The Allergic March

Who does allergy affect?

Allergic diseases include asthma, rhinitis, eczema and food allergy. It is difficult to be accurate about the actual number of people affected by allergy, but it is estimated that up to 10% of infants and children have a medically diagnosed allergy. Self-diagnosis is common, where symptom comparison with a friend or neighbour is often the substitute for medical tests and diagnosis. Therefore, the perception is that the incidence of allergy is higher than it really is. However, although we are uncertain about the true incidence of the disease, it does seem clear that allergy is on the increase with kiwi, latex and peanut allergies becoming increasingly common.

Far fewer adults than children have allergies. In fact, it is estimated that only 2% of adults have a medically diagnosed allergy. Fewer adults than children are affected because up to 92% of cow’s milk protein allergy is outgrown by the age of five and egg allergy in young children often disappears by the age of three. Even peanut allergy is outgrown by up to 20% of children. The only way it is possible to know whether an allergy has gone is to have a food challenge test. This is a test carried out by a healthcare professional, such as an allergy specialist or a dietitian. These tests are usually only carried out in hospital as there is a risk of severe reaction.