Allergies: A deep dive into why it is not the pollen #2

Greeting!

Continuing with the deep dive into allergies. Does it surprise you to know that over an estimated 50 million people suffer with allergies.

• 55 percent of population tests positive to one or more allergens²
• It’s no wonder that allergies cost us about $18 billion annually.³
• Chronic sinusitis is the most commonly reported chronic disease, affecting about 37 million Americans.¹⁰
• Allergic drug reactions occur in up to 20% of hospitalized patients⁶
• Penicillin is the most common, Anaphylactic reactions to penicillin cause approximately 400 deaths a year.⁷
• Eight foods account for 90% of all reactions in the U.S.: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish.⁹
• The number of children with potentially fatal peanut allergies doubled between 1997 and 2002¹¹
• Allergic dermatitis (itchy rash) is the most common skin condition in children younger than 11 years of age. The percentage of children diagnosed with it has increased from 3% in the 1960s to 10% in the 1990s.⁸
• If one parent has allergic disease, the estimated risk of a child to develop allergies is 48%; the child’s estimated risk grows to 70% if both parents have a history of allergies.¹¹

-While some food allergy reactions are dramatic (like anaphylactic shock), others — like dizziness, fatigue, headaches, or panic attacks — can be stealthy, and much harder to link to an actual food or food additive.

Immediate or delayed Symptoms:

 The sinus and nasal symptoms are only a small percentage of the variety of symptoms associated with allergic reactions.

Tomorrow we will look at the four different types of allergies, allergies VS sensitivities and what causes allergies. Stay tuned!

Be Well

Dr. Whalen