A Highland support group has been launched to help victims of serious allergies.
Angus Grant, 58, from Inverness, who suffered a near fatal anaphylaxis shock after taking a cold remedy containing aspirin in January, has launched a support group to work in conjunction with the Anaphylaxis Campaign, a UK-wide charity to support victims.
He said: “I helped start the group because living with severe allergies, whether allergic yourself or as a carer for someone else with anaphylaxis, can be really difficult and have a profound impact on your daily life.
“It can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety particularly if it’s a child with anaphylaxis you’re caring for. In the beginning, you worry that anything they eat could threaten their life.
“Helping others is, for me, a great way to regain some of the control you feel you’ve lost and provide some tangible support to those who are finding it hard to cope.”
There are thousands of hospital admissions each year due to anaphylaxis – a range of food and non-food related allergies, some of which can kill.
Food allergies affect around 6% of children and 3% of adults. Common causes include nuts, fish, dairy products and eggs. Non-food causes include wasp or bee stings, rubber and penicillin.
In some people, exercise can trigger a severe reaction, either on its own or in combination with other factors such as food or drugs including aspirin.
Around 20 people die from anaphylaxis each year.
The symptoms of anaphylaxis are wide ranging – flushing of the skin, nettle rash (hives) anywhere on the body, a sense of impending doom, swelling of throat and mouth, difficulty in swallowing or speaking, alterations in heart rate, severe asthma, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting; sudden feeling of weakness (drop in blood pressure), collapse and unconsciousness.
Anaphylaxis Campaign chief executive Lynne Regent said: “It’s brilliant that Angus has decided to run a support group for us in Inverness. Many people in the general population do not understand just how serious allergy and anaphylaxis can be.
“Our support groups provide a vital touch-point for affected families and individuals and are a positive way for them to support each other.”
The Inverness group’s next meeting is on June 16 at the city’s Caledonian Hotel in the High Street between 10.30am and 12.30pm.
There is more information online at www.anaphylaxis.org.uk