Brown’s Community Pharmacy

15/12/2025

STOP what you’re doing on Thursday night… 🎄✨
Because Brown’s Community Pharmacy is keeping the doors open late for a VIP Christmas Shopping Event 🎁

🗓 Thursday 18th December
⏰ 5pm–7pm

✨ 20% OFF all fragrance, cosmetics & gifts
🎁 FREE gift wrapping in-store
💄 Perfect time to grab Christmas presents (and a little something for yourself)

14/12/2025

Christmas sorted in one place! 🫶

08/12/2025

Kaitaia’s biggest range of Fragrance, gift wrapped and ready for Christmas! 🎁

07/12/2025

25/11/2025

Children's Allergies
What is an allergy?

Allergies happen when your child's immune system mistakenly treats normally harmless substances as 'harmful'. The substances that trigger allergies are called allergens. Your child's immune system overreacts to the allergen by making allergic antibodies (IgE) against the allergen. The immune system then releases histamine and other chemicals that cause symptoms.

There are many types of allergens found in our environment. The most common of these are:

airborne allergens that come from dust mites, cats and dogs, pollen and moulds

food allergens

insect stings

other things such as medicines or latex

Who gets allergies

It's not clear exactly why some people have allergies and others don't. The tendency to develop allergies is usually passed down through your genes. But, not everybody in your whānau (family) will have the allergies.

Diagnosis of allergies

A health professional usually diagnoses allergies once they have listened to your experience and examined your child.

Environmental allergies may be obvious from your child's experience (for example, your child gets itchy and sneezy every time they pet a cat). But sometimes, your child might need testing for these allergies.

If food allergy is suspected, your child may need an allergy test (skin tests or a blood test for specific allergic antibodies, previously called a RAST) to confirm what they are allergic to. This is to make sure you know what foods your child needs to avoid. In some cases, your child might need to go to a paediatric clinic or specialist.

Symptoms of a severe reaction

Some tamariki (children) may have a severe reaction with breathing problems (for example, coughing and wheezing) or collapse.

This is called anaphylaxis and can be life-threatening. Please dial 111 within New Zealand (use the appropriate emergency number in other countries).

Action plans for allergic reactions or anaphylaxis

All children with food and insect sting allergies need to have an action plan for allergic reactions or anaphylaxis. These explain how to manage an allergic reaction.

Airborne allergens
Airborne allergens such as pollen usually cause 'hay fever' (allergic rhinitis). Tamariki with 'hay fever' may have seasonal symptoms with a runny, itchy nose or eyes and sneezing during grass pollen season. Tamariki who are allergic to dust mites may have year-round 'hay fever', with a runny or blocked nose and sneezing, often worst in bed. Airborne allergens can also contribute to the symptoms of asthma and eczema.

Most common airborne allergens

Some of the most common things people are allergic to are carried through the air. These include:

dust mites which live in carpets, bedding and upholstery

pollens from trees, grasses and other plants

animals such as cats, dogs and horses

moulds, which thrive in warm, dark, moist places, such as bathrooms, basements and outdoors in compost heaps

Food allergies
Symptoms of food allergy can include:

skin rashes (such as hives or welts)

swelling of the face, lips and eyes

tummy pains, vomiting and diarrhoea

Common concerns about food allergy

If your child is allergic to a food, touching that food is very unlikely to cause a severe allergic reaction. Some skin rashes may appear on the part of the skin the food has touched.

Being in the same room as the food is also very unlikely to cause a reaction. But, cooking vapours from some foods, such as egg or fish, may trigger a reaction in some people.

Managing food allergies in children

Once your health professional, paediatrician or specialist diagnoses your child's food allergy, managing it includes avoiding the allergen. Make sure your child also avoids all the different products containing the allergen and the different forms it might come in. Families often need help from a dietitian to do this.

Lorapaed Liquid or Loraclear Tablets
Non-drowsy antihistamine for rapid allergy relief.

Loraclear is used for the relief of symptoms associated with perennial and seasonal rhinitis (hayfever), such as sneezing, nasal discharge and itching, as well as itching and burning of the eyes.

Loraclear is also used for the relief of symptoms and signs of chronic urticaria (hives) and other allergic skin disorders.

Active Ingredients:
Loratadine 10mg per tablet or 1mg per ml

Dosage:
Adults & Children over 12 years: One tablet or 10ml daily
Children 2-12 years over 30kg: One tablet or 10ml daily
Children 2-12 years under 30kg: Half a tablet or 5ml daily

The safe use of Loraclear® tablets has not been established in children under 2 years of age.

Where can I get more information?
For starters, it’s always a good idea to speak to your local pharmacist or your GP.

For more information on allergies, try:

https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/allergy

19/11/2025

PostShop Update From Tara 🎄💌

19/11/2025

See you at VIP Night!! 🎉

13/11/2025

Allergies and hayfever

Spring can see an increase in sneezing, itchy eyes, runny noses, and general discomfort due to allergic reactions. These symptoms are triggered by pollen, dust, pet dander, or other allergens. Antihistamines can help alleviate these symptoms quickly.

Levrix, Fexaclear, Histaclear, and Loraclear are all non-drowsy antihistamines that provide fast relief from allergy symptoms such as sneezing, watery eyes, itchy throat, and nasal congestion. We also provide antihistamines for children, eyedrops for eye allergies, and a range of natural saline treatments for a blocked nose or sinus congestion.

Travel

Motion sickness can turn an enjoyable journey into a nightmare, causing nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. Travel Ease and Travel Relief are tablets that help to prevent the onset of nausea and dizziness during travel. It is ideal for long journeys whether by car, plane, or boat.

If you or your loved ones develop a tummy bug that causes diarrhoea - we have the advice and treatments that will settle this common condition. This includes Hydralyte tablets which are dissolved in water to make a great-tasting drink for rehydration, and probiotics from brands such as Go Healthy which can be taken for short-term use to re-establish a healthy gut flora. Talk to our staff for the best advice.

Foot care

We have everything you need for the removal of cracked heels or the care of your feet and nails. Get salon-smooth feet at home with the SynxPedi 3-in-one electric foot polisher. Featuring professional-grade power, it effortlessly exfoliates hard skin, removes calluses, smooths cracked heels, and refines nails, your go-to tool for flawless results in minutes.

Free yourself from foot pain with a selection of our BEST SELLING foot care products from Synx. These podiatrist-developed products work together to provide ultimate support and comfort for sore heels, plantar fasciitis, ball-of-foot pain or painful conditions such as blisters, corns or calluses.

Call in for all your health needs

Don’t let allergies, travel sickness, digestive troubles, or foot pain slow you down. Explore our carefully selected range of products, designed for fast relief and long-lasting comfort.

For personalised advice and guidance, come in and speak to one of our friendly pharmacists—they’re ready to help you find the perfect solution for you and your family.



Disclaimer: This blog post is for educational purposes only. It is not designed to diagnose, treat or cure. For your individual health concerns, it is important to discuss these with your pharmacist or healthcare professional.