A campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of allergies called at Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen yesterday.
Television doctor Hilary Jones and Emma Wileman, founder of the charity Haydn’s Wish, made their first visit north of the border as part of a tour of schools across the country.
Ms Wileman set up the charity following the death of her son, who suffered an extreme allergic reaction to a peanut, and Dr Jones – famous for his appearances on Good Morning Britain – joined her Best to Test project last year.
The campaign aims to highlight the link between asthma and allergies.
Pupils were told about the signs to look out for and shown how to use an Epinephrine pen to help someone having an anaphylactic shock.
Dr Jones said: “We find when we speak to school children they are really interested.
“The questions are always far reaching and the children are always engaged.
“We show people how to use an Epinephrine pen because most people with allergies carry them, and if the public know how to use them they can save lives.”
He said allergies could trigger asthma exacerbation in 60-90% of children with asthma and 50% of adults.
“Allergies are very common, but there are so few specialists and so people don’t get the help they need,” he added.
“There is a test available on the NHS and this can determine the cause of an allergy and increase the chance of avoiding it.”
Ms Wileman said knowing the risks could be a matter of life and death and she was determined to spare other families the heartache she had suffered.
“My son Haydn had asthma, then small patches of eczema and then hay fever, and then out of the blue he had a massive reaction to a peanut which killed him,” she said.
“Research has proved the link between asthma and allergies and we’re trying to raise awareness and get this put into care plans.”