Alice Temperley*
20 year old female, referred to an allergy clinic in 2009
“It has changed my life. Last summer I was working for a company that was holding an event in the middle of a field and I could do the job! It has totally changed my career prospects. A friend whom I have only known for a couple of years did not even know I had hay fever. I still take antihistamines, but it is not like before.”
History
A 20 year old student of event management developed hay fever in her childhood. Her symptoms became more troublesome at the onset of puberty. During the summer months, because of her runny nose and eyes as well as shortness of breath and itchy swollen skin, she was excluded from organised games and was not able to participate in PE outdoors.
She described having to sit in the school library where all the doors and windows had to be closed, while the other children and teenagers played outdoors. She also describes how sleeping at night she would have to stay upright in order to breath. Most mornings she would wake up with her eyes clogged up and have to use a wet flannel over her face in order to see properly.
By the age of 12 she had tried most of the prescription medicines to no avail. She was told by several doctors that there was nothing more that could be done to treat her hay fever. In 2009 she was referred to an allergy clinic by a new GP.
Treatment
After skin prick tests proved positive for grass pollen, she started a course of specific immunotherapy with a registered subcutaneous treatment.
Results
She has now completed her second year of treatment and is tolerating the subcutaneous injections well. She has experienced a significant reduction in symptoms.
* To protect patient-doctor confidentiality, the case studies are anonymous and patient pictures are fictional.