So much news is rightly dominated by external environmental crises: climate change, wildfires, heatwaves, extinctions, pollution, waste mountains, habitat loss and plastics. But this does not mean we should overlook the related crises internal to ourselves: for example, the allergy crisis.
The Allergy Crisis in Figures
- “Allergy is the most common chronic disease in Europe. Up to 20% of patients with allergies struggle daily with the fear of a possible asthma attack, anaphylactic shock, or even death from an allergic reaction.”
- “More than 150 million Europeans suffer from chronic allergic diseases and the current prediction is that by 2025 half of the entire EU population will be affected.”
- “Seven times as many people were admitted to hospital with severe allergic reactions in Europe in 2015 than in 2005.”
(Source: The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2016.)
The UK has some of the highest rates of allergies in the world. An estimated 44% of all British adults suffer from allergy reactions and the number is rising. Pensioners have less allergies with around 30% suffering and it is young adults under 35 that suffer the most, around 50%.
- Food allergies affect 11-26 million Europeans whilst milk, peanuts and tree nuts allergies doubled in the ten years to 2015.
- Eight million people are living with a skin disease in the UK, some severe enough to kill.
- Atopic Eczema has increased by 2X to 3X in industrialized countries in thirty years.
- In the UK, 49% of people suffer with Hay fever symptoms (Allergy UK / Kleenex®, 2020).
- There are around 5.5 million cases of asthma being treated in the UK alone with around 1,000 premature deaths annually and allergies are the cause in 80% of cases.
The overall number of allergies are growing around the world and many of them are deadly.
Causes of the Allergy Crisis
The cause of the allergy crisis is likely to be mainly down to changes in our inner, gut environments.
Theresa MacPhail is an associate professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. She studies medical anthropology, in particular allergies for which she has a personal interest for her father died of a bee sting. In her new book, she identifies some of the most likely causes of allergies as a combination of factors such as:
- changes to our eating habits (less fibre, more fat and sugar) that has changed our gut microbiomes (a microorganic community);
- use of antibiotics which also changes our microbiomes;
- less exposure to “friendly” bacteria and viruses than in the past due to overusing heavy detergents and antimicrobial products;
- increased exposure to pollutants and chemicals;
- a growing number of allergens with the big 8 being milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans; and possibly
- our increasingly sedentary lifestyles leading to less vitamin D from sunlight.
(Source: Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World by Theresa MacPhail. New York: Random House, 2023)
But the deteriorating environment is also a contributing factor in the allergy crisis. Climate change, for example, is an environmental issue and it is also a serious threat to health. Rising temperatures caused by climate change leads to longer allergy seasons and worsen air quality and thereby cause more allergy and asthma attacks.
“There is sufficient probability that environmental pollutants (air pollutants, chemical substances, nanoparticles, Asian sand dust particles, etc.) that are ubiquitous are able to cause a rise in and exacerbate the common living environment-based diseases such as allergies and other lifestyle-based diseases”
(Source: Environmental pollution and allergies by Takano1 and Inoue. Journal of Toxicologic Pathology, 2017, 30(3))
The Cost-of-living Free-From Squeeze
In addition to the stress and pain caused by the allergies themselves, the cost of allergen avoidance is becoming unbearable for some sufferers. The cost-of-living crisis has seen the costs of allergy-free alternative foods become far more expensive than their counterparts. Allergy UK estimates that the cost of many free-from foods has doubled. A study completed by the Food Standards Agency shows that people with allergies have a 12% – 27% greater financial burden than those without:
- Gluten-free penne pasta at Morrisons jumped by 125% in 12 months;
- Sainsbury’s Nurishh Vegan Cheddar Style Slices Cheese Alternative increased from £1.50 to £2.50; and
- Alpro Growing Up Soya Milk increased by 27% at Asda.
The additional cost is mainly due to production processes and a rigorous assessment of the ingredients, process and environment. Free from foods also have smaller markets that cannot benefit from economies of scale.
Some of these cost increase can be avoided by shopping for allergy-friendly products that do not have a “free from” label but whose ingredients do not include allergens. Such as swapping gluten-free pasta for cheaper potatoes. But note that dry foods such as cereals, cereal bars, chocolate, biscuits and nuts are at greater risk of cross-contamination with allergens. Bulk buying and making the most of supermarket promotions, can also help cut costs.
What can we do to reduce Allergy problems?
Allergy UK provides straightforward advice for avoiding allergic reactions in your home such as
- Keep windows shut if possible;
- Cleaning the house regularly and wash bedding weekly at 60 degrees Celsius and curtains every three months whilst fabric covered furniture should be vacuumed twice a week;
- Dry clean washing indoors and keep wardrobe doors shut;
- Shower frequently; and
- Keep pets out of the bedrooms and off soft furnishings.
Another Environmental Challenge
In the long term, we need to take better care of our environment both internal and external. We can responsibly manage the problems facing our environment by taking sensible steps toward protecting human health and safety. Reducing the release of heat-trapping gases like CO2 can help protect our health and wellbeing by decreasing impacts on our climate system. Activities that reduce the amount of heat-trapping CO2 in the atmosphere are many of the same things we already know prevent health problems. Active modes of transport like biking or walking can help reduce traffic-related air pollution and encourage physical activity, which has public health benefits including reduced rates of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
As scientists continue to disentangle the biological complexities of allergies, we also need societal shifts to soothe our increasingly irritated world.
