidence, it was very clear that advice and support for those suffering with allergies are still very much needed in various regions in the UK. We hope that by raising funds, we can fund allergy nurses who will be able to offer the much needed support and advice to those living with allergy, who have up until now, often felt lonely and isolated.

Wherever you are in the UK and whatever you are doing during Allergy Awareness Week – you will have the opportunity to hear about our appeal on the radio, read about us in the press or share our story on social media. We will also be raising awareness on TV about the week to spread the message about the appeal and how people can help.

We’ve already got some really exciting fundraising events lined up including young allergy sufferers, Izzy Mills, a 12-year-girl from London. Izzy is aiming to raise money for Allergy UK by rowing the distance of the channel on a rowing machine. We’ll be there to cheer Izzy on so watch this space to find out how she got on. We have some great activities in the pipeline but we’re always on the lookout for new fundraisers and their creative ideas to raise money!

So if you believe in our vision and you want to get behind our fight against allergy visit our website and find out how you can start supporting the appeal today!

Thank you for your support and welcome aboard as we take the first steps towards establishing the role of the Allergy UK nurse.

Izzy is aiming to raise over £1,000 to help those with allergies as she suffers from life-threatening anaphylaxis. Izzy and her family are very wary of what and where she eats which makes everyday activities a challenge, such as attending parties and eating out with friends.

Izzy said: “I am really excited by the challenge to row the distance of the English Channel. I want to help Allergy UK boost awareness of the impact allergies have on people’s lives and also raise as much money as I can. The support they provide is vital to allergy sufferers such as myself.”

Rebecca Carey, Fundraising Manager for Allergy UK said: “I am so humbled by Izzy’s commitment and dedication. It is an incredible challenge, but Izzy’s enthusiasm and passion is amazing!”

Allergy UK is the leading national medical charity providing advice, information and support to people with allergies and food intolerance. With one in three of us being affected by allergies at some point in our lives the charity knows first-hand how important accessible dedicated allergy advice is from a health care professional. Allergy UK provides vital support to all those affected by allergies and food intolerance, no matter where they live. Allergy UK makes a difference through a dedicated helpline (01322 619898) and by providing information and guidance to empower sufferers, so that they can manage their symptoms and receive appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

To find out more about Allergy UK visit www.allergyuk.org or to support Izzy visit: www.justgiving.com/Isobel-Mills1. Izzy would love for people to attend on the day to cheer her on and support her fundraising. She looks forward to seeing you there.

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Press enquiries:

Alison Parham: T: 01322 611655, E: press@allergyuk.org

Notes to editors:

 Allergy UK is the operational name of the British Allergy Foundation; the leading national medical charity providing advice, information and support to people with allergies and food intolerance. Allergy UK acts as the 'voice' of allergy sufferers, representing the views and needs of those affected by this multi organ disease. Allergy UK is a certified member of The Information Standard, which is an independent certification scheme for health and social care information supported by the Department of Health. For further information and to see a list of all certified members to the scheme, please visit: www.theinformationstandard.org

Allergy UK makes a difference by:

Allergy UK carried out national research [1] amongst allergy sufferers to assess their experiences of current allergy services. The research found many adult sufferers and parents of children with allergies are left to manage their allergies, some of which can be life threatening, with little advice, knowledge or support.

Although the research findings indicate that waiting times for an initial paediatric appointment has improved, sadly children have to wait between one and two years for a follow up appointment. This is a worryingly long time, particularly for those whose children have life-threatening allergies.

Sufferers who are able to access allergy services, report having to travel long distances to reach them. For many adult sufferers there are no allergy specialists available, and parents expressed real concern about the care their child will receive when they reach the age of 18. Allergy UK warns that with 50% of children in the UK suffering from allergy[2] this is a ticking time bomb for allergy services in the future.

The charity says better support is needed at Primary Care level for GPs, health visitors and practice nurses to help meet the growing demands of an increasingly complex disease. GPs are usually the first port of call when people experience allergic symptoms. Yet many GPs, health visitors and practice nurses do not have the time or specialised training required to undertake allergy consultations, which take at least 40 minutes per patient.

With the research highlighting sufferers’ desperate need for help and intervention, Allergy UK have today launched a nationwide fundraising appeal to raise £1million to provide specialist allergy nurses within communities across the UK. The charity is taking action after listening and responding to the voice of the allergy sufferer through its surveys, online forum and national helpline.

