Tuesday 22 March 2022 from 1 PM to 7 PM.16. on the occasion ofth Allergy therapists answer your questions for free on chat, established by French Allergy Day, the Asthma and Allergy Association. Objective: To raise awareness of the largely understated impact of allergies on daily life. An IOPOP survey conducted in February 2022 1,003 people representative of the population shows that 1/3 of French people – that is, about 21 million people – are directly concerned, whether they are sick themselves or have an allergic relative. In In 20 years, the number of people suffering from allergies has doubled and WHO estimates that in 2050 50% of the world’s population will be affected by at least one allergic disease! Today 1 in 3 people born after 1980 have allergies.
Find the chat on the Asthma and Allergy Association website.
14% of French people think it’s a mild illness
As widespread as it is, its consequences on allergies and quality of life are poorly understood. According to this Eyepop poll, only 28% of French people believed it to be a daily hindrance, and 14% also believed it to be a mild illness. However, allergies are a disease that can be very debilitating if left untreated (see box below). Many mechanisms of allergy are also poorly understood by the population: thus, according to this survey, only 32% of French people believe that pollution can exacerbate respiratory allergies.
Allergic, tangible and disabling consequences on daily life
An allergy is the body’s hypersensitivity to substances, called allergens, that are usually harmless and present in the environment. Respiratory allergies are not limited to the occasional discomfort related to pollen, but occur when exposed to a wide variety of substances (mites, molds, animals, etc.) and can have serious consequences on daily life. According to one study, 41% of patients with allergic rhinitis claim to give up social, sports, leisure and business activities because of their allergies. “The very disabling effect of allergies on daily life and quality of life is a quantifiable reality for those affected: school and professional absenteeism is significantly higher in people with allergies, with real consequences in terms of stress and fatigue troubling many allergic people. sleep, difficulty playing sports, effects on social life, etc. We know allergies ruin lives! That’s why we must act! On the side of health professionals and public officials, this means informing, raising awareness and Remembering that allergies are never trivial. Allergy means getting your allergies under control as soon as possible by consulting a specialist, who can diagnose the source of the problem and prescribe the right treatment, Explain Dorian Cherioux, vice president representing patients at the Asthma and Allergy Association. Asthma, which is often associated with allergies, accounts for 230,000 days of hospitalization per year.
diagnosis is still too late
The French also tend to underestimate the therapeutic wanderlust of allergies. It takes an average of seven years between the first allergic symptoms to appear and the allergist’s consultation. Treating your allergies as soon as possible can help you control or avoid the impact they can have on daily life if, for example, allergic rhinitis develops into asthma. once diagnosed Via Testing to identify the allergen in question, effective treatment starting with removal and symptomatic treatment exists and allows significant improvement in patients’ quality of life. Desensitization, or allergen immunotherapy, is the only treatment that can attack the cause of the allergy.
Major respiratory allergies. credit: Asthma and Allergy Association