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Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia

Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (“A&AA”) is a registered charity and national support organisation, dedicated to helping individuals and carers alike in managing allergy disease, including the risk of anaphylaxis.

Allergic disease is a chronic condition that includes allergic rhinitis (hay fever), atopic dermatitis, allergic asthma, food and insect allergies and other potentially life-threatening conditions.

A&AA works closely with related areas in state and commonwealth government departments, food industry, health and teaching professionals, as well as the Australian community at large. A&AA advocates for all Australians living with allergic disease to improve health and well-being.

A&AA are a part of an international alliance of like-minded organisations and work closely with peak medical bodies including the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA). The National Allergy Strategy (“NAS”) is a partnership between ASCIA and A&AA, of which the A&AA CEO is the co-chair.

Vision and mission

Improved quality of life for all Australians living with allergic disease.

To listen, guide and educate Australians living with allergic disease and to advocate on your behalf to ensure your voice is heard.

How A&AA can help

A&AA strive to raise awareness of allergic conditions including life threatening allergies in the community by providing evidence based information, resources and services to support children and adults living with allergic disease.

They help Australians improve quality of life because for the most part, allergic disease cannot be cured. As allergic conditions are chronic and can be severe, support, information and guidance contribute to an improved quality of life.

Information / helpline

  • For guidance on living life with allergic disease (not medical advice / not emergency line) call 1300 728 000 Mon to Fri, 9am to 4pm AEST
  • In an emergency call triple zero (000)

Programs, apps and tools

Recommended links

Last reviewed: May 2024

Information from this partner

Found 97 results

Food allergens - Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia

The most common triggers of food allergic reactions in childhood are peanuts, tree nuts, milk and egg.  Common triggers of food allergy in adults are fish, shellfish, peanut and tree nuts.  Insect sting and bite allergies, such as tick, are more common in adulthood. Latex allergy is more common in health professionals who often use latex and children with Spina Bifida or kidney condition who undergo frequent medical procedures. Those with latex allergy can develop particular food alle

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Egg - Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia

Egg allergy is one of the most common food allergies in childhood, affecting about 8 percent of infants aged 12 months¹. 80 percent of these infants are likely to outgrow their egg allergy within the first few years of life.Most children, even those who have had severe reactions, do eventually outgrow their egg allergy although some may not outgrow it until their teen years. A very small number of adults have egg allergy for life.A downloadable allergen card (Egg - Allergen card667.82 KB) for t

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Fish - Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia

Fish allergy (finned fish) affects about 0.5 percent of the population. Seafood allergy tends to be life-long and is more common in adults than children. People who have a seafood allergy are usually only allergic to one group of seafood but can tolerate seafood of another variety. Those who are allergic to prawns can usually tolerate finned fish but care must be taken because of the real risk of cross contamination in storage, preparation and cooking of the seafood. Occasionally people have br

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Lupin - Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia

Lupin allergen card785.89 KB  From the ASCIA website  Lupin can be found in a wide range of food products including bread, bakery and pasta products, sauces, beverages and meat based products such as burgers and sausages. Gluten-free or soy-free products may sometimes contain lupin... ...Lupin allergens are resistant to normal cooking procedures, including boiling, and microwave heating. A novel sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection and quantification of lupin

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Mammalian Meat Allergy - Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia

Tick bites can cause mild to life-threatening allergic reactions to mammalian meats such as beef, pork, lamb, kangaroo, goat and venison. The tick bites occur before any allergic reactions to mammalian meats. The allergic reactions to meat are typically delayed for 2-10 hours after eating the meat. The allergen in the meat to which people react is called “alphagal”. Some people are so sensitive to alphagal, they react to mammal products, particularly, their milks an

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Milk - Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia

Milk allergy is one of the most common food allergies in childhood, affecting about 1-2 percent of preschool children. Fortunately, most children will grow out of their milk allergy. Current anecdotal observation suggests that whilst, in the past, most children would outgrow their milk allergy before starting school, increasing numbers are now out growing their milk allergy much later. Some children enter high school years with milk allergy and outgrow it in their teen years and a small number d

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Sesame - Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia

Sesame seeds are an extremely potent allergen which are used extensively in the food industry. Often, the foods that trigger reactions are those where lots of sesame seeds have been ground into a food product as an ingredient. The prevalence of sesame seed allergy has been increasing in recent years. An allergy to sesame, like peanut, tree nut, fish and shellfish, is usually life-long. Quick tips  Hummous, tahini and halvah are three very popular sesame products which are sometimes ad

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Soy - Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia

Soy allergy is relatively uncommon compared with peanut, egg or milk allergy. Allergy to soy is most commonly seen in young children with atopic dermatitis. Around 2-3percent of young children may have positive allergy tests to soy, however less than 10percent of these will develop symptoms when exposed to soy. Children with soy allergy may grow out of the allergy, however sensitisation to soy tends to increase rather than diminish with age. A downloadable allergen card (Soy - Allergen card7

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Peanut - Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia

Australia has a relatively high prevalence of peanut allergy. Almost 3 in every 100 children have a peanut allergy. Around 20 percent of children grow out of their peanut allergy. Those children who have had more severe allergic reactions including breathing problems are much less likely to outgrow their peanut allergy than children who have experienced milder reactions.  Sometimes, peanut allergies to not appear until later in life. Peanuts (ground nuts) are a legume and therefore f

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Tree Nut - Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia

The tree nut family includes almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, hickory nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts and others. Tree nuts are different to peanuts because tree nuts come from a different plant family. People who are allergic to peanuts are not necessarily allergic to tree nuts and vice versa, however people who are allergic to one tree nut have a tendency to be allergic to other tree nuts. For example people who have a cashew nut allergy are oft

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