Allergy UK’s nurses will provide diagnosis for those suffering symptoms of allergy and will advise on treatment and management. They will ensure more complex cases are referred to the most appropriate specialist, where necessary. Patients who have seen an allergy specialist will receive advice and support during the long interval between appointments. Crucially, those admitted to their local A&E department due to an allergic reaction will receive fast track support and assistance from the Allergy UK nurse.

The nurses will help to support GPs to meet the challenge the current allergy epidemic is placing on them within an already overloaded Primary Care health system. They will play a vital role within the local community advising nurseries, schools and community groups on ways to ensure the safety of highly allergic children.

Without appropriate treatment, allergic asthma, rhinitis, eczema and food allergy, can lead to chronic ill health. Many are also at risk of life-threatening anaphylaxis unless managed correctly.

The research also revealed how the multi-organ disease, which affects almost half the population, is impacting on the quality of life of sufferers affecting their work, education and social life. The UK has the highest prevalence of allergy in Europe and ranks among highest in the world[3]. Allergic diseases have increased globally with 30-40% of the world population affected by one or more allergic conditions[4].

Allergy UK’s CEO, Jim Bennett said: “Allergy can be life-threatening so a lack of diagnosis and support is extremely frightening for sufferers. Allergy affects millions of people in the UK which has a severe impact upon their everyday lives and prolongs unnecessary suffering.   

“Allergy UK has listened to allergy sufferers. We believe having dedicated allergy nurses working within the community will provide a practical way forward. We’re leading the fight against allergy but we cannot do this on our own. We want people to join us and help to reach our £1million target, so we can make change happen.”

Allergy UK is the leading national medical charity providing advice, information and support to people with allergies and food intolerance. Allergy UK acts as the 'voice' of allergy sufferers, representing the views and needs of those affected by this multi organ disease.

Allergy UK makes a difference through a dedicated helpline and network for sufferers. The charity provides invaluable information and guidance to empower sufferers so that they can manage their symptoms and receive appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

This Allergy Awareness Week, Allergy UK is encouraging everyone to join in leading the fight against allergies. To get involved and receive a fundraising pack, visit: www.allergyuk.org or call 01322 619898. However large or small, your support really will make a difference.

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Press enquiries, case studies and further information:

Sara Howard (Senior Account Director), Popcorn PR

T: 01494 358150, E:  sara.howard@popcornpr.co.uk

Notes to editors:

About Allergy UK:

Allergy UK is the operational name of the British Allergy Foundation; the leading national medical charity providing advice, information and support to people with allergies and food intolerance. Allergy UK acts as the 'voice' of allergy sufferers, representing the views and needs of those affected by this multi organ disease. Allergy UK is a certified member of The Information Standard, which is an independent certification scheme for health and social care information supported by the Department of Health. For further information and to see a list of all certified members to the scheme, please visit: www.theinformationstandard.org

Allergy UK makes a difference by:

[1] Research carried out by Allergy UK, January to March 2013 amongst 1960 allergy sufferers.

[2] Punekar Y.S. and Sheikh, A. Clin Exp Allergy (2009)

[3] Allergy: the Unmet Need (2003)

[4] The White Book on Allergy (2011)

But for our two Allergy UK London Marathon runners, this could make their 26.2 mile run this Sunday 21 April even more challenging. After months of pounding the streets in the wet, cold and often snowy conditions, the sudden increase in temperature will bring the cheering crowds flooding out to encourage the 36,000 runners along this famous route, but could leave the runners battling conditions they are just not used too. They will have to remember to take on more fluids and even wear sun cream, rather than piling on the layers like they will have been doing.

This is exactly what happened when I completed the London Marathon myself in 2005 so I know exactly how they will be feeling this week. The excitement and anticipation of the big day looming, along with the lack of runs which will have become very much part of their weekly routine, all add up and will get their brains thinking and their hearts racing. It is a truly amazing event. If you could bottle the sensation you get when crossing the finish line, you would be a millionaire!

We are all wishing Alex and Karren the best of luck and will report back on how they both got on. Go Team Allergy UK!

I was due to run the London Marathon again this year, but had to pull out due to injury. So I keep thinking I should turn my exercise routine to another discipline and I keep contemplating cycling. The first issue I have is that I currently don’t have a bike and the second is that, if I did, as I have not ridden in years I may even have to get the stabilisers out to begin with!

