THIS week is National Allergy Week.

Often dismissed by a largely-ignorant public as barely registering on the medical scale, allergies do not always get the serious recognition they deserve.

Sam Bond speaks to Stroud sufferer Domonic White about living with a potentially life-threatening condition.

A tiny sip from a seemingly-innocent glass of orange juice landed Domonic White in hospital, swollen like a puffer fish.

Alhough he did not know it at the time Domonic had just suffered his first serious allergic reaction.

That was five years ago and he still has no clear idea as to what exactly sparked the incident.

Domonic, 31, is one of thousands of people in the UK at risk from the kind of severe allergic reaction that, if not treated immediately, can lead to serious harm or even death.

Known as anaphylactic shock the reaction can occur when the body's immune system reacts inappropriately to the presence of a substance that it wrongly perceives as a threat.

During anaphylaxis, blood vessels leak, bronchial tissues swell and blood pressure drops, causing choking and collapse.

Syringes

Domonic has to carry syringes loaded with adrenaline with him at all times in case he inadvertently comes into contact with something that could trigger the reaction.

The adrenaline acts as a kind of first aid to lessen the symptoms of the attack but he would still need to be taken to hospital for treatment and observation.

But worse part, said Domonic, was not knowing what caused that first reaction. "It could have been the orange juice, some additive or just something on the glass," he said.

He suffered a second attack in February while undergoing unrelated treatment at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and has been waiting to see a specialist since.

During this period he has lost several stone in weight as he is forced to restrict his diet to 'safe' foods. And has had to introduce new routines into his life to minimise the risk of a repetition of the reaction. "I've been living on rice and Ryvita," he said.

"The first attack didn't make much difference to my life other than being a bit of a shock. "I bounced back from it straight away. "Within days I was completely back to normal and it was just a good story to tell my mates."

"But the second had a much bigger effect on me. "I felt absolutely foul and it was probably a good week before I could go out afterwards."

Also, along with the physical symptoms came fear - the not knowing whether the simplest things had been contaminated or when the reaction might strike again. "I can rationalise that side of it but that does me absolutely no good," he said.

Anxiety

"I started getting what I can only suppose were anxiety attacks and I'm always aware of it in the back of my mind."

"People who know me well tell me I keep feeling my lips all the time - I'm not even consciously doing it, it's just the swollen lips are, for me, the first sign that something is wrong."

Domonic explained how even the simplest things like remembering to take his adrenaline injections out with him had been hard at first.

He has to religiously prepare his own food and make sure he is not using contaminated cutlery or crockery.

The condition has even impacted on his social life as some people think he is being awkward or fussy and fail to recognise the seriousness of his situation. "It makes you seem really neurotic and paranoid and a bit of a freak," he said.

"But even the simplest things you wouldn't imagine could have an allergen in them do. "You've just got to be really assertive and constantly vigilant."

Since being diagnosed Domonic has been doing a lot of reading up on anaphylaxis and discovered an extensive support network.

Campaign

He has got in touch with the Anaphylaxis Campaign, which provides a helpline, publishes useful literature and has a regularly updated website, www.anaphylaxis.org.uk, which issues food alerts about products which may contain allergens.

"It was really good to talk to people who understood and had the same experience," he said.

Domonic believes manufacturers and retailers are waking up to the need for clearer labelling for allergy sufferers, albeit slowly.

"Shopping takes a lot longer when you have to check all the labels," he said. "We need clear, easy to find allergy information on the packaging.

"Some of the big supermarkets and manufacturers are waking up to this now but most of them could still be better."

He said allergy sufferers also wanted people to take their condition seriously.

Fuss

"I don't want people to make a fuss, just to accept it," said Domonic. "Let me eat my packed lunch in peace, then join in the socialising."

While still waiting for the NHS allergy tests, Domonic has recently been to visit food allergy specialist Ruth Holmes at Stroud's Lansdown Clinic and was pleasantly surprised.

He confessed to being a little sceptical about alternative medicine but said the results were amazing.

"She took the time to speak to me on the phone and managed to fit me in for an appointment even though she was booked up.

"It was so nice to have someone medical take my situation seriously and show real enthusiasm for trying to help me out."

Domonic now has a rough guide to his possible allergies, but he will still be at risk even when he has seen the specialist.

"You can do your utmost to walk safely through the minefield but there might be errors in the map you have been given or you might take a wrong step," he said.

While avoiding the wrong foods is, at the moment, his only way to reduce the risk there is hope on the horizon for him and others who are affected by anaphylaxis.

An American company is developing a drug which will greatly reduce the severity of attacks, even though it cannot cure the allergy.

The drug is currently undergoing tests in the United States and Domonic is hopeful it could soon be available here.

"At least there is hope for us in the future," he said.

"But in the meantime take people seriously when they have got an allergy and show a bit of understanding."