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Allergy guides
22 plain-English, evidence-linked guides in Allergy, with clinical review status shown on each page.
Allergy consultation (Specialist allergy assessment (allergy-focused clinical history and examination))A specialist appointment to work out whether your symptoms are caused by an allergy, what the trigger might be, and what tests and management would actually help.Allergy injections (subcutaneous immunotherapy) (Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT))A course of injections of a small, gradually increasing amount of an allergen, given in a specialist clinic to make your immune system react less strongly to it over time.Anaphylaxis assessment and adrenaline pen training (Anaphylaxis risk assessment and adrenaline auto-injector (AAI) management)A specialist allergy appointment to work out what causes your severe reactions, plan how to avoid triggers, and train you to use an adrenaline pen safely in an emergency.Angioedema (deep swelling) assessment (Angioedema assessment)A specialist assessment of episodes of deep swelling — often of the lips, eyes, tongue or throat — to find the cause, check for less common types, and plan the right treatment, which differs depending on the type.Asthma and allergy assessment (Assessment of allergic asthma and aeroallergen sensitisation)A specialist assessment of how allergies and asthma affect each other, using your history, breathing tests and selective allergy testing to find triggers and improve control.Bee and wasp sting allergy testing and treatment (Hymenoptera venom allergy testing and venom immunotherapy (VIT))Specialist testing to confirm a serious allergy to bee or wasp stings, and a course of injections (venom immunotherapy) that can greatly reduce the risk of a serious reaction to a future sting.Chronic hives (urticaria) assessment (Chronic urticaria assessment)An allergy or skin specialist assessment to confirm long-lasting hives, look for any trigger or linked condition, and plan treatment — which is usually antihistamine-led rather than about allergy.Component-resolved allergy testing (Component-resolved diagnostics (molecular allergology))A more detailed blood test that measures antibodies to individual proteins within an allergen, used by specialists to refine an allergy diagnosis and judge risk when simpler tests are unclear.Drug allergy testing and challenge (Drug allergy investigation (skin testing and drug provocation/challenge))A specialist process to work out whether you are truly allergic to a medicine, using your history, skin tests and, if needed, a carefully supervised drug challenge.Drug provocation testing (drug challenge) (Drug provocation test (DPT) / supervised drug challenge)A carefully supervised test that gives you a medicine in gradually increasing doses to confirm or rule out a true allergy when other tests cannot.Food allergy assessment and management (Food allergy diagnosis and management (IgE and non-IgE mediated))A specialist assessment to find out which foods cause your or your child's allergic reactions, followed by a plan to avoid them safely and treat any reactions.Food intolerance assessment (Assessment of suspected food intolerance)A careful assessment of symptoms linked to food, to tell true intolerance from food allergy and other causes, and to plan a sensible, evidence-based approach — not a high-street 'intolerance' blood test.Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) management (Allergic rhinitis management)A stepwise approach to controlling hay fever symptoms, starting with simple treatments and reserving immunotherapy for stubborn cases under specialist care.House dust mite allergy managementWays to control symptoms caused by an allergy to house dust mites, from reducing exposure and using medicines to, in severe cases, immunotherapy started by a specialist.Intradermal allergy testing (Intradermal (intracutaneous) skin testing for allergy)A test where tiny amounts of a suspected allergen are injected just under the skin to look for an allergic reaction, used mainly for drug and insect-venom allergy when skin prick testing is not enough.Latex allergy assessment (Natural rubber latex allergy assessment)A specialist assessment, using your history and allergy tests, to find out whether you are allergic to natural rubber latex and how to manage it.Oral food challenge (Supervised oral food challenge (food provocation test))The most reliable way to confirm or rule out a food allergy, by giving gradually increasing amounts of the food under close medical supervision in a unit equipped to treat a reaction.Oral immunotherapy (desensitisation) for food allergy (Oral immunotherapy (OIT) for food allergy)A specialist treatment that gives gradually increasing amounts of a food allergen to reduce the severity of reactions to accidental exposure; it desensitises rather than cures.Penicillin allergy testing (Penicillin (beta-lactam) allergy assessment and de-labelling)A specialist assessment to check whether a penicillin allergy label is correct, so that an unnecessary label can be safely removed and your antibiotic choices widened.Pet (animal) allergy management (Animal (pet) allergy management)Ways to control symptoms caused by an allergy to animals such as cats and dogs, from reducing exposure and using medicines to, in selected cases, immunotherapy.Specific IgE blood tests (Allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) blood testing)A blood test that measures antibodies to specific allergens to help diagnose allergy, used alongside your symptoms rather than on its own.Under-the-tongue allergy treatment (sublingual immunotherapy) (Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT))A daily tablet or drops placed under the tongue that, over years, makes your immune system react less to an allergen such as grass pollen or house dust mite.
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