But is seems that cycling continues to increase in popularity, as we only have two spaces left in this year’s Nightrider event on 8 – 9 June. This 100km route through historic London is something not to miss! The team members we have already signed up are busily training and fundraising and very much looking forward to the event which is only eight weeks away. To join them, sign up today. Who knows, I may see you there next year?!

We are only a few days away from this year’s Allergy Awareness Week from 22 – 28 April. Allergy UK HQ is buzzing with volunteers stuffing envelopes, staff frantically typing emails and making numerous calls as this year’s awareness week is extra special, but you will have to come back to find out more as it’s still under wraps!

As always though, we are encouraging everyone to help raise us raise money and awareness this Allergy Awareness week by holding a fundraising event to engage those that may not understand the full impact of having an allergy or intolerance. Why don’t you join in? Together we can make an even bigger impact!

That is all from me for now but make sure you come back for my next instalment of all things fundraising. Remember to sign up for a fundraising pack or for Nightrider 2013.

We look forward to welcoming you to Team Allergy UK!

Allergy UK is a member of the NASG, an alliance of professional organisations including the BSACI (British Society for Allergy & Clinical Immunology) and patient charities such as the Anaphylaxis Campaign. The meeting was attended by sufferers, carers of sufferers, specialists, nurses, doctors and opened by MP and Chair of the All Party Group for Allergy, Jon Cruddas.

The meeting highlighted the limited progress that has been made in the development of allergy services within the NHS since the first report, Allergy the Unmet Need (2003).

The report stated clearly that action needed to be taken but a decade on there is still so much more to do. Many sufferers and carers of sufferers spoke passionately about their experiences. Hearing their harrowing first-hand accounts, reinforced the vital importance to campaign further for better and more accessible allergy services across the UK.

Roy Dudley-Southern, who recently joined Allergy UK’s Board of Trustees also spoke about the lessons learnt from the North West Project, a pilot allergy centre in North West England. Reflecting on the day, he said that although “the actions that need to be taken to move forward were clearly highlighted, it will depend on the will, centrally, to address those issues.”

It is part of our core objectives to campaign for improved services for allergy sufferers. We firmly believe services must be developed and we will be working closely with our partners in the NASG to formulate a focussed and effective campaign. We will be asking for the help of you, our supporters, to achieve this. We know there is so much more to do, and so much that can be achieved but together we can achieve a great deal more. 

The national charity is expressing concern, after new research revealed that 44% of individuals who class themselves as dairy intolerant, are self-diagnosed, relying on the internet and non-conventional methods of diagnosis[i].

Allergy UK has highlighted an urgent need for more credible information and guidance from qualified health professionals.

72% of those suffering from dairy intolerance symptoms have removed all dairy sources from their diet, the main source of calcium in the UK, and a further 25% have cut out some dairy food groups.

The reason so many are opting for a dairy free diet, is that they are trying to find a solution to an ongoing health problem.

Gut symptoms, including stomach or abdominal discomfort, bloating and diarrhoea were the main reasons for individuals going dairy free. Eczema and nasal/sinus congestion were the fourth and fifth most common symptoms.

Over half of those surveyed (54%) said there wasn’t enough advice out there for dairy intolerance sufferers.  In particular, they were seeking more information on calcium, recipes, suitable dairy swaps and ideas for eating out.

Lindsey McManus, Deputy CEO, Allergy UK said: “The results are worrying. Food intolerance is an increasingly common condition. It is vital that the front-line healthcare professionals, such as, GPs and Practice Nurses, receive more support in this area. More credible and easily accessible resources need to be made available to ensure sufferers receive the correct advice and are signposted to appropriate resources of information.”

“To help identify whether food is a cause of symptoms, a food/symptoms diary can help to identify a pattern. We would always recommend taking the diary to your GP (or allergy specialist) who can diagnose what may be causing the symptoms or refer to a dietitian.”

Three quarters (75%) of the individuals surveyed said their preference was to be assessed through a face-to-face consultation with a health professional, written materials and online support were also key.

Kate Arthur, dietitian from Alpro, who funded the research said: “Promisingly, the research did show that soya dairy free alternatives are the number one choice for the majority of individuals avoiding dairy, but when cutting out dairy foods from the diet, it is particularly important to ensure they are replaced with suitable dairy free alternatives. Following a nutritionally balanced dairy free diet can be achieved if sufferers are provided with credible advice and have access to information from health professionals.”

