About Allergies

Assess Your Symptoms

Allergies are a hyperactive response by the immune system to something it perceives as a threat. Normally harmless, these irritants can trigger an array of responses, including runny nose, watery eyes, itchy skin, and so on. 
While millions of people suffer from seasonal allergies due to pollen levels, others are affected by the foods they eat, whether that be proteins in refined bread, peanuts, or soy. 
While the solution for most allergies is simply avoiding the troublesome irritants, it is seldom that simple. Read the following articles to determine if the symptoms you feel are being caused by an allergic reaction and what you can do to protect yourself.

Allergies Statistics and Facts

Allergies affect millions each year. Learn more about how prevalent they are, who is impacted, and how much is spent each year on care for allergy patients.

 

 

Prevalence

• In the 12 months preceding the 2010 U.S. National Health Interview, there were 17.9 million adults diagnosed with hay fever (allergic rhinitis), which is equal to approximately 7.8 percent of the population of the country.
• Children are diagnosed almost as frequently in a one-year period as adults, with approximately 7.1 million diagnosed, or 9.5 percent of the children in the population.
• There were 8.6 million children, or 11.5 percent of the children in the population, reported to have had respiratory allergies in a 12-month period in 2010.
• Children also experience a rate of reported food allergies of approximately 3.4 million, or 4.6 percent of the children in the population, in a 12-month period in 2010.
• Skin allergies in children were reported in 9.4 million cases, or a total of 12.6 percent of the children in the population, in 2010.
• More than half (54.6 percent) of the people reporting a survey completed in the U.S. indicated that they had positive reactions to one or more allergens. Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) affects between 10 and 30 percent of all adults in the U.S. and as many as 40 percent of children.
• There are estimates that over 60 million people in the U.S. that have symptoms of allergic rhinitis and this number is increasing.
• Approximately 40 people per year die in the U.S. because of allergic reactions to bee stings. ? 

Age, Gender and Other Factors

• Eight specific types of foods are responsible for over 90 percent of all reported food allergies. These include eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, soy, wheat, and fish.
• Food allergies are more prominent in children than adults with a total of 4.7 percent of children under the age of 5 having a reported food allergies, and 3.7 percent of children between the ages of 5 to 17 reporting allergies. Often food allergies can decrease as the child ages.
• Females are slightly more likely to have food allergies than males with percentages of reported reactions at 4.1 and 3.8 respectively.
• Non-Hispanic white children have the highest percentage of reported food allergies at 4.1, non-Hispanic blacks at 4.0, and Hispanic children at 3.1.
• In about 50 percent of all homes in the U.S., there are at least 6 detectable allergens present in the environment.
• Adults are more likely to have life-threatening reactions to insect stings than children with 3 percent of adults and only 0.4 to 0.8 percent of children. Healthcare workers are at higher risk for developing a latex allergy than the general population. In the general population, there is less than a 1 percent incidence, while in the healthcare industry, the rate is 5 to 15 percent.
• Milk allergies are most common in children with 2.5 percent of children under the age of 3 having an allergic reaction to milk.
• Peanut allergies doubled in numbers diagnosed between the years 1997 to 2003.

Medical Issues and Care Costs

• In 2007, there were 13.4 million visits to doctor offices, hospital outpatient departments, clinics, and emergency departments that had a primary diagnosis of allergic rhinitis (hay fever).
• Children under the age of 18 accounted for approximately 9,500 hospital discharges during the years 2004 to 2006 in the U.S.
• The rate of reported food allergies in children rose 18 percent between the years 1997 and 2007.
• In 2007, children with reported food allergies had a higher rate of other allergies and respiratory conditions than children without food allergies. Children with food allergies had higher rates of asthma 29.4 compared to 12.4, 27.2 compared to 8.1, and respiratory allergies of 31.5 compared to 8.7 percent for children with no reported food allergies.
• Between the years of 2000 and 2005, the cost for treatments for allergic rhinitis increased from $6.1 billion to $11.2 billion with more than half of the total amount spent on prescription medications.
• Anaphylactic reactions to penicillin cause about 400 deaths per year. Also, between six to 10 percent of all adverse drug reactions are caused by allergies or immunological factors.
• Patients with HIV/AIDS are more likely to be allergic to drugs, specifically sulfonamide drugs, at a rate of 29 to 65 percent of the HIV/AIDS population compared to two to four percent of other individuals.
• There are approximately 5.7 million doctor visits each year due to contact dermatitis.
• The number of visits to medical care facilities for food allergies, including emergency rooms and doctors’ offices, was 317,000 for the years 2003 to 2006 in the U.S. alone.

