Allergies
Information for people with allergies and their families
What this board is about
This is a place to talk about allergic rhinitis, hives, food and drug allergies, allergy testing and immunotherapy. Atopic dermatitis is covered in more depth in the atopy room on the skin board, and asthma in the asthma room on the respiratory board.
Anaphylaxis — call 119 straight away
If any of the following appear within minutes to tens of minutes after a food, a medicine or a bee sting, it may be anaphylaxis (a severe whole-body allergic reaction). Call 119 straight away.
- Hives together with shortness of breath or a tight feeling in the throat
- A swelling feeling in the lips, tongue or throat
- Dizziness and a feeling that you are about to collapse, severe stomach pain or vomiting
If you have been prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector (Jext and similar), inject it into the thigh without delay and then call 119. If you have had anaphylaxis once, do get specialist allergy care (the allergy department; for children, the allergy division of the pediatrics department).
Source: 질병관리청 국가건강정보포털 · as of 2026-08-05
Which department to go to
- Adults: the allergy department (respiratory and allergy medicine); dermatology if the symptoms are mainly on the skin
- Children: pediatrics (a hospital with a specialist allergy division is even better)
- Allergic rhinitis: ear, nose and throat (ENT) or the allergy department
Tests to find the cause (skin prick tests and blood tests), and immunotherapy for rhinitis and asthma (under the tongue or by injection under the skin), can be discussed at a specialist consultation.
Frequently asked questions
I keep getting hives and I cannot work out the cause
Acute hives that last less than 6 weeks usually settle on their own and can be controlled with antihistamines, even when no cause is found. Hives that last 6 weeks or more are chronic hives, so see a dermatology or allergy department. Keeping a food diary sometimes helps to track down the cause.
Sources for this page
· 질병관리청 국가건강정보포털 (as of 2026-08-05)Last checked: 2026년 8월 5일
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