For more information on dairy intolerance including downloadable factsheets visit: www.allergyuk.org, or call Allergy UK’s helpline (01322 619898) which can offer further guidance or provide details of allergy clinics in the local area.

-ends-

Press enquiries:

Alison Parham (Communications Officer), Allergy UK or Sophie Williams (PR Assistant)

T: 01322 611 655, E: press@allergyuk.org

Notes to editors:

About Alpro:

Alpro UK has developed a dairy free website in collaboration with leading UK allergy specialist dietitians to help individuals wishing to go dairy free safely.  The website offers helpful tips and advice, highlighted in this survey as much needed by sufferers: calcium reckoner, dairy swaps, ingredients list checker, recipes and eating out.  Please visit: www.alpro.com/uk/lactose-dairy-free

About Allergy UK:

Allergy UK is the operational name of the British Allergy Foundation; the leading national medical charity providing advice, information and support to people with allergies and food intolerance. Allergy UK acts as the 'voice' of allergy sufferers, representing the views and needs of those affected by this multi organ disease. Allergy UK is a certified member of The Information Standard, which is an independent certification scheme for health and social care information supported by the Department of Health. For further information and to see a list of all certified members to the scheme, please visit: www.theinformationstandard.org

Allergy UK makes a difference by:

[i] Research conducted by Allergy UK amongst a base sample of 1,225 dairy intolerance sufferers January 2013

The research was funded by Alpro, a corporate partner of Allergy UK. For more information on Alpro products visit www.alpro.com/uk/lactose-dairy-free

It’s all about food at this time of year. With Pancake Day and Valentine’s Day, this week has gone from producing the perfect pancake, to deciding what to dish up as a delicious romantic meal for two.

I remember a few years ago trying to make egg and milk free, buckwheat pancakes. Unfortunately, they were so tough they could have been mistaken for boot leather! Thankfully things have moved on since then. There are many great substitutes available now that you can make a good ‘free from’ pancake with. Check out the food allergy section on our website for more info on replacements for egg, milk and wheat under the relevant factsheet.

With romance in the air this Valentines Day, it would be great to hear your experiences of how you manage with food allergy or intolerance at this time of year. Often others don’t realise how difficult it can be when going on a date for someone with a food allergy, especially for the first time. How do you explain that there are certain things on the menu that you won’t be able to have in front of your new date?  Don’t be frightened to speak to the restaurant in advance, or just suggest going to a restaurant that you feel safe with.

Sharing a starter may be a romantic gesture but would be totally out of the question for an allergy sufferer due to the risk of cross contamination. Always makes sure you tell your date about your allergies, if they care enough about you, they would want to know.

Probably the most embarrassing aspect of all, is having to ask someone to wash their mouth after eating something you are allergic to in anticipation of a goodnight kiss. If they know about your allergies from the start, there shouldn’t need to be any uncomfortable explanations later.

Still on the subject of food, I am on the judging panel for the FreeFrom Food Award 2013 for Foods Matter. It is brilliant to see the breadth of products now available for allergy and intolerance sufferers. The judging day was held at their headquarters, and I joined the other judges in what I can only describe as a ‘free from’ food fest. Expecting to try a range of foods over the course of the day, I was amazed at the amount of products that had been entered in our category. After trying over 50 different products (yes, 50!) we had to debate which should win, be highly commended, commended or shortlisted.  The shortlist will be announced on 20th February, with the awards ceremony in April.

Allergy UK's Director of Clincial Services, Maureen Jenkins said: "This is exciting news for young children with venom allergy. We hope that more allergy centres will soon be able to offer this service to children - the sooner the treatment is given the better. Nobody should have to wait for this potentially life-saving treatment."

Extract from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust press release follows:

Paediatric researchers at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust have shown for the first time how successful treatment for insect sting allergy can be.

Their research, published as a Cochrane Review of seven trials involving almost 400 participants, concluded that venom immunotherapy prevents further allergic reactions, leading to improved quality of life for sufferers.

The review follows publication of NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) guidance which said that the therapy is cost effective in treating people who are anxious about having another allergic reaction. It said venom immunotherapy should be offered in specialist allergy centres to people who have had a severe reaction to bee or wasp venom, and in people who have had a moderate reaction and are at high risk of future stings or have anxiety about future stings.