Worldwide

• Allergic rhinitis is more common in Europe and Australasia. In a recent European Community Respiratory Health Survey, 35 percent of participants reported having the health condition or symptoms.
• According to the World Health Organization, the estimated number of people worldwide with asthma, which is linked to allergies, is approximately 235 million.
• The World Health Organization lists allergic rhinitis and sinusitis as one of the major chronic respiratory diseases worldwide.

Allergy Tests: What to Expect

Do you suspect that you may suffer from one or more types of allergies? Learn about possible tests your doctor may conduct to see if you have allergies. 

Whether your allergies are seasonal or year-round, antihistamines and decongestants can only go so far. If you’re ready to seek long-term treatment for your allergy problems, below are some details on what to expect.

Initial Diagnosis

In many cases, an allergy sufferer visits his or her physician, explains symptoms, and is given a mild daily allergy prescription, such as Claritin or Semprex. This is for mild, seasonal cases and is intended as a short-term solution.
If your allergies are more severe or year-round, your physician may recommend allergy testing. You may choose to do this testing anyway, as it gives a complete picture of your specific allergens. While you’ve likely heard stories about thousands of needle pricks, allergy testing is not anything to be afraid of. There are several types of allergy tests and each test is done under close supervision.

Skin Tests

To determine the substances causing your symptoms, your doctor will likely first try the skin scratch test. A small amount of each possible allergen is placed on the patient’s skin, lightly scratching the skin with the needle to allow the allergen to go further into the skin. The doctor then waits to see if the skin swells or reddens. Since results are seen within 15-20 minutes, the patient is closely monitored during this time. However, it should be noted that occasionally the patient sees results hours after testing occurs.
If a scratch test is unsuccessful in determining a patient’s allergens or if a specific allergen needs to be tested, physicians may order an intradermal skin test, where the allergen is injected into the skin. Like the scratch test, the doctor then waits to see if there is a reaction.
A third type of skin test is called a patch test. Allergens are attached to the skin and left for up to 48 hours. This method is used when a doctor needs to test skin reactions to certain items and the doctor will usually check the skin after 24 hours, then again after 48 hours.
Naturally, the biggest danger in all of these tests is that a patient will react to a large number of allergens at once. Itching, dizziness, and occasional fainting have been reported as a result of these tests.

Process of Elimination

Elimination tests are used primarily with food allergies. The physician has a patient remove certain items from his or her diet to determine if symptoms abate. Once the item has been absent from the patient’s diet for a period of time, the physician will then have the patient gradually add the item back into his or her diet and see if symptoms return.
Elimination tests can be especially difficult in children whose parents aren’t always in control of what they eat. One simple slip-up can negate all test results, so parents need to understand the importance of making sure the child sticks to the diet at all times, even while at school or out with friends.

Blood Tests

If skin testing is not an option, a physician may prescribe a blood test to determine the presence of antibodies to certain allergens in the blood. Since this test requires only one needle, some patients prefer this method. This test, called ImmunoCAP, compares well against traditional skin tests in studies.
However, in a University of Chicago study, a few allergens were not detected as well. Those included Aspergillus fumigatus, English plantain, oak tree, lamb’s quarter, and white ash tree. The study was successful in detecting many major allergies, however, including giant ragweed and Timothy-grass.

Provocation

In some instances, a patient is tested by directly exposing them to the allergen. This may be done through having the patient inhale or ingest the substance in a controlled environment, under direct supervision by a physician.
In some cases, the patient may engage in a double-blind test, where the allergen is disguised within other substances. The patient then tries a placebo and the allergen to determine if the allergic reaction is mental or physical. While this can be effective, it will require multiple visits if the patient is allergic to more than one substance. It can also be more dangerous and should only be done under medical supervision.
Once you’ve completed allergy testing, you will receive a detailed analysis of your allergens. This can help a physician develop a course of treatment that may involve creating an inoculation to help you begin the path to eliminating your allergy, as well as avoiding the substance in your day-to-day life.