Allergies and the immune system
Manage reactions to pollen, food and more. We’ll also help you understand how your body fends off infections.
How can we help you?
Tell me about allergies and intolerances
I think i’m having an allergic reaction
I want to stay in control of food allergies
Help me understand my immune system
Concerned about symptoms?
With or without insurance, we can help you
Act fast in an emergency
Call 999 if breathing is difficult, or your tongue or neck is swollen.
If you’re a Bupa health insurance customer
Speak to a nurse 24/7 on the Anytime HealthLine by calling 0345 601 3216.
On our Bupa Blua Health app† you can book unlimited GP appointments. Speak to a doctor on the phone or by video call.
If you don’t have health insurance with us
If you’ve got itchy skin or eyes, or you’re worried about a reaction, call the NHS helpline on 111.
Advice on allergies and intolerances
What you need to know about food allergies
Knowing if you’re allergic or intolerant is important as treatment for each of these conditions can be different.
Food allergies vs. intolerances
Read more about the key differences between food allergy and intolerance, so you know what to look out for.
Am I coeliac or gluten intolerant?
From bread to pasta, these foods can cause tummy pains, bloating and more.
Anaphylaxis: everything you need to know
How do you know if someone has anaphylaxis, and what can you do to help.
Understanding egg allergies in children
Most kids grow out of it, but until then it’s important to watch what they eat.
Managing milk allergies in children
From milk swaps to advice for new parents, we cover how to handle a milk allergy.
Feel unwell after eating? Keep your own food diary
Start logging what you eat and drink to help spot any symptom patterns.
Preparing for an allergy appointment with your GP
Watch in 5 mins
Dr Zoe provides guidance to prepare for a GP appointment if you suspect you might have an allergy or if you have an allergy and it's getting worse.
(subtle bright music) So if you're going to see your GP about an allergy, what GPs absolutely love is when you've kept a symptom diary because what this means is that you and the GP together can have a look at it and try and start to spot any patterns and identify what the allergens are, what's causing your allergy.
The common thing amongst all allergies is that the best way to treat them, if it's possible, is to avoid the allergen as much as possible.
So if you know what the thing is to avoid, then you can start to avoid it.
I always say, "Remember, there are two experts in that room.
" Whilst the doctor is an expert in medicine, you are an expert in you.
It's only you that knows the experience that you've had, so don't be afraid to share all of that information with the GP 'cause that's really helpful.
Most allergies are diagnosed based on the history, so they'll ask you lots of questions.
They might want to examine you.
If there's any signs to see at the moment, they want to listen to your chest if it's asthma, or examine your skin if you've got any rashes.
They may be able to make the diagnosis there, and then based on the history.
Sometimes if somebody has something like a severe allergy, anaphylaxis, then it's important to be referred to a specialist.
And sometimes there are tests that can help, not always, but sometimes.
So examples would be, sometimes with food allergies, a blood test or a skin prick test can be helpful.
Sometimes with skin allergies, something called a patch test where they leave a batch of different potential allergens on the skin to see what happens.
And then with asthma, respiratory tests like peak flow and spirometry.
So whilst for many allergies there aren't any tests that are helpful, for some, there are.
There are many different types of treatments for many different types of allergies.
So let's think about hay fever, you can take antihistamine tablets, you can use steroid nasal sprays, you can use eyedrops, all of which are available from the pharmacy.
You don't even really need to see the GP unless you have very severe symptoms or if those medicines aren't working.
Asthma, it's usually inhalers.
If you have allergies that affect the skin, then as well as avoiding the allergen, it may be emollient creams, sometimes steroid creams.
If you have food allergies, then it's strictly avoiding the food that you're allergic to.
I think the common thing amongst allergies is that if you are able to avoid the thing, the allergen, that's causing the allergy, then that's an important thing to do.
But it's not always possible.
One of the most important things to remember is if you have an allergy and if you are suffering and if it's affecting your quality of life, please do go and see a doctor or a nurse because there are lots of treatments, there are lots of things we can do.
And remember, you are an expert too.
You are the one who has been living with this thing, so share as much information as possible, keep a symptom diary.
And with the correct treatment, sometimes you can eradicate symptoms altogether, but usually you can at least lessen symptoms.
(bright subtle music)
Understanding your immune system
How can I help my immune system?
Find out how mental health, diet and exercise changes can help you.
Can cold weather make you ill?
Read about why we get more sick in winter and what you can do to try and avoid it.
How can I relieve my hayfever?
Runny noses, sore and itchy eyes – if this is you, try our tips to ease your symptoms.
Are there common seasonal bugs?
Discover which four illnesses are more common in winter and how to treat them.
Pneumonia or COVID-19?
What are the six signs of pneumonia? Plus, what makes it similar and different to COVID-19?
