"I think I have an allergy, what should I do?"

Go see your GP. They'll be able to explain about different allergies and intolerances and, if you need them, get some proper tests done (like a skin-prick test, or a RAST blood test*).

*There are a lot of dodgy allergy tests that are not scientifically proven to work, so don't fall for a fake (e.g. electrodermal testing)

What you shouldn't do is start swearing off whatever foods you think you're allergic to. All the foody boffins agree that cutting out random foods can seriously mess up your diet and body. Which is bad.

Like, for instance, dropping dairy cos you reckon it makes you fart. That could make your bones and teeth go brittle from lack of calcium. Gross.

Talk to a professional first. That way you can find out for sure whether it's an allergy, an intolerance or nothing at all.

Allergy vs intolerance - what's the difference?

We had no idea, so we looked it up.

Basically an allergy is when your body's immune system reacts to something you eat.

What kind of reactions? Swelling, rashes, itching, vomming, eczema, wheezing, sore throat, blocked/runny nose, stomach cramps and anaphylaxis, which affects the whole body and can be fatal.

An intolerance is where your body doesn't have the right enzyme or chemical to digest the food properly.

What happens instead? Diarrhea, constipation, farting, rashes, really bad headaches and coughing.

Victoria Beckham, for instance, is lactose intolerant, so when she drinks milk she probably gets a headache, diarrhea and farts a lot.

Slink Trev, on the other hand, has an allergy to milk, so when he drinks milk he gets an itchy rash, his face swells up and he starts vomming everywhere. Charming.

They both react badly to milk, but for different reasons. Oh that human body, it's so crazy!

The Bright Side

We're not gonna pretend that living with an allergy/intolerance is all sunshine and roses, but it's not all doom and gloom either.

Five Reasons Why Allergies/Intolerances Are Neat

1. Tons of people have them - You immediately belong to a secret club full of people coming up with kickass special recipes. So next time your mates are stuffing their faces with junk you can bust out some tastier and healthier gluten-free cookies.

2. You always read the ingredients - If you've got an allergy/intolerance you know loads more than most about all the weird additives and chemicals in our food. You know exactly what you're putting into your body and that's gotta be healthier.

3. Breaking the ice - You're at a party with a bunch of people you don't know. An awkward silence descends. How to get everyone talking? Casually let slip you're allergic to carrots and suddenly you're the centre of attention.

4. Allergy humour - Allergies are funny, being mocked for having them isn't. So take the lead with the jokes. Say you're allergic to mushrooms, coffee and Avril Lavigne. Here's our attempt at being funny.

5. Avoid rubbish grub - If your mate's mum serves you up a big plate of what she claims is lasagne but what looks like roadkill just say you're allergic and avoid the dodgy cooking. 9 times out of 10 you'll get a big plate of oven chips instead.

"My mate has an allergy, what should I do?"

Have a sensible chat with them to find out what they can and can't eat, and what you should do if they have a reaction. Make it clear it's because they're your mate and you're interested, and not because you think they're weird.

See if they carry any special medication (e.g. tablets, inhaler, an adrenaline pen, etc) and make sure you know where they keep it in case you ever need to help.

But the most important thing to do if your mate has an allergy is to carry on being their mate. They won't want you to be a totally different person around them or give them special treatment just because they can't eat eggs. Having an allergy is no different from having brown eyes or being tall.

Course, it doesn't hurt to be more aware of the food around you. Have a peek at the ingredients when you go shopping. You might be surprised by the amount of weird stuff that goes into your grub.

Phew, information overload

There's so much information about allergies it can all be a bit overwhelming. Plus a lot of it is wrong or distorted, especially online, and it's difficult to check.

If you are interested in finding out more, or you think you might have an allergy, it's best to go straight to your GP. They'll give you the facts. Which is jolly nice of them, really.

And if you do have an allergy, don't worry. It's no barrier to success. Just look at Drew Barrymore, Alex off Franz Ferdinand, Rachel Weisz, Joshua Jackson, Ginger Spice, Posh Spice and Orlando Bloom.

OK, maybe the Spice Girls were a bad example.

We asked you to tell us your best allergy stories, so we'll leave you with some of our faves. Bon appetit!

"when i was 14, i was eating a rather large peanut. i then felt a tickle in the back of my throat. I heaved and it wasnt the peanut that cameout, it was a plastic toy soldier! i had swallowed it two days before and the allergy of the peanut caused my soldier to 'march' right out of my throat! THANKS PEANUT!"
Jess, 14

"I didn't realise I was allergic to shellfish until one Christmas I threw up all over my puppy! Poor soul thought he had done something wrong. Lol"
Jade, 15

"I don't like having allergies but I understand that I can still live a full and healthy life with loads of yummy stuff, I just have to be careful and responsible with what I eat and check the ingredients of things. It would be more embarrassing to be rushed to hospital with swollen joints than simply to say "no thanks" to a slice of cake!"
Rosie, 14

"Ok, so i am allergic to dairy if I consume it.So me and my mates from school went on a field trip to go to starbucks, and I had never heard of a frappichino before so I ordered it, drank it, loved it. So we went back to school (cuz we still had school, they just let us go!!) and right when I sat in my seat my stomach hurt and I kept on letting out these smelly farts! The guy I liked asked "Does anyone smell that?" Soo mortifying!!"
Maggie, 13

"i was in a really fancy resteraunt and i decided on sea bass. i took my first mouthfull and nothing was wrong. i started to feel funnt. soon i fainted and i know it sounds really cheesy, but when i woke this really hot guy was standing over me making sure i was ok!! we went on a date and we r still an item!! yeah for aleergeys"
Hannah, 13

"Im allergic to seafood and the guy i'd fancied for aaages finally asked me out on a date. he took me to a lovely italian restaurant and i made sure u didnt get anything with seafood. unfortunatly they used the same pan as for some prawns so when i was half way through my meal my face went red and blotchy and swelled up. i was soo embaressed! it didnt put him off though since he's now my boyfriend :) xxx"
Mary, 15

"Me (Roz) and my mate were at a party when, at the end of the party this boy kissed Sam.
Just as she kissed him, she screamed "Ah nuts!" because shes allergic to nuts and his breath smelt like he'd been eating them. Just as she screamed this the music turned off and everyone was staring at her. He smiled at her and said "Wanna see?" OMG! It was so funny! He goes to the same school as us and now whenever she sees him, she goes bright red and runs into the toilets!"
Sam and Roz, 14-15

"four words:
boyfriend. snog. mouth. rash.
The shame."
Ginz-babez, 13

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