Allergies, blood and immune system – articles and advice
Allergies
Features and advice on living with allergies, blood conditions and immune system problems. For trusted reference, see our Patient Information Leaflets on allergies and immune health.
Allergies
Itchy eyes, sneezing, or hives? Allergies can affect your daily life in unexpected ways. Find out what triggers them and how to manage your symptoms.
- Are private allergy tests worth it?
- What is the difference between allergy and intolerance?
- How to travel safely if you have allergies
- When to worry about an allergic reaction
- Coconut allergy: can coconut oil make your skin itch?
- Are your Christmas decorations triggering your allergies?
- Anaphylactic shock: symptoms, triggers, and what to do
- What's the difference between a side effect and a drug allergy?
- What you need to know about allergic reactions
- How to protect your baby against allergies
Food allergy and intolerance
- What can you eat if you're lactose intolerant?
- Is it cow's milk allergy or lactose intolerance?
- Video: How do you know if you're intolerant to gluten?
- Video: How do you know if you're intolerant to dairy?
- Cow's milk allergy: Which dairy-free milks are suitable for children?
- What are the signs of a cow's milk allergy in babies?
- Cow's milk allergy in babies: What is the milk ladder?
- Could you have a nightshade allergy?
- How to cope with a nut allergy at Christmas
- What is alcohol intolerance, and what are its symptoms?
- How to wean a baby with a cow's milk allergy
- What is gluten intolerance?
- Which foods should you avoid if you have a soy allergy?
- How to introduce your baby to allergen foods
Other allergies
- How can you tell if you have a latex allergy?
- When is hay fever season in the UK - and how can you avoid the symptoms?
- Is hay fever linked to depression?
- How to find the right treatment for your hay fever
- How to manage hay fever at home
- Why do some people suddenly develop hay fever?
- When should I start taking hay fever tablets?
- What works best for treating hay fever in children?
- Can babies get hay fever?
- Are all hay fever treatments the same?
- Hay fever: how your pharmacist can help
- How to get rid of your cat allergy symptoms
- Which type of hay fever nasal spray is right for you?
- Can pregnancy make you more sensitive to hay fever?
- Aquagenic urticaria: living with an allergy to water
- Hay fever injection: is Kenalog safe?
Blood
Your blood keeps every part of your body alive and well. Discover how it works, what common disorders exist, and when to get things checked.
- What to expect when you give blood
- What is blood?
Anaemia
- Signs you may have anaemia
- Vitamin B12 deficiency signs you need to know
Blood problems
- What does the new treatment for sickle cell disease mean for sickle cell patients?
Blood tests
- Blood test could predict Alzheimer's 20 years before symptoms
- What is a CA125 blood test?
- NHS to roll out world-first blood test for cancer
- What does a full blood count show us?
- How to prepare for a blood test
- How to get over a fear of blood tests
- Can blood tests help to manage menopause and HRT?
- What is the COVID-19 antibody blood test and should I get one?
- Can a new blood test detect lung cancer early?
- New blood test may detect aggressive prostate cancer
- Blood test may detect ovarian cancer two years earlier
- Personalised blood test detects return of breast cancer
- New blood test could diagnose heart failure earlier
The immune system
Your immune system is your body’s personal bodyguard. Learn how it protects you, what weakens it, and what to do when it’s not working properly.
- These are the worst things you can do for your immune system
- How to naturally boost your immune system
- What it's like to have lupus
- Does my diet really affect my immune system?
- What is stiff person syndrome?
- What is weather change sickness?
- How to improve your immunity through diet and lifestyle
Autoimmune problems
- What women need to know about autoimmune conditions