talkhealth Blog

From today until 15 February 2019, we are running an Online Clinic on Allergies. Medical experts will be available to answer questions throughout this time.

We are delighted that Green People and Imutest are sponsoring the clinic. The clinic is also being supported by The Allergy & Free From show, The Allergy Academy and the charity Action Against Allergy.

How common are allergies?

In the UK, we have some of the highest prevalences of allergic conditions in the world!

Are allergies on the increase?

According to Mintel (2010), 44% of British adults suffer with at least one allergy.  And the number of sufferers is on the rise.

Anaphylaxis (an acute allergic reaction to an antigen eg a bee sting or reaction to peanuts to which the body has become hypersensitive) is on the rise too. Between 1992 and 2012 there has been a 615% increase in hospital admissions for anaphylaxis in the UK. (Turner, Paul J et al, 2015).

Are allergies more common in children?

Food allergies are certainly more common in children than adults. And they are on the rise too.  Children with a food allergy are also  2-4 times as likely to have other allergic conditions, such as asthma or eczema.

Is there a connection between allergies and eczema?

Last year, we carried out a survey to look at the connection between allergies and eczema. The survey revealed that 83% of people with eczema also live with hayfever. And once people had a flare up with their allergy, regardless of the type of allergy, roughly 8 out of 10 people said they experienced an issue with their eczema becoming noticeably worse.

What help, information and support is available for people with allergies?

Experiences of the medical profession were certainly mixed from last year’s talkhealth survey results. Only a few people said they received lots of helpful information.  Over half received some support for their allergy, but 1 in 3 received absolutely no information or support at all. This was also reflected in the onward referral to a consultant with just a one-third being referred on for more in-depth and specialist treatment.

Our Online Clinic on Allergies is a fantastic opportunity to talk directly to a panel of  five allergy experts. They will be available to answer all your allergy questions throughout the duration of the clinic, so please take advantage and ask those questions now!

You can also take a look at our talkallergy hub as there’s lots of practical information and guidance to read. And join in our community forum where you can talk to others about allergies.

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talkhealth

This is the talkhealth blog spot, where we post on a wide range of health conditions, topics, issues and concerns. We post when we see something that we believe is of interest to our visitors. Our posts do not reflect any particular view or standpoint of talkhealth, but are merely to raise attention and awareness.