The impact of allergies on peoples' lives in the UK today
"Allergic eczema is both jailer and thief. It steals your dreams, hopes, potential and causes isolation and despair, my social life, boyfriends, marriage, children and so much more has been sacrificed due to severe allergies. Allergy destroys lives". Miss Turner, Worthing.
Muriel Simmons, Chief Executive of Allergy UK
"This new report commissioned by Allergy UK, proves how serious an issue allergies are. Our research conclusively shows that whilst more people are being diagnosed with allergic conditions, little is being done to improve their quality of life and that they are just being left to get on with it and suffer in silence. It shocked me how many people feel their ability to live a full life has been stolen by their allergy".
Stolen Lives demonstrates that allergic conditions in the UK are rising in number and severity. This report commissioned exclusively by Allergy UK has been compiled following a survey of over 6,000 people in the UK who are not members of the charity.
What is allergy?
The term allergy is used to describe a response within the body to a substance, which is not necessarily harmful in itself, but results in an immune response and a reaction, which causes symptoms in a predisposed person.
An allergic reaction is what happens when your immune system ‘gets it wrong’ and starts reacting to harmless substances as if they were invading organisms.
Allergic reactions can range from relatively minor symptoms such as runny nose or eyes, sneezing or mild eczema, to a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction.
Click here to read the full report. |
