ALLERGY

Living in Melbourne with our wonderful flora comes at a cost for many - hayfever, which, for many, can be severe for many months of the year and lead to a marked reduction in quality of life. The rates of allergy not only to pollens but also to other allergens such as house dust mite. dogs and cats are on the increase and anaphylactic reactions to bee/wasp stings kill more people in Australia than sharks, snakes or crocs.

Many allergy sufferers can manage their condition with simple over-the-counter medications such as antihistamines, nasal sprays and eye drops, however those more seriously affected may choose to try desensitization. With desensitization the person is exposed, either through injections or oral tablets/drops, to increasing strengths of the substance that they are allergic to with the aim of getting then "used to" the allergen and therefore to stop mounting such an extreme allergic response.

At the Bellbird Medical Centre we have facilities to perform skin prick testing for allergies and can also arrange blood tests to further investigate the problem. We can provide both oral and injectable desensitization programmes.