How Roberts Allergy Clinic Can Help You

Allergy consultations always start with detailed questions about your medical problems and the possible links with allergies. This information helps me to decide if allergy tests can help you, and what tests should be done. When necessary I will give advice on the treatment of your medical conditions, for example asthma always needs inhaler medication, and eczema always needs applications of skin creams. My aim is to improve the quality of your life by utilising the most effective treatments for the allergic illness.

Allergy tests can be helpful in identifying the actual triggers of the illness, and also in ruling out suspected allergy. Skin Prick Tests are used more than blood tests in my clinic. They are completely safe and yield results within a few minutes. All the most common allergies can be tested in this way, however antihistamine medication interferes with the test and must be stopped 3 days before the consultation. In the test, a drop of purified allergen is placed on a patch of skin (usually the forearm) and then the topmost layer of skin is pricked with a stylet. Discomfort is minimal since the stylet does not penetrate through the skin and even babies can be tested with this technique.

Blood tests, performed in specialised laboratories, can be useful when the skin tests are unavailable and when large numbers of tests are needed. The results are usually available within 7-10 days.

 
All allergy tests suffer from inaccuracies caused by false positive results. Allergy specialists have the experience necessary to interpret the tests and decide which allergies are responsible for your problems.

Allergy avoidance advice is often the most effective way of dealing with the symptoms caused by the allergy. You will be provided with information on the best methods available. When foods are implicated I may wish to refer you to a dietician for advice on food avoidance measures while maintaining a safe nutritious diet.

Patients with a medical history of Anaphylaxis or those at high risk of Anaphylaxis will be provided with an individualised emergency treatment plan and instructions on the use of emergency treatments such as the Epipen.

Desensitisation therapies to block the allergic reaction are constantly being developed and improved. The older treatments involving repeated injections of allergen (subcutaneous immunotherapy) carry a high risk of unwanted allergic reactions and are not available in my clinic. Newer treatments where the allergen is absorbed orally (sublingual immunotherapy) are much safer and are currently available for the treatment of grass pollen allergy. This is a prescription only medication that is administered before the onset of the "hay fever" season for three consecutive years. An allergy specialist in accordance with manufacturers recommendations should administer the first dose. Thereafter the treatment can be taken at home. More sublingual vaccines are being developed for use in the UK.