Diagnosis and treatment

Allergy and immunology staff are experts in their field and are trained to deal with a variety of different conditions.

The unit specialises in diagnosing and treating a wide range of allergies and immunological disorders.

It is predominantly an outpatient service offering a number of clinics and day ward admissions across the region where they aim to test and diagnose patients and offer them treatment and advice on how to manage their condition.

Among the conditions the unit covers are:

• Asthma
• Hayfever (seasonal allergic rhinitis typically to grasses and trees)
• Perennial rhinitis (typically to house dust mite and animal dander)
• Allergy-related skin disorders - such as eczema, dermatitis, urticaria (hives) and angio-oedema (face, lips and tongue swelling, including hereditary angiodema)
• Bee and wasp sting allergy
• Drug allergy
• Anaphylaxis – severe allergic reaction
• Food allergy and intolerance
• Latex allergy
• Recurrent or unusual infections (immunodeficiency)
• Conditions where the immune system attacks parts of the body (auto immune disease)

Clinics

Consultant-led outpatient clinics in allergy and immunology are held across the region. At the clinics your condition will be investigated, diagnosed and an individual treatment and management plan drawn up.

The allergy clinics aim to offer one-stop sessions, while the immunology clinics aim to provide two-stop sessions, testing you on your first visit and giving results, diagnosis and treatment management on your second visit.

Clinics are held regularly at hospitals across the region.

Allergy

• Twice a week in Southampton. Currently at the Royal South Hants Hospital, in Brintons Terrace, but should move to Southampton General Hospital, in Tremona Road, from March 2008.
• Weekly allergen immunotherapy clinic at Southampton General Hospital, in Tremona Road.
• Weekly at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, in Castle Lane East.
• Weekly at St Mary's Hospital, Newport, on the Isle of Wight.

Immunology

• Twice a month at Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road.
• Monthly at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, in Castle Lane East.

Testsing

There are a number of different tests the staff can use to help identify your allergy or immune disorders. These include:

• Skin prick tests
• Patch tests
• Food allergen challenges
• Drug challenges
• Pulmonary function tests – measuring how well the lungs work
• Bronchial reactivity assessment – assessing how reactive the airways are
• Investigation of the causes of anaphylaxis
• Laboratory testing and investigations of the immune system

Treatment

Once your condition has been identified the best treatment to manage your allergen or immune disorder will be explained to you. Where possible the clinics aim to enable patients to manage their conditions themselves in their own homes, however sometimes treatment has to be done at the hospital.

Treatments can range from:

• Treating with drugs (pharmacotherapy)
• Avoiding the allergen
• Immunotherapy or desensitisation – where small amounts of the allergen are injected into the body to build up resistance
• Immunoglobulin replacement therapy

Specialist nurses will provide you with advice and training on your treatment management plan, including how to use adrenaline pens (epi pens) and inhalers.

In the case of food allergies, advice on nutrition may also be given by a dietician.