Allergy Clinic

What is Allergy?

Allergy is the body's reaction caused when the immune system mistakenly identifies a normally harmless substance as damaging to the body.

What is an allergic reactions?

An allergic reaction may occur anywhere in the body, common sites being:
- Nose - sneezing, itchiness, running and blocked nose, itching in ears or roof of mouth.
- Eyes - red, itchy, watering.
- Skin - red, itchy, dry, swelling, cracking, bleeding, weeping.
- Lungs - asthma, shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing.
- Stomach - vomiting, diarrhoea, wind, crying excessively.

What causes an allergic reactions?

Although hundreds of ordinary substances could trigger allergic reactions, the most common triggers - called allergens - are:
- Household dust mites and their waste.
- Animal protein (dander, urine, oil from skin) and feathers.
- Foods, especially seafood, milk, eggs and peanuts.
- Cockroaches and their waste.
- Pollens, moulds.
- Insect stings.
- Medicines.
- Industrial chemicals.

There is a tendency for allergies to occur in families. Hormones, stress, smoke, perfume or other environment irritants may also play a role.

Allergy sufferers may become so accustomed to chronic symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion or wheezing that they do not consider their symptoms to be unusual. Yet with help of an allergist, these symptoms can usually be prevented or controlled and quality of life greatly improved.

Diagnosis

Our Allergy Clinic provides treatment for a variety of allergic such as:
Respiratory Allergy
Skin Allergy
Food Allergy
Industrial Allergy
Allergy to Metals

Tests available includes:

Skin prick test: This test involves placing separate drops of solutions of allergen extracts onto the skin of your forearm and then using a very fine needle to prick through the drop into the skin. A positive test results in a small raised wheal with a red surrounding flare. Fairly painless. Results will be seen in 20 minutes.
Intra-dermal test.
Patch Test for contact dermatitis, especially for cosmetics and chemicals.
Specific IgE Blood Test.
Auto allergy testing - The patients' serum is injected into his/her skin to check for auto-allergy. This is done for Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria.