Forget Angelina Jolie's shoulder-covering Buddhist incantation or David Beckham's Christ on the cross. The smart money is on a new kind of tattoo: the medical tat.

The number of people admitted to hospital with life threatening anaphylactic shock – involving sudden swelling, breathlessness and low blood pressure – has increased by at least 700 per cent in the last two decades.

The number of people admitted to hospital with life-threatening anaphylactic shock – involving sudden swelling, breathlessness and low blood pressure – has increased by at least 700 per cent in the last two decades.

The three great names in British drug development for the past half century had the euphonious names of Jack, Black and Vane; and while Sir David Jack was the only one not to win a Nobel Prize this was largely due to chance, as his discoveries were equal to those of Sir James Black and Sir John Vane. Jack's contribution, with his team, was to develop the first inhaled asthma medicine, salbutamol (Ventolin). It relieved the wheezing of asthma almost instantaneously by going straight to the lungs, and only atiny dose was needed as it was not dispersed around the rest of the body. Previously, patients had to take ephedrine or similar compounds, wait up to half an hour for the drug to be absorbed, and put up with several hours of the tremors and palpitations that were the inevitable side-effects.

Doctors are to expose babies to dust mites in an attempt to halt the rising allergy epidemic in Britain.

The wedding was already going to be difficult. It now promises to be excruciating for all concerned. A bride-to-be has received a very public etiquette lesson after an email from her future mother-in-law, attacking her "uncouthness" and "lack of manners", went viral over the internet.

All animal lovers will be aware of the plight of the greyhound. Although many owners of racing hounds take their responsibility towards the breed seriously, some are not so thoughtful, and will discard dogs once they are past racing age (typically about three to four). Their placid nature makes them ideal pets for a happy life in retirement.

Sales of hayfever treatments have risen by 40% as Britain has basked in some of the driest spring-time conditions for around 40 years.

Britain's millions of hayfever sufferers have a new helping hand: the Met Office has introduced daily pollen forecasts on its website.

Italian's latest scare in Kiev demonstrates seriousness of problem that also affects English golfer Ian Poulter

Manchester City star Mario Balotelli had to be substituted during last night's Europa League tie after the Italian's face became swollen. It seems that the striker has an allergy to certain types of grass.