Concern Over Allergy Increase

Britain may be facing a growing rate of allergy linked to modern lifestyles, it was claimed today.
As many as 24 per cent of people in Britain have had allergy-related illnesses diagnosed, it was reported today.

The Times said it had obtained information about a study conducted at Nottingham University of GP diagnoses.

The sample of 422 surgeries found that 24 per cent of patients were identified as having at least one allergic disease in 2005.

This had increased from 19 per cent in 2001.

The survey suggests that most of these cases relate to eczema and asthma. The figures suggest there could be about 5.8 million patients with each of the conditions.

The research found that cases of peanut allergy had doubled.

The paper quotes Dr Pam Ewan, an allergy specialist at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, as saying: "It is a massive epidemic, and the lack of provision is startling. GPs are not well informed about allergy at all, but particularly about food allergy and that is because they are not trained in it.

"So GPs have gained knowledge by self-learning or self-interest, then if a GP wishes to refer to a specialist he will have a problem because there is a very small number of these."

And Stephen Durham, president of the British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, told the paper: "There is no doubt that the modern Western lifestyle leads to an increase in allergies, as homes with fitted carpets and central heating can allow allergens such as dust mites to thrive."

source:www.staffnurse.com