Impact of allergies in the UK today as 25% are affected by an allergy

Main Category: Allergy
Article Date: 11 May 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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25% people in the UK are affected by an allergy at some time in their life. The incidence of suffering appears to be on the increase at a rate of about 5% a year with as many as half of those now affected being children.

What is Allergy?

The term allergy is used to describe a response within the body to a substance, which is not necessarily harmful in itself, but results in an immune response and a reaction, which causes symptoms in a predisposed person.

An allergic reaction is what happens when your immune system 'gets it wrong' and starts reacting to harmless substances as if they were invading organisms.

Allergic reactions can range from relatively minor symptoms such as runny nose or eyes, sneezing or mild eczema, to a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction.

Allergy The Epidemic of the 21st Century (UK)

-- An estimated 15 million people in the UK suffer from allergies

-- A quarter of 13-21 year olds suffer from hayfever

-- Allergic conditions have increased fourfold in the last twenty years

-- Four in ten school children have at least one allergic condition

-- One in five children has asthma and 85% of these are allergic to house dust mites

-- An estimated 6 million people have eczema

-- Over 9 million people have hayfever

-- Over 1 million people have a food allergy

To read the full article go to:
http://www.allergyfoundation.com/stolenlives.html

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