Private allergy clinic in London

Allergies are often difficult to diagnose and doing so accurately requires time, patience and expertise. Our allergy specialists are all leaders in their field, and can carry out a detailed investigation to help identify the underlying cause of your symptoms. Based on their findings, they can create a personalised treatment plan to help to minimise and manage the effects of your particular allergy. 

During your initial consultation, we will take your medical history, a full history of your symptoms, and go through how they impact you day to day. After a clinical examination, we may recommend one or more tests, including:

• Skin prick tests
• Blood tests
• Patch test (for contact allergies)
• Challenge test (undertaken in hospital) 

Correctly determining the cause of your allergy will allow us to develop the most appropriate management strategy: for example, identifying exactly which food items you are allergic to will avoid unnecessarily restrictive diets. Similarly, identifying dust mites as the main trigger for your child’s asthma will help you put the right measures in place to improve their quality of life.

Our multidisciplinary team of consultants covers the full range of allergies, and have extensive experience in treating both children and adults. Our allergy specialist Dr Sophie Flammarion deals with allergies in babies and children, from screening to sub-lingual immunotherapy. Other specialists deal with allergies on a daily basis within their practices: Ms Romana Kuchai, ENT Surgeon, has a special interest in allergic rhinitis; Dr Veronique Bataille, is a renowned Consultant Dermatologist and offers comprehensive diagnostic tests for contact allergies.

Our specialists will work with you to establish the best way to manage your allergy through a personalised treatment plan. This can include:

• Desensitisation (immunotherapy)
• Environmental control
• Therapeutic education
• Medication

Some allergies can reduce or disappear over time. For example, allergy to cow's milk tends to disappear in more than 80% of cases and egg allergy disappears in more than 50% of cases before the age of 6. However, even with optimal management, it is worth noting that peanut allergy rarely disappears. The same applies to other nuts, fish and crustaceans allergies. 

An allergy is an excessive immunological reaction that occurs when the body comes into contact with an allergen. Common allergens include: 

• Food, such as eggs, milk, peanuts, wheat, fish
• Insect bites, mites
• Grass pollen, dust
• Medications, including some antibiotics, pain relievers or anaesthetics

 The reaction may be sudden or persistent and with no obvious cause. The immune system develops antibodies (IgE) at the first contact with an allergen, which will then trigger symptoms (the allergic reaction) at any subsequent contact.

Allergy symptoms can affect any part of your body in contact with the external environment:

• Eyes, nose, throat and ears: can cause conjunctivitis, sinusitis, a cough, laryngitis, rhinitis
• Skin: can cause eczema, urticarial (itchiness, rashes), oedema
• Respiratory system: can cause asthma, persistent coughing
• Digestive system: can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain 

Reactions can be immediate or delayed and their severity can vary, which explains why an allergy may go unnoticed for a long time yet still have a significant impact on your daily life. Symptoms can include fatigue, irritability, breathing difficulties, diarrhoea, weight loss, disturbed sleep and headaches, all of which can impact your wellbeing, work and social life. 

In children, allergies can also affect schooling, concentration, sleep and everyday activities. That’s why it’s important to seek specialist help if you think your or your child may have an allergy.