Anna had suffered from an allergy to house-dust mite since she was a child. If she breathed in too much dust she suffered with a streaming nose and watery eyes. By keeping her house scrupulously clean and dust-free she had remained well for many years. In her thirties, however, she began to be troubled by a new problem. When she ate certain foods her face flushed scarlet and remained hot and itchy for an hour or two. This caused her a great deal of embarrassment if she had to eat out. She kept a record of the foods responsible, and these included onions, wine,
vinegar and cheese. But even when she avoided these foods, she still had episodes of flushing that she could not explain. The doctor suggested that she try a very simple diet, avoiding all commonly eaten foods for a while. This seemed to help considerably, and Anna reported feeling much more energetic and cheerful as well. When she reintroduced foods, she found that wheat, milk and sweetcorn caused her to flush and brought on a headache. By avoiding these foods, she is able to eat other things, including wine, vinegar and onions, which no longer make her face flush.
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