Do I have hayfever or COVID-19?
Get to know the symptoms of hayfever and how hayfever is differs from COVID-19.
Innate vs. adaptive immunity
Read about the different types of responses in the immune system.
Vitamin D: what you need to know
Why is vitamin D important, and what do you need to know before taking it?
How to cope with hayfever
Watch in 2 mins
Dr Zoe gives us her top tips on how to cope with hayfever and its symptoms.
(upbeat music) Here we are in this beautiful garden and the weather's glorious, and it's the start of summer, finally!
And many of us will be enjoying the warmer weather and lighter evenings and spending time outdoors.
But unfortunately for some, this time of year is also the start of hay fever season.
Hay fever is a condition caused by an allergic reaction to pollen and it affects a fifth of the UK population.
And there are many different types of pollen, but the main types that cause problems are those from trees and from grass.
Symptoms can include sneezing and coughing, runny blocked nose, itchy, red, or watery eyes, an itchy throat, itchy nose, itchy ears and more or lesser symptoms that aren't necessarily known by everyone, such as headaches, ear aches, and facial pain.
For those of you suffering with hay fever, it can really have a negative impact on your life.
So I'm gonna share with you my top tips to help you cope with hay fever this summer.
Check the pollen count.
By staying ahead of the forecast, you can make decisions about your exposure if the count is high.
Close your windows at home, especially at night, and also close the windows in the car, switch the air con on.
Wash away as much pollen as you can.
So when you come home, wash your hair, wash your clothes and don't dry your clothes outside.
Protect your eyes and nose by wearing wraparound sunglasses and a barrier balm in your nostrils and find medicines that work for you.
And here's the key thing, antihistamines and nasal sprays, which are the best first line treatments for hay fever, should be started about two weeks before your symptoms start.
So if you do that, you can expect your hay fever symptoms to be less, and you might completely keep them at bay altogether.
So cetirizine and loratadine are the best option for non-drowsy antihistamine tablets, and do as your pharmacist to show you how best to use your nasal spray, you'd be amazed at how many people get it wrong.
If your symptoms don't improve with over the counter medicines, especially if you've been using them properly for more than two weeks and they're affecting your ability to carry out everyday tasks, then do seek advice from a healthcare professional, such as your GP or practise nurse.
So those are my top tips to combat hay fever.
(upbeat music)
Hayfever: fact or fiction?
Watch in 3 mins
Dr Zoe cuts through the myths and gets straight to the hayfever facts.
(soft music) Hay fever is one of the most common allergies in the UK, but there are many misconceptions about what causes it and how to treat it.
So I'm going to put to bed some of these myths to help you manage your hay fever.
That's true because different types of pollen are present at different times of the year.
So allergies to tree pollen will show up earlier in the year from January through till July, depending on the type of tree, grass pollen, which is the most common type to cause allergy is May till August.
And then weed pollen takes us up to the end of September.
So the only break is the winter months when we get colds and flu.
But to be allergic to all types of pollen is quite unlikely.
So if you do have hay fever symptoms all year round, speak to your GP to consider other causes.
(soft music) So that one's a myth.
Well, there's no evidence to prove it.
There have been studies that indicate there's no difference between locally produced filtered or unfiltered honey.
The pollen in honey is nearly all the heavy flower pollen that bees like, and that doesn't cause hay fever.
So this one is actually true.
Beer, wine and spirits all contain histamines that are produced during the fermentation process, so it can make your hay fever worse.
True, this is often the case because pollen levels often peak at night, during the day the hot air rises and it lifts the pollen up into the air out of the way.
In the evenings when the dust settles, the pollen settles, then you can be more likely to be exposed.
Also in the evening, we're more likely to be subjected to dust mites from bedding, dander from pets, and certain foods and drinks that can make our symptoms worse.
So with this one, it depends.
Light to moderate rainfall can really help because it washes the pollen away.
But if it's heavy rain, it can actually have the opposite effect because heavy rain seems to sort of whip up more pollen into the air, especially if it's windy as well as rainy.
(soft upbeat music) So this one is actually true and not a lot of people know about it, but experts say the spicier the dish, the more likely it is to thin out those mucus secretions, which in turn can help clear up nasal passages.
So hot and spicy foods can actually relieve some of the respiratory symptoms associated with seasonal allergies.
So this one is true.
Taking antihistamines prophylactically, which means preventatively, that means taking them before your hay fever symptoms start means you're less likely to have symptoms than if you wait for your symptoms to start and then start taking them.
So the advice is to start taking them two weeks before you anticipate your hay fever symptoms will start.
That way you stop the chain reaction that's involved in analogy before it even starts.
So I hope that helps clear up some of those hay fever myths and now you know what's true, what's not, and what's in between.
(soft music)
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