Eight steps to beating hay fever: Leading expert DR MIKE DILKES reveals everything you need to know

Maybe it’s pollen. Or perhaps it’s peanuts, pets or a certain washing detergent. Whatever the trigger, allergies affect 21 million people in the UK – that’s five times more than cancer.

And according to the latest figures, they are rising at an alarming rate. In the past ten years, the number of sufferers has rocketed by at least two million.

Research suggests a staggering 44 per cent of British adults now suffer from at least one allergy.

Last year, the tragic deaths of two women brought the dangers of severe reactions into sharp focus. Mother-of-five Celia Marsh and 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse were both struck down after eating sandwiches.

It wasn’t the sandwiches per se that were to blame, but their bodies’ extreme reaction to specific ingredients in them. And the battle to avoid such sudden catastrophes is a part of daily life for millions of allergic Britons.

So why are allergies on the rise? The truth is, we don’t know for sure. We live cleaner lifestyles than ever before, and our bodies are less familiar with the germs and bugs they need to destroy – which perhaps could lead to the immune system over-reacting to substances that are normally harmless. Perhaps increased pollution in Western countries is partly to blame.

As a consultant and allergy specialist, I’ve spent the past two decades dealing with the debilitating effect of these unpredictable conditions. Many of my patients felt isolated, lonely and helpless.

But it doesn’t have to be like that. Small, simple changes can keep symptoms at bay, giving sufferers their life back.

I’ve seen this transformation with my own eyes, and now I want to pass this knowledge on to you, too.

Over the following pages I’ll firstly unpick the science behind common allergies and help you get the right diagnosis.

Then, I’ll reveal the simple but practical solutions, based on cutting-edge science, to help you take control of your symptoms.

I’ll show you how hay fever sufferers can enjoy summer picnics, and how you could even ease eczema by changing what you eat.

For those with potentially life-threatening allergies, I’ll outline a step-by-step guide to handling outbreaks, should the worse happen.

So take my easy-to-follow regimes and nuggets of essential information, and finally stop allergies ruining your life...