Traffic pollution and cleaner homes mean HALF of us could have allergies by 2026

Within just a decade there could be up to half of the UK population suffering from hayfever, asthma, or another type of allergy, health experts are warning. The problems are mainly linked to an increasing amount of traffic pollution and much cleaner homes.

If current trends carry on at their current pace, millions more people will be reaching for their antihistamine or being prescribed asthma inhalers by the year 2026 to combat symptoms such as runny nose, watery and itchy eyes, sneezing (hayfever), and breathlessness (asthma).

Currently, around 1 in 4 people have at least 1 kind of allergy, with the number of people suffering going up by an additional 5% per year.

An estimated half of all sufferers are children. By 2025 asthma alone will likely become the most prevalent chronic childhood condition and have one of the largest healthcare costs.

A cleaner environment at home with less childhood infections, increasing traffic pollution and multiple types of pollen have been highlighted as factors behind the allergy rise.

Allergies of all kinds have soared in recent years. For example, in the last decade alone, cases of food allergies have doubled in number.

With regards to the most severe form of allergic reaction – anaphylaxis – there has been a massive 615% jump in hospital admissions between 1992 and 2012.

Sheena Cruickshank, senior lecturer in immunology at Manchester University, told the ESOF science forum: “Allergy is really common and it’s thought to be increasing.

“It’s not something we saw a hundred years ago and maybe in ten years’ time 50 per cent of us are going to be suffering from hay-fever, asthma, or food allergy.

“Basically we are looking at that kind of trend year on year. We are certainly seeing more young people affected by an allergy and we do see adults develop it in later life.

“Why is this happening? There are lots of theories, such as the fact we are very clean now so our immune system doesn’t get properly educated.

“Or the types of infection we get exposed to are very different, and again makes our immune system misfire.

“But of course the other thing is our atmosphere has very much changed.

“We are farming different crops and on a different scale so there are different pollens, and more of them. And there are the invisible pollutants we are exposed to.”

A new project known as Breathing Britain is attempting to determine the causes behind respiratory allergies by the use of a mobile phone app.

The app will pinpoint a person’s location, whilst analysing their symptoms, as well as pollen and pollution levels – particularly whilst at the time of an allergic attack.

Dr Cruickshank added: “The real issue in trying to understand the cause-and-effect is the lack of good quality data.

“If you think about the average person with hay-fever, the only time they will go a doctor or a hospital is when they are very unwell.

“We have no data whatsoever on the day-to-day symptoms people are living with. We don’t know when the symptoms are starting and when they are starting to have difficulties.

“The only way to get data is to work with the public, and that’s what we’ve been doing.”

Professor Gordon McFiggans, an atmospheric researcher, said: “Our work is all about finding the level of data needed to make good policy decisions.

“If we are going to tackle the issue of pollution, we need more integration between policy makers and scientists.

“And measurements of atmospheric pollutants on the ground and measurements of their impact on health is a hugely important part of that mix.”

Perfumes and aftershaves pose hospital asthma risk say doctors

Think twice before you next go to visit a friend or relative in hospital whilst doused in your favourite smelly, for perfumes and aftershaves could be triggering asthma attacks and allergies within hospitals and should be banned from them, doctors have argued.

An estimated three in ten people claim they are sensitive to the artificial scents worn by those around them, with around 25% of asthmatics saying that their asthma condition was is worsened by being exposed to perfumes and aftershaves.

Researchers also state that more than half of asthma attacks are caused by various irritants such as cigarette smoke, cleaning fluids, perfumes and strong odours.

There are countless other things that can trigger an attack however, which include animal proteins like animal hair, cat saliva and house dust mites, household cleaners pollens (tree and grass pollens are the most common to affect asthma sufferers, changes to weather/temperature and fumes from traffic.

However, writing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, doctors Ken Flegel and James Martin have argued the case that perfumed products should be forbidden from inside of hospitals.

In their editorial, they said: “There are many practices that are acceptable outside hospitals – but not inside. One of these is the application of artificial scents to our bodies.

“While artificial scents are designed to make us more attractive, they may result in unintended harm to those who are vulnerable.

“There is emerging evidence that asthma in some cases is primarily aggravated by artificial scents.
“This is particularly concerning in hospitals, where vulnerable patients with asthma or other upper airway or skin sensitivities are concentrated.

“These patients may be involuntarily exposed to artificial scents from staff, other patients and visitors, resulting in worsening of their clinical condition.

“As patients, family members and emergency physicians will attest, the attacks can be quite sudden and serious. There is little justification for continuing to tolerate artificial scents in our hospitals.”

