An allergic person waits, on average, 7 years before seeing a doctor. An expectation which often results in worsening the disease, warn experts.
“Allergy, I act to avoid complications! »Is the watchword of theAsthma & Allergies Association on the occasion of the 8th French Allergy Day which takes place this Tuesday, March 18. With for theme, the so-called “severe” allergies and its complications. A mobilization that is timely since this year, spring arrives early in the French calendar. And like every year, it carries its share of pollens and of course allergies with it.
Too fatalistic patients
Allergy is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the 4th disease in the world after cancer, cardiovascular pathologies and AIDS. The WHO estimates that by 2050, half of the world’s population will be allergic. So much so that in France, 1 in 4 people already suffer from respiratory allergy and 1 in 3 who suffer from allergic rhinitis.
But even today, allergy is widely regarded as a harmless pathology. “It’s only a bad cold”, “It will pass” … The patients thus oscillate between negligence, resignation and fatalism taking on average 7 years before consulting a doctor. For this reason, experts estimate that 45% of respiratory allergics still go undiagnosed.
However, an allergy that may seem trivial is likely to get worse if not properly treated. And who says severe allergy, says disabling incidences on a daily basis …
Consequences going up to erectile dysfunction
Going from a mild allergy to a severe allergy remains the main risk involved. Concretely, the evolution of a simple rhinitis (sneezing or runny nose) can for example switch to potentially serious bronchial respiratory problems. As proof, 30% of untreated rhinitis progress to asthma.
In addition, severe asthma attacks can be triggered by high exposure to allergens or infection, requiring emergency services and sometimes hospitalization.
In addition, certain physical consequences of severe allergies are irremediable: irreversible damage to the lungs, in the long term and in the absence of suitable treatment, or the risk of developing respiratory failure.
Finally, these allergies can also lead to other more unrecognized risks with the consequence of a tormented intimate life. Among them, sleep disorders, or those of erection or concentration. 37% of men with severe allergic rhinitis suffer from erectile dysfunction. And allergic rhinitis and asthma are the number one cause of absence from work.
How to avoid allergy complications
Anyway, in the face of such threats, it is possible to protect yourself. How? ‘Or’ What ? The patient must first of all consult his doctor who will refer him to an allergist. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the patient should receive regular follow-up, as allergic diseases can progress.
Thus, drug treatments must be adapted (to the pollen season, to a stay in an allergenic place, to an infectious episode, etc.) and when possible reduced (if the disease progresses favorably).
For all these reasons, this Tuesday is the day of mobilization of the entire allergological community. The Asthma & Allergies Association will therefore try to create a link between people with allergies and / or relatives with allergies and specialists in the disease.
With the program, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., an interactive meeting on the theme of severe allergies organized on the association’s website (asthma-allergies.org) between Internet users and allergists from all over France, a psychologist and a medical advisor in an indoor environment. This dialogue can then continue on the Association’s Facebook page (Asthma & Allergies Association) and via its Twitter account (AsthmeAllergies).
Finally, to complete this system, a platform (asthmaetallergies.tumblr.com) is already available to Internet users. They will find videos of testimonials from patients and healthcare professionals, as well as articles on the stages of diagnosis, avoidance measures or even possible treatments.
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