The Wall of Allergy Wisdom

That epiPens hurt! That you feel amazing afterwards, and that you can then crash hard.

I wish I knew that the key to good allergy care is doing my own research and speaking to charities like Allergy UK to push for the variety of treatment options, instead of relying on GPs and asthma nurses to tell me what I needed . I wish I had known about the fatigue allergies cause. I have spent years confused by how little energy I had. Knowing about co-factors (eg stress, over exercising, tiredness) and stacking allergies would have made a big difference too. I could have planned how to manage myself a lot better with this knowledge.

I wish I knew how to prevent my little grandson from developing a severe peanut and nut allergy. Was there advice I could have given my daughter during her pregnancy. Was there information I should have sought. Now I wish I knew how to keep him safe when he is in the care of others- school, peers, other adults, sports coaches, friends parents, anyone who he depends on to keep him safe, when not with us his family . It’s terrifying when you witness how people who are supposed to keep him safe can actually put him at risk!

I wish that someone had explained to me that sometimes an allergy will start off with no symptoms, and then gradually symptoms start to emerge, building each time a product/hayfever is used, and gets worse leading to Anaphylactic shock. I thought an allergy started the first time with evidence.

I wish my son didn’t have his wheat allergy and that I was more sympathetic to people with allergies before my son had one. Having one has turned my life upside down and affected the way we travel, and live. I am slowly getting more confidence travelling but it doesn’t take much to have a set back. I wish people knew the difference between sensitivity and allergy.

That the food you eat as a breastfeeding mother can effect your baby who has allergies. I was told by GP's this was unlikely and my baby had ezcema. I wish I followed my instances sooner. My baby did have eczema and was given loads of different creams to try but I was never advised about the link of food allergies. Through blood test we know & it all makes sense to me that what I was eating and feeding my baby was effecting her skin condition. Follow your instances and be persistent with thr GP's as soon as.

I wish I knew Dr Helen Allergy from day one, she has helped my son immeasurably and empowered us with more knowledge than we could have hoped to help us navigate this complex world! X

I wish I knew how to wean an allergy baby. I knew how to wean a baby, but trying to wean a baby with 5 different allergies and having to discover them in scary ways was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, especially when everyone else with babies around me didn’t seem to have allergies. I am so grateful to Allergy UK’s dietician service as my daughter is now 15 months and we are still no closer to getting a dietitian appointment through our GP.

There’s so much support out there don’t be alone just ask