Allergy

Our allergy practice consists of the diagnosis and management of:

  1. Inhalant Allergies

  2. Food Allergy and Intolerance

Inhalant allergies include allergens such as dust mites, pollens, moulds, pets like cats and dogs. Diagnosis is confirmed by blood tests called RAST which identifies and measures the specific IgE of the allergen in the blood. Treatment is by avoidance of the offending allergen if possible, and desensitisation, also known as immunotherapy.  Symptomatic relief with medications is an option.

Food Allergy and Intolerance: The majority of food allergy problems encountered are those referred to as food intolerance or hypersensitivity. These are also known as delayed or non-IgE mediated food allergy. Examples of these are:

  • Allergic Rhinitis and Rhino-conjunctivitis with typical symptoms of sneezing, itchy running nose, blocked nose,
  • Snoring
  • Recurrent Rhino-sinusitis
  • Recurrent cough and cold
  • Recurrent sore throat/pharyngitis/tonsillitis
  • Phlegm/clearing of the throat
  • Postnasal drip, loss of smell
  • Chronic cough, hoarseness of voice
  • Cranio-facial pains such as chronic headache, migraine, sinus pains, trigeminal neuralgia
  • Acute and chronic vertigo
  • Meniere’s Disease
  • Recurrent infective and serous otitis media
  • Eczema
  • IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Recurrent joint pain and swelling

Management of food allergy and intolerance is by identifying the offending foods by intradermal testing, followed by avoidance or, if avoidance is difficult, neutralisation.