Allergies – More Information
Allergies
Allergies, Eczema and Asthma are the most common conditions I see as chronic disease that are referred in my office.
I see patients come in with these conditions from 4 months old to our soon to be college students.
Most of the time, the patients are on Benadryl, Claritin or Zyrtec.
When that fails, they are on a nasal or inhaled steroid.
They have their albuterol puffer of course.
And that is it….
Some have allergy tests. Others have not been tested.
Most patients are pretty much stuck there and feel like they have few other choices.
It is amazing, as we investigate and start different types of therapies, how much they individual improve.
Most will come off all their medications.
Some need support from time to time.
Most families become empowered in what caused their condition as well as extensive knowledge and many modalities on what to do if things flare up.
Below are some statistics from the American Lung Association.
From the American Lung Association, the Centers for Disease Control and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
Asthma
- 7.7 percent of people of all ages in the United States have asthma. That is about 25 million people — 6.3 million of which are children.
- Asthma is one of the leading serious, chronic illnesses among children in the United States.
- More than 3,600 Americans die each year from asthma.
- In 2008, asthma accounted for more than 14 million absences from school.
- Asthma is the third-ranking cause of hospitalizations for children under the age of 15.
Allergies
- Allergies affect more than 50 million people in the United States.
- Pollen allergy (hay fever or allergic rhinitis) affects about 8 percent of adults in the United States.
- Allergies are the sixth leading chronic illness in the United States.
- Respiratory allergies affect 10 perfect of children under the age of 18.
- Sinusitis, most often caused by allergies, affects 11 percent of Americans over age 18.