There is no doubt that allergies and asthma are among the most common illnesses that humans battle. It is very likely that you may not realize this, because most of these conditions are misunderstood as minor irritations. There are some people who mistakenly believe they can go about their daily business normally while they are battling asthma and allergy symptoms.
Here are 15 stats about allergy and asthma:
- OVER 32 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES IN US:
According to AAFA studies, About 26 million US adults have food allergies which is 10.8% of population and about 5.6 million US children have food allergies which is over 7.6%.
2. COMMON FOODS CAUSING 90% OF MOST FOOD ALLERGY REACTIONS:
- Milk
- Egg
- Peanut
- Tree Nut (Almonds, Walnuts, cashews, etc.)
- Wheat
- Soy
- Fish
- Shellfish
Food allergies can range from mild to life threatening. Most reactions can be prevented by avoiding the foods. Another option is to seek out treatment options that train the immune system not to react when exposed to a food allergy.
3. FOOD ALLERGEN LABELING AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT OF 2004:
The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 was created by the FDA because food allergies can be life-threatening and are triggered by ingredients found in many of our favorite foods. According to the act, the FDA must label foods with food source names for any ingredients on the top 8 list of food allergies to protect Americans from the health risk of food allergies. Ingredients containing an allergen in their names, such as buttermilk, meet the requirement. A list of ingredients or allergens in the product would list the key allergen in parentheses next to it.
4. NO CURE FOR FOOD ALLERGY:
Food allergies can range from mild to life threatening. Most reactions can be prevented by avoiding the foods. Another option is to seek out treatment options that train the immune system not to react when exposed to a food allergy. Treatments like oral immunotherapy, OIT, retrain the immune system to not react when the body is exposed to the known food allergen. While OIT is not a cure, treatments like this can help improve safety in day to day life and improve quality of life for food allergy patients.
5. FOOD ALLERGY REACTION CAN ARE SERIOUS AND CAN BE LIFE-THREATENING:
Food allergy sounds like a common medical situation but sometimes it can be serious and not be taken for granted. An emergency room visit is prompted by a food allergy reaction once every three minutes. A food allergy causes 200,000 emergency room visits each year in the United States. Consulting a specialist and taking care of the symptoms is the most common preventive measure.
6. IN THE UNITED STATES, 8.4% OF CHILDREN AND 7.7% OF ADULTS HAVE ASTHMA:
Statistics from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America show that one out of 13 people suffers from the condition. Over 25 million Americans of all ages suffer from. Asthma prevalence is rising both in the United States and globally and it is treatable with professional assistance.
7. ASTHMA IS MOST COMMON CHRONIC CONDITION AMONG CHILDREN:
Children are most often affected by asthma, which currently affects 6.1 million children under the age of 18, of whom 3.5 million experienced an asthma attack in 2016. Asthma is one of the most common chronic and long-lasting diseases in the world. Patients who are guided by a specialist are more likely to receive treatment.
8. NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ASTHMA INCREASES WITH AGE:
If asthma is not treated at early stages, it can be life-threatening. Asthma was responsible for 3,651 deaths in 2016. Children are less likely to die from asthma. Death rates rise with age. Over the course of 2016, 169 children under 15 died from asthma compared to 554 adults over 85.
9. 15% OF PATIENTS WITH FOOD ALLERGIES ARE FIRST DIAGNOSED IN ADULTHOOD:
As per the medical records, it appears that at least 15 percent of patients with food allergies are first diagnosed in adulthood, as opposed to most food allergies developing in childhood. Over one-fourth of adults with food allergies report developing all of their food allergies during adulthood, and nearly half of adults say they developed at least one food allergy during adulthood.
10. 10 AMERICANS DIE FROM ASTHMA EVERYDAY:
Ten people die from asthma each day on average in the United States. The number of asthma-related deaths in 2019 was 3,524. Most of these deaths could have been prevented by appropriate treatment and care.
11. WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE ASTHMA THAN MEN:
According to statistics from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Women are more likely to have asthma than men, which is a crazy fact! 9.8 percent of women have asthma, compared to 6.1 percent of men.
12. ASTHMA CAN GO AWAY AND COME BACK:
Asthma is a condition many people live with for a long time, especially if it first develops in adulthood. Sometimes it improves or disappears during the teenage years in children, but can return at a later age. Treatment usually controls the symptoms.
13. HYGIENE HYPOTHESIS:
As per the hygiene hypothesis, the problem with extremely clean environments is that they do not expose the immune system sufficiently to germs in order to train it to mount defense responses when faced with infectious organisms. The body’s defenses end up being so insufficient that they actually contribute to the development of asthma.
14. CITY LIFE CAN MAKE YOU ASTHMA-PRONE:
Big cities are known for their bright lights, but they are also asthma triggers. Because of all those vehicles, power plants, and factories, fine particulate matter, such as dust, dirt, soot, and smoke, gets into the air and can affect your respiratory system, which in turn can lead to asthma attacks and allergy symptoms. If you have asthma, it’s a good idea to limit your outdoor activities, especially during the summer months when power plants, factories, and vehicle emissions mix with heat and sunlight to create smog.
15. CHILDREN MAY BE PROTECTED FROM ASTHMA BY DOGS:
Although a study showed that some children may be protected from asthma by dogs, it is important to note that for others who have a dog allergy, exposure to a dog may trigger mild to severe asthma symptoms.
CONCLUSION:
There are a number of different ways to manage your allergies, but finding the right solution is dependent on your symptoms and medical history. We encourage you to talk to a professional at Columbia Allergy today to learn more about how we can help you find relief from allergies.
