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The Australians who are confronted with a risky health ‘gamble’ in the world’s ‘allergy capital’
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The Australians who are confronted with a risky health ‘gamble’ in the world’s ‘allergy capital’

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Sharon Harley comes from Burrell Creek, 170 km north of Newcastle, NSW.
She has been struggling with severe allergic rhinitis for years, enduring persistent chronic fatigue and eye irritation.
“I suffer from severe sinus headache, Mistness, fatigue and itchy, watery eyes. It influences my work and my social life because I spend my weekends just to recover,” she said.
Despite the search for help from her doctor, standard drugs offered little lighting.
Eventually she was referred to a specialist, but that was just the start of a different struggle.

“We only had a visiting specialist who came to Tare once a month. I finally got an appointment after a few months, but then she stopped coming, and my only option was to travel to her practice for almost three hours. That was not feasible for me, so I had to start the referral process all over again,” Sharon said.

The long waiting times and extra travel costs meant that Sharon continued constant fatigue and sinus pain before she could start immunotherapy.
“I waited almost a year for treatment,” she said.

“If my doctor had access to more up-to-date allergy information and specialist support, I might have started treatment much earlier.”

‘Australia is the allergy capital of the world’

Sharon’s experience is not unique.
For Access to specialist medical care can be a challenge, especially for those who suffer from allergic disorders.
With more than five million Australians who are affected by allergies, according to the Ministry of Health and Elderly Care, requirements such as food allergies, allergic rhinitis, insect ramp allergies and anaphylaxis timely management. But for many in remote communities, specialist support is often out of reach.
Said Maria, CEO of Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia and co-chairman of the National Allergy Council, said that more should be done to bridge the “information gap” between professionals and health care specialists.
“Australia is often called the allergy capital of the world, and yet we continue to see an enormous information gap between some general practitioners and allergy specialists, the training that health workers receive on allergies is minimal.

“Even those in metropolitan areas struggle to gain access to specialist care,” said said.

A dangerous tick bite

Paul (not his real name), who lives on a rural property in Tamban on the Midden-Noordo coast of NSW, never thought that a tick bite could threaten his life.
Despite growing up in the country and have no earlier serious reactions, he experienced anaphylaxis after removing a tick from his neck.
His first reaction was mild, and in retrospect he said he regretted that he was not looking for medical help.
But the second time was much worse, while he drove home from a job, he scratched another tick and immediately felt his throat closing, his tongue tingling and his ability to swallow quickly.
By the time he reached the hospital fifteen minutes later, he had trouble staying upright.
Staff managed adrenaline, but he was fired without an action plan or clear instructions about what he then had to do.

Instead of getting guidance from medical professionals, Paul has familiar with other people with anaphylaxis to learn how to manage his condition.

Access to reliable allergy information

“Many patients resort to making their own diagnoses with unreliable information such as ‘Doctor Google’. When it comes to allergies or anaphylaxis, that is not a gamble that is worth taking,” said said.
For people such as Sharon and Paul, access to timely and accurate allergy care can mean the difference between managing their condition and life in constant fear of the following reaction.
The National Allergy Council recognizes the growing need for accessible allergy care, in collaboration with Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), has launched A pilot online platform focused on giving general practitioners and national generalists from specialized allergy advice.
This service is intended to improve the access of the patient in communities in the countryside, remote and first countries by supporting local doctors in local diagnosing, treating and managing patients, resulting in reduced waiting times for specialized consultation and minimizing patient travel.
Said Said, although initiatives such as Allergy Assist are a leap forward, improving allergy care in the Australia countryside requires a broader consciousness and a versatile approach.

“Limited specialist access, the complexity of allergy management and environmental factors that are unique to these regions mean that continuous investments and systemic change are essential.”

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