Allergies and Intolerances : County Osteopaths : Cranial Osteopathic Clinic : Joanna Young, Lynette Topham & Jonathan Mussen : Osteopath Worcester, Malvern, Birmingham, Droitwich, Pershore, Bromsgrove, Evesham, Tewkesbury, Kidderminster, Redditch, Halesowen, Stourbridge

Allergies and intolerances should not be confused, they are very different processes.

Allergies are quite rare; perhaps only 2% of the population has a true allergy. Allergy sufferers get symptoms immediately on coming into contact with the substance to which they are allergic. Symptoms can be extremely severe requiring emergency medical treatment. Allergy symptoms include skin rashes or swellings, vomiting, fainting, swelling of the lips, mouth and throat. Allergies can be diagnosed after a skin scratch test, which is available through your Doctor.

Intolerances on the other hand cause much more subtle symptoms and are much more common.Symptoms are usually mild but can build up, leading to a poor quality of life. The most common symptoms are indigestion, bloating, wind, tiredness, headaches or migraines, mouth ulcers, dark rings under the eyes, skin problems, excessive catarrh production that clogs up ears, nose or sinuses, constipation or diarrhoea, stomach ache or bowel pain, tingling in the mouth, or a general feeling of being unwell all the time. Food intolerance tests are not available via your Doctor as far as I am aware. However there are many professional Food Intolerance Testers available privately, look up your options in the Yellow Pages. A professional Tester should not only tell you what to avoid but how to replace it so that you do not end up missing out on essential nutrients.

Coeliac disease is neither an allergy nor an intolerance but an auto-immune disease where the body produces antibodies that attack its own tissues in response to eating gluten (a substance found in wheat, rye, barley and, to a lesser degree, oats). Symptoms generally include diarrhea and weight loss, the diagnosis is made by your Doctor following tests. Gluten free foods are then available free of charge under prescription.