Rewind about 12 years and I had no idea about allergies. Apart from a bit of hay fever, it just wasn’t something that was on my radar.
All that changed very rapidly when we started our family.
Living with allergies
Between us we now deal with:
- multiple food allergies
- drug allergies
- environmental allergies
- eczema
- asthma
- hay fever / allergic rhinitis
- contact allergies.
We have a house full of EpiPens and antihistamines.
We’ve experienced the ups and downs of skin prick testing, blood tests and oral food challenges. Years of immunotherapy. And, like many others, the dreaded ambulance ride to hospital for treatment of a severe reaction (anaphylaxis).
Information overwhelm
When this was all new, the first thing I did was get a referral to an allergist and immunologist.
Secondly, I did what most people do and hopped online searching for more information. A decade ago there was a lot of information. And a fair share of misinformation. I think it’s fair to say that the number of online allergy resources has exploded since then.
There are wonderful (reliable) resources from medical specialists and recognised support organisations (like Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia – you can read about the benefits of joining in our post on Allergy Support).
Other organisations and individuals aim to create more allergy awareness, which can only be a good thing.
Blogs and groups are full of people sharing their own stories and experiences. It can be reassuring to know that there are others going through similar experiences.
We’ve definitely made excellent use of the many pages of allergy friendly recipes.
I also like to keep an eye on all the exciting developments in allergy research. And I’m optimistic about future treatments for allergies.
But to be honest, sometimes I’ve found reading about allergies online to be a little depressing. Lots of bad news stories about reactions or lack of allergy awareness.
Why Allergy Spot?
Living and caring for people with multiple severe allergies means I’ve gathered a lot of really useful knowledge.
I have been thinking for a long time now about creating a space to share some of this. Where other people living with allergies could come to find practical, helpful information and useful resources in the one place.
My vision is for this to be a positive place, helping people manage allergies with confidence and optimism about what the future holds.
A place to share practical tips about living well with allergies with a dash of real life experience.
Allergy Spot also encourages support for charities that help people living with allergies, including through patient support and medical research. You can read more on our Giving page.
What Allergy Spot won’t do is provide any medical advice. You should contact your own doctor or health professional about your own situation.
If you have any comments or suggestions for us, please get in touch!
And please follow us on social media and subscribe to be part of something positive.