The researchers added that other workers have protection from artificial scents. They said: “The high prevalence of asthma and its adverse effects on health and productivity argue strongly for greater consideration of the air we breathe in our health care centres.

“Hospital environments free from artificial scents should become a uniform policy, promoting the safety of patients, staff and visitors alike.

“As education and promotion programmes have some effect on this practice, these programmes too ought to be part of our accreditation standards.

“Until this happens, individual hospitals must take the lead, particularly in spaces where susceptible patients wait.”

Hay fever hell set to continue for millions of Brits

With it being the start of October tomorrow, hay fever sufferers may have thought they were in the clear by now and believe they are unlikely to have a flare-up of typical symptoms such as runny nose, watery and itchy eyes, and sneezing.

Unfortunately, there has been evidence of an emergence in Britain of the biggest US culprit for hay fever, which could mean that an estimated 18 million Brits with the condition are not out of the woods just yet. This equates to one in five of us.

The mild weather of the last few weeks has provided the perfect opportunity for common ragweed to flourish. Ragweed is a highly allergenic plant that can release a staggering one billion pollen grains within a single season.

Ragweed pollen came to European territory way back in the 1960s, contained in contaminated seed, but needs extended and mild autumns to really thrive and therefore does not usually have a massive impact in the UK. In North America though, ragweed pollen is responsible for sparking a huge number of asthma and allergy attacks.

In recent times, scientists have barely ever been able to detect the pollen in the UK’s air. However, earlier this month scientists in the East Midlands found ragweed pollen present in the air for four consecutive days, and on the third day, there more sufficient pollen to cause an onset of hay fever and asthma symptoms for those that have these conditions.

Ragweed is substantially more allergenic than grass and could prove a serious issue for those with hay fever and/or asthma if its volume continues to increase in the air. Not only that, it would mean a longer hay fever season for many, as the season commonly ends in August for a lot of people with hay fever.

Health experts have also warned asthmatics to be vigilant and make sure they always carry their asthma inhalers in case of an attack.

Deborah Waddell, lead clinical advisor at Asthma UK, last week said: “The milder weather and presence of ragweed pollen may now result in a longer pollen season this year which will cause misery for people with asthma and hay fever in the UK.

“The 79 per cent of people with asthma who find that pollen makes their symptoms worse may also be at an increased risk of a potentially life threatening asthma attack.”

Dr Catherine Pashley, who led the research in Leicester, says the plant can reach three feet in height and had most likely managed to find its way into Europe from birdseed imported from the US.
She also said that though cases of ragweed had been found in Britain previously, none of which were enough to cause of pollen problem.

Dr Pashley said: “Ragweed can’t survive in the East Midlands because of our cooler climate compared to North America and Central Europe, so we were very surprised to see it when we analysed the pollen and fungi in the air earlier this month.

“Most years we haven’t seen any at all. Some years we’ve seen one or two grains in a day. Now instead we’ve had ragweed in the air on four consecutive days and one of the days it went well above the level which is known to cause problems in people allergic to it. So that was completely unexpected. It could extend the hayfever season for people who may be allergic to it.

“Whether or not we continue to see more ragweed will very much depend on how mild this autumn is and when we have the first frost. If it is a late frost, it is likely that ragweed levels may increase this time next year.”

Medical Specialists® Pharmacy have a wide range of treatments for hay fever that can ease symptoms for sufferers, including Loratadine – a non-drowsy antihistamine which can provide relief from the symptoms of hay fever and Nasonex nasal spray – a nasal corticosteroid spray for the relief of congestion, sneezing, itching and a runny nose. Prevalin is another nasal spray that lines the inside of your nose and actually deactivates the pollen, and Alomide allergy eye drops that can bring relief from red, itchy, watery and puffy eyes if used regularly.

High temperatures cause hay fever hell for millions

Millions of hay fever sufferers endured the hottest day of the year so far, with Hurn at Bournemouth yesterday reporting temperatures of an incredible 29.7C – warmer than that of certain areas of India and the Caribbean over the weekend.

As much of the UK headed to the seaside or parks, or alternatively stayed at home to watch Andy Murray’s sensational Wimbledon triumph, perhaps little thought would have been given to the large section of the population struggling to control itchy eyes, watering noses and constant sneezing.
There are an estimated 15 million hay fever sufferers in the UK alone, and high temperatures like those witnessed over the weekend can prove chaotic and sometimes even deadly for those with allergies.

