Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2015 | Page 75

FASHION HEALTH & BEAUTY
carry an auto-injector for bee and wasp
stings and 25 children carry an Epipen
for horse allergy. Annually between seven
to nine children and five to six adults use
their auto-injector on the Island.
“After initial testing patients are often
given allergen avoidance advice, so
allergies floating around in the air causing
asthma and hayfever can be controlled
by using inhaler devices, nasal sprays and
taking daily antihistamines. For cat and
dog allergies, it is advised that animals
stay away from sufferers’ bedrooms, or
for the most acute sufferers, animals
sometimes have to be re-homed.”
Minute house dust mites - you could
fit 20 of them on a ‘full stop’ - are also a
major problem. Nicky Tongue, Allergy
specialist nurse NHS said: “It is not a case
of them being attracted to dirt. Every

house has them, and they particularly like
soft furnishings, things like mattresses,
carpets, curtains and soft toys, so they can
be an issue for small children.”
Taking medicine properly is an integral
part of controlling allergies, and when
patients visit the Clinic they are taught
how to use them in the correct way, and
are also given management plans, so
they know exactly what to do in stepping
up or stepping down their medicine.
Many people don’t know how to use their
inhaler, nasal spray or what quantity or
how to apply creams for eczema, so it’s a
learning process.
Carina Venter, an allergy specialist
dietician, and leading on the Food
Allergy and Intolerance Research Study,
said: “Nut allergy is the most common
food allergy seen from three years

onwards, but in the first two years of life
it is definitely milk and egg allergies.
Symptoms related to food allergies
range from vomiting and rashes to more
serious reactions such as anaphylaxis.
“Many people develop new allergies
throughout their lives; fish and shellfish are
common allergies encountered in adult
age; we get people who develop celery
allergy who have always eaten celery, then
suddenly it becomes a problem.”
She added: “We are so lucky to have
this Centre on the Island - there are only
a few comprehensive allergy services in
the country. We, together with University
Hospital Southampton NHS trust, are the
only World Allergy Organisation Centre of
Excellence in the world. We are up there
with the best in the world when it comes to
research and treatment of food allergies.”

Island date
for Charisma
Fashions show

C

harisma Fashions of Fawley, the No1 fashion
experts for mother of the bride and groom,
will be coming to the Island to show their
superb range of clothes and accessories, for one
day only, on Sunday March 1.
The new spring collection will be available to view
and purchase from 10am until 4pm at the Royal
Solent Yacht Club, Yarmouth - a new venue this year.
The Mother of the Bride and Groom outfits
include selections from major special occasion
labels, including Condici, Ispirato, John Charles and
Veni Infantino and all come in sizes eight to 28.
Charisma also have a wide range of accessories,
from hats and fascinators to handbags and shoes.
Customers do not have to make an appointment
for the event at Yarmouth, but if for any reason
they are unable to attend, then the Charisma shop
at School Road, Fawley Village, Southampton
SO45 1EA, is only 20 minutes from the Wightlink
ferry terminal at Lymington. And provided an
appointment is made in advance, Charisma will be
pleased to pick up customers, and then take them
back to the terminal after a viewing in Fawley.
For more information visit website
charismafashions.com
www.visitilife.com

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