Allergy Conference aims to improve diagnosis and treatment

Across the globe, cases of allergy are significantly increasing. An estimated 21 million people in the UK now suffer from an allergy, with at least one in three people affected at some time in their lives. In Devon and Cornwall, that equates to around 600,000 people.

A conference hosted by the University of Exeter Medical School will bring together a range of experts in the field to analyse the evidence and advise health professionals on how best to diagnose and treat an increasingly wide range of allergic reactions.

Professor Edward Kaminski, Honorary Professor at the University of Exeter Medical School, became the first Consultant Immunologist in the South West in 1996, when he was based at Derriford hospital in Plymouth. He now runs Allergy Diagnostics, a private allergy practice in Plymouth. He said: “Allergies are increasingly common, but are often misunderstood, and that can cause real misery for sufferers. They can appear at any time in your life, and the single most important factor in treatment is establishing a proper diagnosis. This conference aims to bring together healthcare professionals, to instil confidence in dealing with a problem which can usually be significantly improved.”

The conference will feature keynote speaker Professor Stephen Durham, Professor of Allergy and Respiratory Medicine and Head of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at, Imperial College and Royal Brompton Hospital London. He will talk about immunotherapy – a treatment for certain allergies which involves administering allergen extracts, and allergic rhinitis.

Delegates will also hear from Dr Nick Osborne, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Exeter medical School’s European Centre for environment and Human Health, based in Truro. He will talk about the patterns and causes of allergy, and how that applies to treatment.

The conference, sponsored by Danone UK, will be held at Dartington Hall on Friday September 27. The day is aimed at GPs, specialist nurses, hospital doctors and biomedical scientists with an interest in allergy. It will cover a number of subjects including the epidemiology of allergy, adult allergy, paediatric allergy, allergic rhinitis, contact dermatitis and anaphylaxis.

Some places are still available, and to find out more or to book, please visit http://medicine.exeter.ac.uk/allergy2013/.