On Friday a spokesman for the Met Office warned: “Potentially we could be seeing a new maximum temperature for the year on Sunday. Some parts of the country could get 30C (86F). This will exceed the previous hottest temperature of 27.2C that was seen on June 30 at Heathrow. However, the pollen counts are going to be high and very high for most of the country over the weekend, so it is going to be quite agonising for some.”

However, the high temperatures are expected to now continue until at least the middle of July, and perhaps a lot longer. This of course follows a strangely cold spring and the wet, miserable summer witnessed last year.

The hot weather and dry, settled conditions will cause pollen levels to shoot up and result in misery for those suffering with hay fever. Due to wet, later spring this year, the warm weather now hitting the UK has resulted in a surge in plant growth. Through this week and continuing to next week, forecasters predict the pollen counts to be extremely high across the majority of the country and only the very north of Scotland will probably see any relief.

Pollen forecasts are a vital tool for anybody suffering with hay fever or other allergies, to strategise medications, treatment, and plan how best to minimise the effect of pollen on their health. The pollen count season usually runs from March to August, but can begin as early as January and end as late as November.

The pollen season is segregated into three areas:

. Tree pollen - late March to mid-May.
. Grass pollen - mid-May to July.
. Weed pollen - end of June to September.

Public health officials are now warning people to take extra precaution with the rising temperatures, with fears that the dangers go much further than just a runny nose or itchy eyes.

In fact The Local Government Association states that for each additional degree above 25C, there could be 75 more fatalities; mostly young children and the elderly. A heat wave during 2003 claimed the lives of approximately 2,000 people, and there a fears the same situation could occur a decade on.

Zoe Patrick, chair of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, said: “British summers are notoriously unpredictable and so with a few sunny weeks forecast we can all look forward to enjoying the fine weather for a change. Sadly there are some people for whom the temperatures will make life a little more difficult. The hundreds of deaths caused by extreme heat each year are avoidable. Councils are determined to reduce the toll as much as possible, but they cannot do it alone. Local people can make a massive difference by helping us identify other residents who might need some advice or practical help.”

Medical Specialists Pharmacy offer a wide range of medicines  to treat allergies such as hay fever including Loratadine – a non-drowsy antihistamine which can provide relief from the symptoms of hay fever and Nasonex nasal spray – a nasal corticosteroid spray for the relief of congestion, sneezing, itching and a runny nose. Prevalin is another nasal spray that lines the inside of your nose and actually deactivates the pollen, and finally there’s Alomide allergy eye drops that can bring relief from red, itchy, watery and puffy eyes if used regularly.

Chemicals in fragrances could trigger asthma and skin problems

Next time you overdo it and shower yourself in perfume or aftershave, spray deodorant on, spray air freshener around the home, use scented candles or even scented toilet roll – think about what all these things could be doing to your health.

We warn this as a leading health expert has spoke on the different ways, highlighting that part of the problem could be down to a ‘contact allergy’ that roughly one in 20 of us suffer from, and this number may be increasing. The contact allergy is in reference to when perfumes and other scented products cause eczema outbreaks as well as dermatitis when they touch the skin, and many more problems other than this can arise.

It is believed that molecules in the fragrances trigger an immune response and result in the sufferer experiencing scaly, cracked, dry and itchy skin.

Dr Susannah Baron, consultant dermatologist at Kent & Canterbury hospital, and BMI Chaucer Hospital, warns that more of the population may start to suffer from such problems in the future. She commented, “Allergies are on the increase, and the amount of perfumed products is also on the rise. Fragrance allergy can show up as contact dermatitis in the site a perfumed product is applied, or as a flare-up of existing eczema. It can be a real problem.”

Dr Baron’s comments follow-on from July of this year when the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety requested that perfume manufacturers should state any possible allergens in their product after reports emerged regarding the risks of skin conditions flaring up after usage.

Dr Baron further warns people to be careful regarding over-using fragranced products as it may not be fully obvious you have developed an intolerance or allergy. She continued, “You don’t react immediately; the body notes that it does not like the chemical and develops ‘memory cells’, which cause inflammation when the body is next exposed to this chemical. Gradually, as you are exposed more and more, the body ramps up its reaction, until it becomes more noticeable to you.”

Even those without existing problems or allergies may be at risk of building up to eventually have a fragrance allergy. Dr Baron says, “You can become suddenly allergic to perfumes and personal care products that you have been using for years. You can also have problems with unexpected products such as scented toilet roll and scented wipes which can cause irritation.”

