Paediatric Allergy

Many people confuse allergies with intolerance. Allergies affect the immune system and can cause a variety of reactions including delayed gastro-intestinal symptoms to acute anaphylactic shock.  Intolerance is the inability to digest a particular food causing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. High Street companies sell expensive tests that cost from £45 to £275 claiming to be able to diagnose allergies and intolerance. These tests do not have any proven medical or scientific worth and give inconsistent results. They include analysis of blood samples, strands of hair, changes in electric current (electrodermal testing) and resistance to pressure applied to one’s legs or arms (kinesiology). It is a misconception that these tests are harmless because they misdiagnose food allergy in many people who subsequently risk their health by adopting restrictive diets that are unbalanced, unhealthy, lead to nutritional problems and are unenjoyable.

Dr Ho has received training in Paediatric Allergy and can provide accurate and practical advice for:

• Food allergies
• Milk allergies and ‘intolerance’ in babies
• Urticaria
• Hayfever and rhinitis
• Asthma
• Eczema

The preferred test for acute allergy is skin testing because it does not involve needles or blood tests and results are available in 15 minutes. If you suspect a food allergy to any fruits, vegetables or other food please bring a small sample with you. However, please do not bring any nuts, sesame, wheat, egg, milk and all airborne allergens which are provided. Your child must not have taken an antihistamine for 48hours (for chlorphenamine or Piriton) and 1 week for all others before skin prick testing.