Dr Robert Boyle, a consultant paediatric allergist at the Trust who led the review, said: “These important papers show that the treatment is highly effective and should be offered to patients by specialist centres such as ours at St Mary’s Hospital.”

One per cent of people are affected by a reaction to insect stings during their lifetime, suffering a rash, breathing difficulties or life-threatening anaphylactic shock. A small number of people in the UK die each year as a result.

Venom immunotherapy, which involves injections of tiny amounts of the insect sting venom given to the patient to build up immunity, has been available for 30 years, although it has not been clear until now how safe or effective it is in preventing future allergic reactions.

Dr Boyle said: “Insect sting reactions are rarely fatal even if you have an allergy, so offering immunotherapy on the NHS may not seem cost effective. However, it makes a huge difference to patients’ quality of life once you factor in the high levels of anxiety that patients suffer around the possibility of being stung again.

“Until now treatment has been offered if someone has suffered a severe allergic reaction to an insect sting, although access to treatment is quite limited in the UK. These two papers have changed the approach – now if people who have had a reaction to a sting are anxious about future reactions, there is a rationale for offering treatment to these people too.”

He added: “Many GPs are unaware of the treatment so they don’t suggest it to patients. There is a service for adults in many large cities but only four centres in the UK treat children, including our centre at St Mary’s Hospital.”

Read the full article

See our factsheet on Wasps and Bee Stings in Children

FSA story follows: 

Reminder for those with food allergies

The Food Standards Agency is urging people with food allergies to always check the ingredients when eating out. This advice follows recent cases of severe and fatal allergic reactions.

Almost three quarters of food allergic reactions happen when people eat out. Even though similar meals are sold in many shops, supermarkets and restaurants, different recipes and ingredients can be used to make these dishes.

Which is why it is vital, if you have a food allergy, to always ask about the ingredients used in a dish, when eating at a restaurant or food outlet.

Even if you have eaten a particular dish in one restaurant, don’t assume it will have the same ingredients the next time or in a different restaurant.

Take steps to stay safe

Here are some things you should do when eating out:

Read the full FSA article 

For more information on living with food allergy see our advice on General Avoidance

One of the founders of FABED recently visited our office to share her family’s experiences of living with Eosinophilic Gastro-Intestinal Disorder (EGID). 

This is a severe inflammatory disorder that can affect any part of the gastro-intestinal tract, i.e., oesophagus - Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE or EE); stomach &/or the small intestine – Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis (EG) or the colon – Eosinophilic Colitis.(EC).  Eosinophils are specific white blood cells that cause inflammation. 

Symptoms are varied and can include any of the following:

Other symptoms seen by some UK parents are: sore throat; mouth ulcers; fatigue / lethargy and behavioural problems.

Classically, children and even adults affected by this disorder can suffer for a very long time before receiving a correct diagnosis.  This is complicated by the fact that any of the symptoms can be seen in other conditions so an understanding of the disease pattern and association of symptoms is necessary. 

Patients should ideally have food allergy tests (skin prick or RAST) but these may not show the culprit foods.  The definitive diagnostic test is an endoscopy when a tiny fibre-optic camera looks at the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum or the colon to identify the associated inflammation and takes a small biopsy (tissue sample), which is tested.

If a food or foods have been shown positive on testing, then these are strictly removed from the diet.  Otherwise, because food allergy associated with EGID is likely not to show on a conventional allergy test, an elimination diet is usually tried under expert medical supervision.  There are various drugs that may be tried although nothing specifically for this disorder.

Through their own traumatic experiences of caring for children with EGID and fighting for appropriate referral and diagnosis, the founders of FABED have formed strong links with the leading specialist at Great Ormond Street and begun educating health professionals as well as supporting sufferers and their families.  If your baby or child is having persistent feeding-related problems with some of the above symptoms and you are receiving no explanation from your doctor then FABED may be able to offer advice http://www.fabed.co.uk/patient-info.html

As 2012 draws to a close, we can look back and think ‘wow, what a year!’ The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic and Paralympics will certainly be what people remember about 2012.

For us at Allergy UK it has been equally exciting. We launched our new-look website in April, hosting 130 factsheets on all aspects of allergy and food intolerance, and appointed four new Trustees who compliment the skills of our Board to help us move forward. Our fundraising campaigns have been very successful due to the commitment and determination of our supporters. 

