It seems like those of us who take strong reactions to otherwise harmful substances are growing in numbers, as a new report out today reveals that hospitals have counted 100 per cent more people being treated for life-threatening allergic reactions than a decade ago.
Professionals in the field of allergies commented that up to one million people each year could go into the dangerous condition known as anaphylactic shock - where symptoms include puffing up, loss of breath and low blood pressure. In addition, seemingly the sharp rise in hospital admissions does not even tell the full story.
Experts have been concerned for a while at the alarming rates of people suffering from allergic diseases - in fact it seems an epidemic is more an apt way to describe it. Although not all cases of allergic reactions result in anaphylactic shock, it is certainly the most deadly form. The number of people being treated for the potentially fatal reaction increased from 1,558 in 1997-98 to 3,385 in 2007-08, according to official figures.
Numbers recorded for the amount of deaths from anaphylactic shock rose from eight in 1998 to 24 in 2007. However, experts commented that the figures could be much higher as it is common for patients to be misdiagnosed as having an asthma attack on arrival at A&E.
Over the last two decades the amount of people suffering from allergic reactions has dramatically trebled - with suggestions that as much as a third of the population will have allergic reactions at one time or another in their lives.
Consultant allergist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, Pamela Ewan, said, “The hospital admission figures rose seven-fold between 1990 and 2000 and these figures show they have risen again. They are the tip of the iceberg. Very few patients get admitted – the vast majority are treated in A&E and discharged.”
Dr Ewan continued to say that the increase in cases of anaphylactic shock could not be pin-pointed, but was in line with the overall rise in allergies.
