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Welcome to Canberra! Have some pollen. We’ve got loads! In fact, we’re often referred to as the pollen capital of Australia, with an entire website: https://www.canberrapollen.com.au/ dedicated to monitoring levels day to day.

It’s important for those who suffer from allergies (especially itchy, watery eyes, a runny nose or sinus headaches) to note that those counts are usually only measured during anticipated peak seasons, though – most sites will only track September to March or so. It’s also worth noting which part of the high season troubles you most, as each grass or tree variety will have its own peak – though most of us are allergic to more than one species!

So how do you know if you’ve got a pollen allergy?

Well, skin prick allergy testing (which we offer) is certainly the gold standard, and the standard of care Australia-wide. But you’d have to be suspicious in anyone with itchy or watery eyes, a runny or blocked nose, wheezing, snoring, headaches, or itchy, red or dry skin. And then, anyone with asthma or eczema is likely to benefit from better control of their likely allergies too – because we know that all of these conditions share the same root cause in atopy. 

Now I think I have a pollen allergy, what do I do about it?

It depends! If you’re a child, pollen, dust or mould allergies significantly increase your risk of sleep disordered breathing, which can lead to developmental delay, lowered IQ and problems with memory and concentration. We really want to be sure you’ve had testing, have a clear picture of what makes your symptoms better or worse, and can get medical advice on how to live your best life. We welcome children of all ages!

Adults can often manage mild pollen allergies on their own. But in studies, more than 80% of Australian adults with pollen, dust and mould allergies weren’t satisfied with the impact those allergies had on their quality of life. If you’re among them, book online here and come see how we can help you live better!

References:

https://www.canberrapollen.com.au

https://www.allergy.org.au/images/stories/reports/ASCIA_Allergy_in_Australia_2014_NHPA__Submission.pdf

Allergic disease is one of the most common and fastest-growing medical problems in Australia. By some estimates more than one in three people in the ACT and NSW will experience problems with uncontrolled allergies at some point in their lives, and these figures are higher every year. 

A common misconception is that allergies are minor health problems, rather than life-threatening. While that’s true for some lucky people, we know that the risk of food-induced anaphylaxis has more than doubled over the last ten years. We also know that hospital admissions for anaphylaxis have increased by more than 400% since the year 2000, and that an infant born today in our communities has more than a 10% chance of an immediate or severe food allergy. Most allergic diseases are chronic, persistent conditions which can significantly compromise quality of life and may lead to permanent complications, including damage to lungs and other body organs.

Less urgently life-threatening conditions, like allergic rhinitis, sinusitis and conjunctivitis, (which often show up as a runny nose, ‘full’ head, cough and itchy or watery eyes), have significant impacts on people’s lives and wellbeing. The ~20% of the population who report these diseases lose days off work, time with their families and opportunities for enjoyment every year. They are more than three times more likely to have asthma, less likely to participate in sport and outdoor activities, and new research shows they’re also at increased risk of sleep disordered breathing, a condition which brings long term risk for heart disease and obesity in adults and missed school days, behavioural problems, impaired memory and concentration in children.

In 2005, allergic diseases were estimated to cost Australians more than $30 billion per year – with more than $20 billion in costs due to disability and premature death. In short, these are very serious problems.

The good news is that we can help! Most allergic diseases can be significantly improved with timely access to appropriate care. Early detection, prevention and control of allergic disease allows most allergy sufferers to lead happy, productive and fulfilling lives. Give us a call today or book online here and let’s work together to help you live better!

References:

https://www.allergy.org.au/images/stories/reports/ASCIA_Allergy_in_Australia_2014_NHPA__Submission.pdf

Koinis-Mitchell, D., Craig, T., Esteban, C. A., & Klein, R. B. (2012). Sleep and allergic disease: a summary of the literature and future directions for research. The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, 130(6), 1275–1281.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2012.06.026

Halbower, A. C., Degaonkar, M., Barker, P. B., Earley, C. J., Marcus, C. L., Smith, P. L., Prahme, M. C., & Mahone, E. M. (2006). Childhood obstructive sleep apnea associates with neuropsychological deficits and neuronal brain injury. PLoS medicine, 3(8), e301.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0030301

What actually is a food allergy?

You could think of them as a case of mistaken identity – where the immune system, part of the body’s defense mechanism against infections and toxins, reacts to a harmless food protein as if it were a dangerous invader. It produces antibodies, a specific kind of purpose-built defense mechanism, which can cause a wide variety of unpleasant and dangerous symptoms when they activate.

How will I know my child has a food allergy?

At the time? Symptoms of food allergies are wide-ranging, but we’d always be suspicious if a child was noted to have swelling, hives, a red rash, abdominal pain, vomiting, funny breathing, or a cough – especially after trying new foods or high-risk foods (we’ll list them below). Diarrhea and changes in appetite or food avoidance can also reflect allergies, although they have a wider range of causes, particularly in older children.

In the clinic? We test for them! Testing for food allergies is a big part of the service we offer at Canberra Allergy, and we take it very seriously as the results can have long-lasting impact on kids’ wellbeing.

How common are they?

Well, the best Australian data we have on how common food allergies affect our kids is probably the HealthNuts study, from Melbourne. This large population survey, initially published in 2011, demonstrated that more than 10% of all Australian kids had at least one food allergy at 12 months. Raw egg was most common and milk, peanuts, cooked egg and sesame seed filling out the podium and tree nuts, meats, fish and shellfish, etc all less frequent. That could be surprising, because we see a lot more adults with shellfish, tree nut and peanut allergies than, say, egg! But that’s because most kids will outgrow milk and egg allergies by around age six, while peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and shellfish remain allergenic for most people through most of their lives.

Are my kids at risk?

Most Australian kids will experience allergic disease at some point in their lives. But only about 10% have food allergies that cause a significant impact. If you have any concerns, we’re always happy to help you find out more about how to keep your kids healthy and well – give us a call or book online here!

To find out more, check out these articles!

https://www.mcri.edu.au/news/children-growing-out-some-food-allergies-australian-allergy-levels-still-sky-high

https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/food-allergy/faqs

https://www.allergy.org.au/images/stories/reports/ASCIA_Allergy_in_Australia_2014_NHPA__Submission.pdf