Allergy season 101

Allergy season can be torture for so many people. If you're a seasonal allergy sufferer or have to be cautious daily, you know that few things can drain the joy out of your day like the misery of red, itchy eyes, continuous sneezing and runny nose. You are not the only one dealing with this misery.

• The U.S. government spends $18 billion each year on allergy-related research

Three forms of allergies:

• Environmental, which 35 million people suffer from
• Drug allergies, which 13 million people suffer from
• Food allergies, which 12 million people suffer from (1-2% of adults have a food allergy)

Who is suffering?

• 50% of people who went to a doctor found out they were allergic to something
• 20% of people in the U.S. had an allergic reaction
• 8% of children aged six and under have food allergies

About 4 million sick days are taken off every year because of allergies

Who is suffering?

• 16,700,000 doctor visits a year are due to allergies
• 29,000 ambulance calls a year are from food allergies
• Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the U.S.
• 3 million Americans are affected by nut allergies
• Allergic drug reactions account for 5-10% of all adverse drug reactions
• Pollen season over the last two decades has increased by a month

Best allergy medicines

• Claritin
• Zyrtec
• Benadryl
• Chlor-Trimeton
• Visine-A
• Cortaid
• Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride

Most common food allergies - "The Big Eight"

• MILK: 2.5% of children have a cow's milk allergy; 80% outgrow it by age six. It's not a major allergen for adults
• EGGS: 1.5% of children and hardly any adults are allergic to eggs. About 80% of children will outgrow the allergy by age six.
• PEANUTS: 1.4% of children and 0.6% of adults have this allergy. 20% of people outgrow the allergy by age six.
• TREE NUTS: Affects 1.1% of children and 0.5% of adults. Only 9% of people will outgrow this allergy.
• SOY: 0.4% of children and hardly any adults. About 50% of children will outgrow this allergy by age seven
• WHEAT: 0.4% of children are allergic to wheat and hardly any adults. About 80% of children will outgrow this allergy by age six
• FISH: Affects 0.4% of adults and 0.1% of children. This allergy tends to develop in adulthood.
• SHELLFISH: Affects 2% of adults and 0.1% of children. This allergy tends to develop later in life.

Most common drug allergies

• Antibiotics (penicillin)
• Aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications
• Anticonvulsants
• Monoclonal antibody therapy
• Chemotherapy

Most common environmental allergies

• Pollen
• Dust mites
• Pets
• Mold
• Cigarette smoke