Allergy Treatment Online

What kind of allergy do you have?

Choose what fits best. Each page explains the likely triggers, the tests that help, what a doctor can do online, and the signs that need in-person care.

• Sneezing and itchy eyes in pollen seasonHay fever→
• A blocked or runny nose all yearAllergic rhinitis→
• Symptoms worse in bed or after cleaningDust mite allergy→
• Sneezing or itchy eyes around cats or dogsPet allergy: cats, dogs and other animals→
• Wheezing, a tight chest or a cough at nightAsthma→
• Hives, an itchy rash or swelling after something newAllergic reaction→
• Swollen lips, eyelids or faceAngioedema→
• A reaction after eatingFood allergy→
• A reaction to peanuts or tree nutsNut allergy→
• An itchy mouth after raw fruit or nutsOral allergy syndrome→
• Hives or a reaction hours after red meatAlpha-gal syndrome→
• A rash or reaction to an antibiotic or painkillerPenicillin and drug allergy→
• Throat swelling, breathing difficulty or faintnessAnaphylaxis: an emergency→
• Wondering which allergy test you needAllergy testing→

Allergies of the skin and eyes have their own pages too: hives, skin allergies, contact dermatitis and itchy eyes.

Common allergies at a glance

The table lists every allergy page on Mobi Doctor: what each allergy usually looks like and how much of its care works online. 7 of the 14 are usually treated or managed online. Angioedema, food, nut and penicillin allergy are partly treated online, and anaphylaxis, allergy testing and alpha-gal syndrome are assessed online, with the treatment or the tests given in person.

What each online-care label means is explained under online care for allergies.

Which allergic reactions need urgent care?

Any problem with the airway, breathing or circulation after contact with a trigger is anaphylaxis: use an adrenaline auto-injector if you have one and call 112. For hives or swelling of the lips with normal breathing, or a reaction to a medicine, get medical advice the same day.

Allergy symptoms: what they can mean

Allergy symptoms depend on where the allergen meets the body: the nose and eyes react to pollen, dust and pets, the skin to what touches it, and the mouth and gut to foods. Any allergen can cause anaphylaxis, which affects the airway, breathing or circulation.

How common are allergies?

Very common, and in the UK some are becoming more common:

• Allergic rhinitis, including hay fever, affects about 26% of UK adults and 10 to 15% of children.
• About 6% of UK adults, around 2.4 million people, have a clinically confirmed food allergy, and around half of adult food allergies start in adulthood.
• About 2% of UK adults have oral allergy syndrome, the most common food allergy in adults.
• About 1 in 200 adults in the UK have a nut allergy.
• Hives and angioedema affect about 15% of people at some point in their life.
• Hospital admissions in England for allergy and anaphylaxis more than doubled in 20 years, to 25,721 in 2022 to 2023.
• About 10% of hospital patients have a penicillin allergy recorded, and 9 in 10 of them are not truly allergic.

What causes allergies?

An allergy is the immune system overreacting to something that is normally harmless, called an allergen. The common allergens are tree and grass pollen, house dust mites, foods such as peanuts, milk and eggs, animals, especially cats and dogs, bee and wasp stings, and certain medicines.

What is sensitisation?

Sensitisation is the first step in developing an allergy. The first time the immune system meets the allergen, it makes antibodies against it, without causing symptoms. On later contact, those antibodies trigger the immune system to react, and the symptoms start. A positive allergy test shows sensitisation, which is why the result has to fit your symptoms to mean an allergy.

Are allergies genetic?

Partly. A parent with allergies, or having asthma or eczema yourself, makes allergies more likely. Allergies also change with age: some improve, some come back, and some start for the first time in adulthood.

Is hay fever an allergy?

Yes. Hay fever is allergic rhinitis caused by pollen, the seasonal kind. See hay fever.

Is lactose intolerance an allergy?

No. A food intolerance, such as lactose intolerance, does not involve the immune system and cannot cause anaphylaxis. See lactose intolerance.

