A FAMILY run business specialising in helping people live with allergies has moved to Ringwood.
Dr Helen Allergy is run by Dr Helen Evans-Howells, a GP of 19 years and allergy specialist of nine years.
On October 10, the business ran its very first clinic in the new facilities, located on Crow Arch Lane.
Helen's specialism in allergies began because her eldest son suffers with milk and nut allergies. Several years ago, he went into anaphylaxis, which Dr Helen did not recognise at the time as she had not been trained with the symptoms.
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Dr Helen said: "When I was training to be a doctor, I realised how little I know [about anaphylaxis] and I think that's the same with a lot of GPs."
She went back to university before continuing a career as an allergy specialist and now works to help people "live well with allergies"
The Dr Helen Allergy centre carries out immunotherapy to common allergens like milk and nuts to desensitise the body to the allergen and prevent reactions.
Dr Helen said some families avoid travelling or having nuts in their houses for the risk of anaphylaxis, but immunotherapy can "change someone's life", especially if they are treated at a young age.
"For some people, it really alters their life completely," she said, "we get lots of pictures of people on holiday, eating ice cream for the first time.
"The younger you do it, the more chance you have of outgrowing it."
Treatment is carried out by giving the person a very small amount of the food they are allergic to and gradually increasing it over around four months. It is a safe and effective way of desensitisation when carried out by a professional.
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The centre is the only allergy clinic outside of London and currently offers private treatments with some charity places.
Charities include the Sadie Bristow Foundation which works with Dr Helen Allergy to fund places at the clinic and a room at the new premises has been named "The Sadie Room" after this.
Helen said: "We hope by having clinics like this it will put pressure on the NHS to start offering it. It should not be a postcode lottery or if you've got enough money to do it."
Helen also hopes to increase the training of allergy care, offering schools and workplaces training and upskilling GPs and open clinics across the country.
For more information, visit the Dr Helen Allergy website.
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