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When I was a child, I used to think it would be quite cool to be allergic to something – especially if it was something I didn’t like like fish or mushrooms – then nobody could make me eat them any more!
Of course the reality is that being allergic to anything is rubbish.
I had my first allergic reaction in my teens when we discovered I was allergic to the antibiotic, Augmentin. It wasn’t a major reaction, I just came out in a rash all over my body and we learned that I should avoid that particular medication in the future.
Patch tests for eczema treatment
I had some “patch tests” with the dermatologist when I was about 14 to see if we could find out what was causing my eczema to be so bad. They added a wide range of allergens to my skin and then covered them up with a huge plaster for a few days to see what would react (the patch tests were done on my back so that I couldn’t scratch at them!). This is similar to a skin prick allergy test however the skin isn’t broken during patch tests. The tests showed up a minor rubber allergy which was nothing really to worry about but was a lesson in not using rubber bands on my watch strap and making sure I was careful in my choice of gloves when it comes to cleaning in later life!
Allergy testing allows my allergies to be treated effectively
I’ve definitely become more allergic as I’ve got older and in adulthood I’m allergic to dogs, suffer from hayfever and am somewhere in the region of 1000x more allergic to dust than the average person. What used to just aggravate my asthma and make me sneeze occasionally now leaves me with outbreaks of urticaria which can last weeks or even months, and needs steroid treatment to get it under control. My dust allergy was identified thanks to some blood tests done by my GP but you can actually do allergy tests at home too. Once the specific cause of my reactions was identified we were able to treat it more effectively and I was also able to make adjustments at home to minimise my contact with certain allergens (hiring a cleaner was a game changer for my dust allergy).
How my allergies are treated
None of my allergies are life threatening, they’re just irritating. They make life uncomfortable and frustrating and mean I live on a high dose antihistamine 365 days a year.
I take Fexofenadine every night and have found this really keeps the situation under control but I do still have to be careful – even with my regular, daily anthistamine tablet I have to avoid doing things like emptying the vacumm cleaner and dusting or my urticaria will flare up.
Thanks to the hardcore treatment of my dust allergy, I tend to find that I don’t suffer so much during hayfever season as I used to. That said, the itchy mouth is killer this year so if you’ve got any tips for that one I’d love to know! Alongside my prescribed antihistamine, I keep hayfever eye drops in the fridge and have recently started using the new Kleenex allergy wipes which are great (keep them in the fridge too for extra soothing!)
Allergies in my children
Whilst Dave and the girls are happily allergy free, Ben seems to be taking after me. I often describe him as being a “typical ginger” in the summer – by which I mean his pale skin is sensitive and the summer does him no favours. He suffers terribly from hay-fever from about April, is allergic to nettles and many sun-creams, and will often just come out in a rash for no obvious reason during the summer months. But does this mean that he spends the summer shut away indoors? No does it heck. He sticks a hat on, doses up on antihistamine and gets himself outside to have fun.
Allergy testing could help you keep your allergies under control
As someone with allergies it would be easy to spend your life avoiding the things you think will trigger a reaction – pets, pollen, dust. . . But it’s not always so easy to isolate the cause – I thought my urticaria was stress related for months until blood tests showed otherwise. Getting tested to identify exactly what you’re allergic to will help you to find the right treatment and help you get on with your life without becoming a slave to allergens.