What are the 14 main food allergens?

Celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphites and tree nuts, which must be highlighted on food labels. Lupin is a legume whose flour and seeds are used in some foods, and a small number of people with a peanut allergy react to it too. See food allergy.

Allergy treatments: what works and what does not

Avoiding the trigger, non-drowsy antihistamines and steroid nasal sprays control most allergies. Adrenaline treats anaphylaxis, and immunotherapy is the only treatment that can change the course of severe pollen and dust mite allergy.

What does not help

• steroid injections for hay fever, which are not recommended
• an antihistamine instead of adrenaline when breathing is affected
• food intolerance tests sold online, such as IgG, hair analysis and Vega tests, which have no scientific basis
• avoiding foods because of an unproven test, which can lead to an unhealthy, restrictive diet

Allergy testing

Skin prick and blood tests for immediate allergies, patch tests for delayed skin reactions, and supervised challenges when the results are unclear. The doctor decides which test fits your symptoms. See allergy testing.

Living with allergies: what you can do yourself

• Find out your trigger, and avoid it where you can.
• Use a steroid nasal spray every day through your season, or all year if your symptoms are year-round.
• Read food labels every time if you have a food allergy, and tell restaurant and café staff about it.
• Keep your asthma well controlled: it raises the risk of a severe reaction.
• If you have been given adrenaline auto-injectors, carry 2 at all times, check the expiry dates, and show the people around you how to use them.
• Make sure any reaction to a medicine is written in your health record, and tell every doctor and pharmacist.
• Keep your home free of damp, which encourages dust mites and mould.

When should I see a doctor about an allergy?

Book a consultation if:

• pharmacy antihistamines and sprays are not controlling your symptoms
• allergy symptoms are spoiling your sleep, work or studies
• you have had hives, swelling or another reaction and do not know the cause
• you reacted to a food, especially nuts, and need to know what is safe
• you have a penicillin allergy label and are not sure it is right
• your swelling keeps coming back, or started on a blood pressure medicine
• you are wheezing, or your asthma is getting worse in pollen season
• you want to know whether an allergy test or immunotherapy would help

Can an online doctor treat allergies?

What the doctor can do online

The doctor listens, looks at any photos you share and decides with you what helps. If a medicine is the right answer, the doctor prescribes it. If you need an examination, a test or urgent care, the doctor tells you where to go.

• The trigger, not just the symptom Pollen, dust mites, pets, foods or medicines each need a different plan.
• Treatment that works Non-drowsy antihistamines, steroid and combination nasal sprays, eye drops and creams.
• Tests when they help A referral for skin prick, blood, patch or challenge tests that fit your symptoms.
• Safety planned The signs of anaphylaxis, and what to do if a reaction starts.

What still needs in-person care

• anaphylaxis, which needs adrenaline and emergency care
• skin prick, blood, patch and component tests, and supervised food and drug challenges
• removing a penicillin allergy label with a supervised test dose
• immunotherapy, started and supervised by a specialist
• specialist care for hereditary angioedema and severe asthma

What the online-care labels mean

Allergy tools

Free tools on Mobi Doctor:

• Symptom Navigator→Pick a body area, including the nose and eyes, or type a symptom to find the right page
• Climate Health Index→Daily heat, UV, pollen and air quality scores for European cities
• Medication checker→Which medicines you can take abroad, and what to carry with them
• Medicine Shortage Tracker→Live shortage reports for medicines across Europe, from official registers

All allergies and allergy tests

Many of these can be assessed and treated online. Each page covers the triggers, tests and treatment, and the signs that need in-person care.

How Mobi Doctor works

1. Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CET. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
2. Speak to a licensed doctor about your allergy: say what happens, when and after what, show any rash or swelling on camera, and mention asthma and the medicines you take.
3. Leave with a plan: what to take and how, what to avoid, which tests you need, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.

Frequently asked questions about allergies

Related conditions

Hives Skin allergies Contact dermatitis Itchy eyes Bee stings Lactose intolerance All conditions