Talk about your allergies

I am encouraging allergy sufferers to share their experiences and help others better understand the challenges faced as part of this year’s Allergy Awareness Week, which runs next week, from April 26 to April 30.

An allergic reaction is your body’s immune system’s response to what it believes to be a foreign substance and can create a variety of issues that can be difficult to prevent if a person is predisposed.

Allergies are very common and are thought to affect more than one in four people in the UK at some point in their lives.

Hay fever involves the body mistakenly identifying pollen – an outdoor allergen – as a threat and triggering these reactions.

Through this spring period of high pollen levels, people who suffer from a bad allergic reaction to grass

pollen may be experiencing detrimental impacts to their quality of life.

The easing of lockdown restrictions creates greater challenges for hay fever sufferers who may be wanting to gather outside more often.

You can reduce your exposure to pollen by avoiding open expanses of grass, keeping windows closed and cleaning yourself, your clothes and your home regularly.

Indoor allergens can also trigger allergic rhinitis. These primarily include dust and the shedding of skin from pets.

I urge all people to use Allergy Awareness Week as an opportunity to speak to your friends and family about the challenges of living with allergies – be it mild or severe cases – to learn how you can better help yourself and support others to prevent reactions and reduce symptoms.

Shaeeb Ali,

Advanced clinical practitioner and independent pharmacist