Sadly more and more children are suffering from allergies, and there are certain signs that indicate when allergies are causing or significantly contributing to health problems. Here's a short list of what to look out for. The more of these you can check the more likely it is that at least some of your child's problems are down to allergies.

1. Dark circles or bags under the eyes making the child look permanently tired. In Chinese medicine this area of the face is linked to the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are one of the main organs of the body involved in stress reactions, and exposure to allergens certainly produces stress in the body. Sometimes there is also a crease seen under the eyelids.

2. Dry, flaky lips Often the edge of the lip is an indistinct blur rather than there being a definite line between it and the rest of the face. Michio Kushi in his book Oriental Diagnosis says that different parts of the lip correspond to different parts of the digestive system. The upper lip represents the stomach. The lower part corresponds to the intestines. These parts of the body are often involved with allergic reactions particularly if the problem is with foods.

3. Sweaty feet The liver is the main detoxifying organ of the body. When it is not functioning properly or has to work overtime then the feet tend to be very sweaty. In allergic reactions the liver is coping with an overload of toxins.

4. One or both ears sometimes red and/or burning The reaction usually starts about one and three quarter-hours after exposure to the offending substance and lasts for about half an hour. I do not know whether it is significant if it is one ear or both ears, but the timing seems very precise. The redness usually lasts for about half an hour. This particular reaction can become a very useful self-help diagnostic technique if you pay attention to your child's ears!

5. Children with a tendency to allergies are often blond hair. They are usually pale; in fact so pale that sometimes they are suspected of suffering from anaemia. In some children this paleness is not at first sight evident, because they have very rosy cheeks either all the time or some of the time. Sometimes if you feel the child