Throughout the year we’ve been involved in exciting projects and have represented the organisation not only in the UK but also in Europe. As part of our membership with EFA (European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Associations) Allergy UK has been involved in activities that we hope will affect decisions made at European parliamentary level.  The most interesting being the event on food allergen labelling at the European Parliament.  The event ‘May Contains/Contains – Food Allergen Labelling’, highlighted the difficulties surrounding mandatory labelling of allergens in pre-packed foods and precautionary or ‘may contain’ labelling.  With the new EU regulations coming into force in December 2014 we hope that it will make it easier for people with food allergies to identify ingredients they need to avoid. However, we are continuing to fight for a better way to show ‘precautionary’ or ‘may contain labelling.’

We have made our voice heard through the media and have been able to raise awareness of allergy through case studies. As the leading charity in allergy we are pleased to be approached for our opinions on the latest research and comments on allergic conditions.

We have been out and about raising awareness of our work at events such as the Allergy Show in both London and Liverpool, and an allergy awareness day at the Evelina Children’s hospital at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital. We have also met with healthcare professionals at an event at the Royal College of Paediatric Health and spoke at allergy conferences. Our Deputy CEO, Lindsey McManus has been busy visiting schools to better educate primary school children on allergy.

We have seen some exciting inroads in allergy research. The University of Edinburgh released research on the role of dendritic cells in suppressing allergy and ground-breaking research from Southampton General hospital made the discovery that allergies such as asthma and eczema are gender related rather than simply hereditary. 

2013 is looking to be equally busy as we continue to lead the fight against allergy and meet the needs of the allergy sufferer.

Dusting Down

The Christmas countdown starts when the decorations go up. But  dusting off decorations housed in the loft for the past year can trigger a severe reaction for house dust mite or asthma sufferers. Disturbing house dust mites can aggravate respiratory conditions, as tiny particles become airborne and can enter the nose and lungs. Shaking your artificial tree or decorations outside and vacuuming your artificial tree is a good idea but you should always ask someone without allergies to help to reduce the risk of a reaction.

Problem Pets

If your allergic symptoms are sparked by animals like dogs and cats, steering clear of domestic pets will probably be second nature to you. But do you exercise as much caution at Christmas? Allergy UK’s Deputy CEO, Lindsey McManus warns: “We all tend to relax around Christmas and make exceptions. People may tolerate pets when visiting friends and family at Christmas as they don’t want to cause a fuss. We would advise people use the same vigilance in the festive season as they do all year around to minimise contact with problem allergens.” See our tips for avoiding respiratory allergens to minimise your exposure.

Oh Christmas Tree!

Many of us love that fresh pine scent of a real Christmas tree, with the feeling of bringing the great outdoors into our homes. But for some allergy sufferers, pine trees can cause havoc with their symptoms. Those with perennial allergic rhinitis can react to mould spores which can grow on the soil in the bucket. Cover the surface of soil with a layer pea shingle if you react to mould. For others, they have to stay well away from pine trees completely, as the sticky sap released can cause a runny nose, streaming eyes and skin rashes.

The Alternative Turkey Dinner

The UK’s traditional Christmas dinner of turkey with all the trimmings is what Christmas is all about for many people. But for those with severe food allergies or intolerances turkey, gravy, yorkshire puddings or vegetables can be off the menu. Sufferer, Jennie Wright says: “My allergies effect Christmas as I have to be the odd one out who can't eat sprouts or Christmas pudding. I manage by ensuring that I stay away from these foods and eat alternative such as cabbage and fruit flan instead.”

The Hidden Allergens

Those with food allergies and intolerances can find things really tough at Christmas, where there’s greater exposure to allergens like nuts and sulphites. Sufferers are also exposed to allergens hidden within the ingredients in seasonal foods. For example, mince pies and Christmas pudding contain sulphites and nuts, and sausage rolls contain milk. Then there are nibbles which can carry the risk of cross contamination when everyone is sharing different food.

Lindsey McManus says allergy sufferers can make the most of the festive season by pre-planning and exercising caution: “Christmas can be more enjoyable for allergy sufferers by planning food and drink in advance. We don’t want sufferers to isolate themselves this Christmas; there are a great range of alternatives on the market that they can take along to the festivities.”

For more information on avoiding trigger food, please see our factsheet on Living with Food Allergy