Fiducia TogetherAllergies and anaphylaxis
Also called Allergy, Anaphylactic shock, Food allergy
An immune reaction to something harmless. Usually mild. Occasionally, within minutes, fatal.
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice, and it is not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your health or someone else's, speak to a GP, pharmacist, or call 111. In an emergency, call 999.
What it is
Around 2 million people in the UK live with a diagnosed food allergy, and hospital admissions for anaphylaxis have risen substantially over the last two decades.
An allergy is the immune system reacting to something harmless: a food, a drug, a sting, latex. Most reactions are mild. Anaphylaxis is the severe form: airway, breathing or circulation affected, and it can kill within minutes.
Natasha's Law, in force since 2021, requires full ingredient labelling on food prepacked for direct sale. It exists because of a death that was entirely preventable, and it changed practice in every kitchen in the country.
Signs you might notice
Mild: itching, hives, a rash, swelling of lips or face, sneezing, watery eyes, stomach upset.
Anaphylaxis: any Airway, Breathing or Circulation problem. Swelling of the throat or tongue, hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing. Wheeze, persistent cough, difficulty breathing. Feeling faint, pale or clammy, collapse.
A sense of impending doom, which patients describe consistently and which should be taken seriously.
Signs can be delayed, and a mild reaction can become severe.
How it can affect day-to-day life
The daily burden is vigilance: reading every label, questioning every kitchen, and the anxiety of eating anywhere unfamiliar. Families describe it as exhausting and describe others as regularly dismissive.
In schools and care settings, the failures follow a pattern: an adrenaline auto-injector that is out of date, locked away, or that nobody has been trained to use.
Adrenaline is the treatment for anaphylaxis. Antihistamines are not, and reaching for them first has cost lives.
Supporting someone well
Give adrenaline first, and give it early. Into the outer thigh, through clothing if necessary. Then call 999 and say anaphylaxis.
Lie the person flat with legs raised, or sitting up if breathing is difficult. Do not stand them up or walk them: sudden standing during anaphylaxis has caused cardiac arrest.
Give a second dose after five minutes if there is no improvement. Always carry two.
Everyone should always carry two auto-injectors, in date, and everyone around them should know where they are and how to use them.
In a service or a school, name who is trained, check expiry dates monthly, and never lock the device away.
Always call 999 after adrenaline, even if the person improves. Biphasic reactions happen hours later.
Fiducia Together links the allergen register to meal planning, so an allergen check happens when the meal is planned rather than at the table, and the check is deterministic rather than dependent on who is cooking.
Where to get help
A GP can refer to an allergy clinic for testing and a management plan.
Anaphylaxis UK provide training, alerts and support on 01252 542029.
Any suspected anaphylaxis is 999, every time.
Tools we make that might help
These are our own products. We have put them here because they do something specific for this condition, not because every page needs a list.
Fiducia Together
An allergen register linked to meal planning, so the check happens deterministically when the meal is planned.
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice, and it is not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your health or someone else's, speak to a GP, pharmacist, or call 111. In an emergency, call 999.