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The allergic march describes a common set of allergic conditions, where one can lead on to another as a child ages. This includes eczema (atopic dermatitis), food allergy, hay fever (allergic rhinitis) and asthma. As these are collectively called atopy, it’s sometimes referred to as the atopic march, with one marching into the next like unstoppable soldiers. Allergic conditions often run in families, although it can vary which is most bothersome for each child or adult. First degree relatives – a parent or sibling – make you high risk for developing an allergic condition, and you are at highest risk if both of your parents suffer.

Food allergies are on the rise and can cause a great deal of alarm, particularly to parents. How do you know if you or your child has an allergy? Let's take you through the most common food allergies and how you can spot the signs. An allergy to a particular component in food prompts the immune system to go into overdrive, giving symptoms in the gut, skin and airways. Food allergies are common in young children, but most grow out of these as their immune system develops. Reactions vary from mild to severe. They may be as common as affecting one in 10 adults, and up to half of these were reported to have had a severe reaction, according to one study.

The word ‘rhinitis’ means inflammation of the nose and if this is caused by an allergy, it’s known as ‘allergic rhinitis’. Allergic rhinitis, also sometimes known as hay fever, is an allergy to pollen and can occur all year round. Typically, grass or tree pollen is the cause, triggering itchy eyes, nose and throat plus sneezing, a runny nose and watery eyes. These symptoms occur in what’s known as hay fever season, which is typically from the end of March to July, but varies depending on where you are in the country and whether your allergy is to grass pollen that usually causes summer hay fever or tree pollen that affects people more in the spring. House dust mite and pet allergy can trigger allergic rhinitis at any time of the year. Allergic rhinitis is very common, with around 1 in 5 people in the UK suffering with it at some point in their life. However, it most commonly starts as a child or teenager. It can run in families and you’re more likely to have allergic rhinitis if you also suffer from asthma or eczema. Allergic rhinitis is not contagious (you can’t catch it from someone else).