Allergies Resources

In the cold wet months in the UK with its short days and lower temperatures, people generally spend more time indoors. Within this indoor environment, some allergies tend to worsen in winter.

In clinics or GP practices, general practice nurses (GPNs) may find patients with not well controlled asthma (who may even have exacerbations requiring A& E admission) or chronic rhinosinusitis, which present as persistent hay feverlike symptoms — only to discover that their condition is being triggered by house dust mites.

Allergy UK launched a powerful campaign, ‘I Wish I Knew…’ in April, developed in response to rising allergy cases; with one in two people in Europe estimated to be living with an allergy by 2026 according to the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Cow’s milk allergy (CMA) symptoms present in 2–3% of all infants versus 0.5% of breastfed infants in the first year of life and can impact on growth and quality of life of the child (Venter et al, 2017; National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2021). Once CMA is diagnosed, hypoallergenic formulas are recommended if exclusive breastfeeding is not possible or the mother chooses a mixed feeding approach (Venter et al, 2017; Fox et al, 2019; NICE, 2021). This product snapshot reviews the diagnosis and management of CMA and focuses on Alimentum® and EleCare®, hypoallergenic infant formulas that are clinically effective at the best value price (price per 100ml) (Sicherer et al, 2001; Data on File, 2020; MIMS, 2021).