DETECTING YOUR ALLERGY: ANALYSING THE PATTERN OF SYMPTOMS

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Symptoms can be delayed

Remember that you can get delayed reactions, due to late phase reactions in the body, that usually occur within five or six hours of meeting a substance to which you react, but sometimes not until the next day. Less commonly, reactions can happen up to a few days later; these very late reactions are more likely to be caused by foods than by other allergens.

A more common pattern of delay is that you will feel worse in the evening or night after encountering an allergen, or the morning after. In babies and children, wakefulness at night can often be caused by reactions to substances, especially foods, encountered during the day. So look back at the previous 12 hours and see what has happened.

Can you identify a trigger?

It may help to identify a date or time where you first noticed your symptoms, even if it was some time ago. Did anything particular change in your life around that time? Did you get a new pet? Did you change jobs, schools, or move house? Did the season change? Did you start using a new soap powder or change your carpet? Did you redecorate or have building work done? Did you change your hairstyle? Did you take a specific drug or have an operation? Is there anything at all you can pinpoint that might indicate a suspect?

Do your symptoms have a pattern?

Now that your thoughts are flowing, think about the pattern of your symptoms. Do you get them

• continually or intermittently?

• only in certain seasons?

• mainly at home?

• in a highly variable, random pattern?

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