The number of people who suffer from allergies has risen steadily over the last fifty years. In fact, 15 million people are sniffing, wiping and scratching right now. Dr Rob Hicks considers the multitude of causes and the best ways to reduce or stop the symptoms, so that you can take control and feel free again, from simple ideas like eating local honey and wearing wraparound sunglasses to reduce hay fever symptoms to keeping a food diary to check that your ''allergy'' isn't, in fact, an intolerance.