However, it gets worse. People with skin and scalp conditions are not the only people who could suffer. Those who battle with regular migraines could see a more regular occurrence of severe headaches and experts further warn that products like plug-in deodorisers and mild air fresheners have chemicals in them that could induce an asthma attack. The charity Asthma UK claims that perfumes can affect the airways in asthma sufferers and result in breathing difficulties.

Asthma UK are not the only ones to warn about the dangers though. Over in America, Dr Stanley Fineman, of the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma Clinic in the U.S., says he has conducted research that shows a clear alteration to lung function when the lungs come into contact with particular chemical fragrances.

So what can be done then to avoid or manage all these potential problems? Firstly, if you do suffer with eczema, you should always try to only use non-fragranced emollient to wash your hands and body. Migraine sufferers would be advised to keep a diary that documents what particular products trigger a migraine and this will enable them to keep their exposure to an absolute minimum. Dermatitis is another issue that we touched upon earlier, and this can be treated with therapeutic medicated shampoo such as T/Gel which costs just £4.95 from Medical Specialists Pharmacy. In addition, if you have suffering with allergies and/or asthma then we are at hand to help. We have a vast range of medications to help both asthma and allergy sufferers, all at great prices. If you are suffering from asthma-like symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately for a diagnosis.

Your doctor is able to prescribe medication if he feels you have asthma. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler or have lost your inhaler or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms. For suitable patients we have both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone and Qvar Easi-Breathe.

If you suffer from hay fever or allergies we have many options for you including Alomide allergy eye drops , Loratadine tablets, Nasonex spray, Prevalin allergy nasal spray and Prevalin allergy kids nasal spray.

Eating nuts whilst pregnant could stop children developing asthma

Eating nuts during pregnancy can reduce the risk of children developing asthma, according to research carried out by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, Bostonand the Statens Serum Institute of Copenhagen, Denmark.

In the study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers examined the relationship between nut intake during pregnancy, and allergic disease outcomes, in early and later childhood of their offspring. The study was published in the peer reviewed Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

In the past women had been advised to avoid eating peanuts during pregnancy and while breast feeding, if they or the father had a family history of allergic conditions. Parents were also recommended not to give peanuts to children, until they are at least three years old to avoid sensitisation.

But in 2008 the Food Safety Agency (FSA), recommended the advice be dropped, after increasing expert advice and scientific evidence, that avoiding peanuts in early life was making the allergy problem worse. The advice had been in place since 1998 and was partly blamed for the rise of nut hysteria, with parents and children becoming increasingly worried about exposure to peanuts.
Now the Department of Health says, “Women can choose to eat peanuts or food containing peanuts, as part of a healthy balanced diet, unless mothers are allergic to them, or they have been advised not to by their health professional.”

Between 1996 and 2002, Danish women were enrolled in the study during their first antenatal visit. This study included 61,908 women who had a single baby and who had completed all questionnaires.
A 360 item food frequency questionnaire was given at around 25 weeks of pregnancy. This asked about snack consumption in the past month, separately assessing peanut and pistachio intake and the intake of nuts and almonds. Women were questioned about childhood asthma when the child was 18 months and 7 years old.

At 18 months they were asked whether a diagnosis of childhood asthma had been confirmed by a doctor, whether there were wheeze symptoms, and the number of wheeze episodes since birth. At 7 years of age, asthma cases were defined as those who self-reported doctor diagnosed asthma, plus wheezing symptoms in the past 12 months. The presence of other allergies, such as hay fever, was also reported at 7 years of age.

The researchers then looked at the association between nut consumption and the development of asthma, wheezing, or other allergies. The results were that a total of 61% of women (37,323) reported no peanut and tree nut intake during pregnancy, 3% of women (1,639) consumed peanuts one or more times per week, and 9% consumed tree nuts one or more times per week.

The researchers found a general inverse relationship between peanut or tree nut consumption and asthma at 18 months. There was a trend that consumption of peanuts and tree nuts, once monthly and two to three times monthly, significantly reduced risk of asthma compared to no consumption.
In conclusion the researchers stated that, “the results do not suggest that women should decrease peanut and tree nut intake during pregnancy, and that consumption of peanuts and tree nuts during pregnancy, might even decrease the risk of allergic disease development in children.”

This conclusion was backed up by Malayka Rahman, research analysis and communications officer at Asthma UK, who said, “This study suggests that eating peanuts and tree nuts during pregnancy, might decrease the risk of children developing allergic conditions, including asthma.”

