Living with an allergy

An allergy is when your body has a reaction to a particular food or to something in the environment.

With a little bit of forward planning, there is no reason why an allergy should stop you doing the things you enjoy.

How are allergies treated?

How an allergy is treated depends on what is causing it, and on how your body is reacting.

Usually you just need to have a chat with your doctor who may give you some medicine. Sometimes your doctor will ask you to go and see an allergy specialist at the hospital. They will do some tests to try and find out what you are allergic to and offer you further help.

If you have food allergies, you might also need to talk to a dietitian to help you eat foods that give you all the things your body needs to be healthy.

Allergies and school

If you have any allergies, it’s really important that you let your teachers know, especially if you’ve had a severe reaction in the past.

Make sure your friends are aware if you have an allergy to food, and don’t eat anyone else’s snacks.

If you have any medicine that you may need to take if you have a reaction, including auto-injectors, then your school should have some of the medicine.

You will have a care plan in school to manage your treatment.

Riddle me this!

Who might you be asked to go and see if you have food allergies?

Oh yeahhh..you got it right!

Oh noooo..you got it wrong!

Remember to let all of your teachers know if you have allergies, especially if you've had severe reactions before.