'I've had six near-death experiences' - Student with severe allergies to help others by spreading awareness

Eimear O'Rourke, a postgraduate student at Queen's University Belfast, founded Allergy Acts, a platform aimed at raising awareness and supporting others navigating the "isolating" experience of living with allergies.

There's no survival guide on how to live with allergies. Much of our learning comes through trial and error and adapting our lives to protect ourselves, highlighting the struggles allergy sufferers face.

In the research I was involved in, we found that food allergies come with a high price - financially and emotionally. For adults, the cost averages £1,200 a year; for children, it can exceed £1,400.

Beyond the financial burden, allergy sufferers often face a diminished quality of life and heightened anxiety, particularly as anaphylactic incidents are more common among teens and young adults than other age groups.

Read at Irish Independent