Women heavily using fake tan risk fertility complications and birth defects

In a country such as England where the usual weather is dark, gloomy and rain-filled, the chance of developing a natural tan is rather slim. It is now a common occurrence for many men and women to resort to using sunbeds and fake tanning products to achieve the bronzed appearance that so many desire.

The dangers of heavy sunbed use have been widely reported in the news in recent years, with excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation being responsible for an increasing number of young adults being diagnosed with both malignant melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer.

Fake tanning products have long been viewed as the safe option for women to use to avoid the risks with sunbeds; however these products may not be as completely safe as first thought.

In fact, the chemicals used in fake tan are so hazardous that they are now being linked to fertility problems and also increasing the chance of women giving birth to a baby with birth defects.

Just one of the types of these chemicals is carcinogens including formaldehyde and nitrosamines. A carcinogen is a substance or agent that is directly responsible for inducing cancer within humans and animals. They are particularly rife in cigarettes which could partly explain why tobacco smoke has been shown to also cause birth defects if the baby’s mother smokes during pregnancy, with a cleft lip or skull abnormality just two problems that could occur.

As well as carcinogens, it is believed that fake tan comprises of other harmful chemicals and skin irritants that may cause allergies to worsen, which is not good news for the millions of hay fever sufferers in the UK who are already suffering with the unexpected warm weather this week.

Elizabeth Salter-Green from UK charity the Chem Trust, says, “Many of the chemicals in fake tan are toxic to reproduction and can harm a foetus.” Jacqueline McGlade, executive director of the European Environment Agency, further spoke about the dangers of fake tan and said they could be a contributing factor responsible for the surge in cases of cancers, diabetes, obesity and falling fertility.

The primary ingredient in the fake tanning products is the chemical compound dihydroxyacetone. The chemical works with the skin’s amino acids to transform the colour to brown. However, once sprayed there is a risk of the person inhaling the substance and it going straight into the bloodstream.

Scientists in the US now claim that this could result in DNA damage, tumours, and the aggravation of numerous lung conditions such as emphysema and asthma. Dr Lynn Goldman dean of the School of Public Health and Health Services at George Washington University, in Washington DC, says, “What we’re concerned about is not so much that reaction that creates the tanning, but reactions that may occur deeper down with living cells that might then change DNA, causing a mutation, and what the possible impacts of that might be.”

During their life the average Briton will suffer over 9,000 ailments

The Benenden Healthcare Society have published the results of a survey that shows the average Brit suffers with accident or illness approximately 9,672 times during their life. This includes various conditions such as an upset stomach, headache, shaving cuts and backache. The survey quizzed 2,000 Brits and one in four of those described themselves as ‘accident prone’. Half admitted to having hit their head at some point in their life whilst getting out of the car. Furthermore, a quarter also said they had suffered a bite from their pet or had stood onto a plug.

From the survey, it seems we can expect to experience a sore throat on 3 occasions each year along with 4 cricked necks and 4 episodes of heartburn.  If this isn’t bad enough, we will roughly have 6 cases of upset stomach, 5 cramps and cut ourselves 5 times. This equates to some form of injury or pain once every 3 days. In addition, during our lifetime, we can look forward to a tripping or falling over a whopping 234 times, have 156 blisters and have a nosebleed 78 times.

A member of the Benenden Healthcare Society, Lawrence Christensen, commented on the survey, “Even without the threat of serious health conditions, the average human body takes an awful battering day to day, which demonstrates why life just isn’t designed to be easy. Whilst it’s unnecessary to suddenly develop a hypochondriac attitude to life, be sure to visit your GP if you do feel you are experiencing higher than average occurrences of ailments such as sore throats, stomach upsets and back pain.” Mr Christensen further added he would advise everybody to maintain good posture, wash hands regularly, eat healthily and engage in plenty of exercise.

At Medical Specialists Pharmacy, we strive to make life that little bit easier for you.  We have a massive range of products that can help you with many things such as erectile dysfunction, asthma, acne, premature ejaculation, sexual health and many more.  As we mentioned last week, we understand that the hot weather the UK is currently experiencing can be detrimental to asthma and allergy sufferers in particularly, so don’t delay in obtaining your inhalers, such as Ventolin Evohaler, which we sell cheaper than the NHS. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler, have lost your inhaler, or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms. We offer both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone, Qvar Easi-Breathe and Pulvinal Beclomethasone. Our constantly expanding product range now also includes Prevalin allergy nasal spray, Prevalin allergy kids nasal spray and Alomide allergy eye drops, which can all help to combat hay fever.