Allergy Symptoms
Did you know? Almost half of all Brits are allergy sufferers!
A staggering 44% of British adults now suffer from at least one allergy and the number of allergy sufferers is growing by around 2 million every year. Almost half of sufferers have more symptoms from more than one allergy.
According to research by Mintel, an pollen allergies are the most common allergy (26%), followed by house dust mites (11%) and pets (9%). Other allergies include, mould (4%) rubber (2%) and even metal (1%). In terms of food, only 2% of Brits suffer from a nut allergy which 4% are allergic to dairy products and fish.
Less than half of allergy sufferers have had their allergies diagnosed by a doctor despite having allergy symptoms. Women and younger adults (under 35s) are most likely to suffer from allergies (around half) whereas just three in ten older people (65+) claim to have allergy symptoms.
An estimated 21 million adults in the UK suffer from at least one allergy, with 10 million suffering from more than one. There are only a limited number of NHS allergy clinics in the UK and so waiting lists for testing tend to be long and people are left with little choice but to research their symptoms to identify what they are allergic to. A lack of professional opinion may see them wrongly believing that they are allergic to a number of things when in fact they are not.
Away from antihistamines and other medication, almost a third of allergy sufferers have changed their lifestyle to reduce their allergic reactions, from keeping their home extra clean (11%) to using special bedding such as anti-allergenic pillows (11%). This can drastically reduce symptoms. Less than one in ten (7%) allergy sufferers choose to do nothing about their allergies, most use a combination of avoiding allergy triggers and medicating symptoms.