Diagnostika alergií a astmatu

 

Allergies affect almost 25% of the population of the EU – almost 80 million persons. It is estimated that by 2015, this number may double (GA²LEN). Allergies and asthma are clinically closely linked and Western Europe is seeing the prevalence of asthma and its severity increasing. According to the European Federation of Allergy (EFA) and the Airways Diseases Patients Association, asthma is responsible for nine billion workdays lost in the European Union each year.

 

Modern Europeans living with poor air quality

Modern European occupations and lifestyles have brought about a tendency for around 90% of the population to spend most of their time inside. Because indoor air pollution from smoking and chemicals has increased there is an increased risk to health. Conditions such as asthma, allergies, chronic bronchitis, and other respiratory diseases are commonplace and are duly recognised as a major public health issue (EFA News, 2003).

 

New biological strategies to help sufferers

To correctly diagnose allergic reactions and the cause of asthma, skin prick testing is used to test for a variety of well-known allergens. It involves a gentle prick through a drop of allergen extract placed on the surface of the forearm. An allergy is apparent if itching, swelling and redness occur after 10-15 minutes. Blood testing can also be done to detect and measure the free circulating antibodies (IgE) in the blood that respond to specific allergens. In vitro testing gives more accuracy in diagnosis in this case.

 

Europe leads the way in combating allergy and asthma

Over the next five years new methods for diagnosing allergy, novel treatments and improved allergy prevention strategies will be put in place by GA²LEN, the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network. For example, certain molecules in the blood may prove useful to monitor treatment and predict the occurrence of symptoms. Another possibility could be the development of a simpler test i.e. using a single tear drop or saliva to screen for allergies.

 

There is wide variation in the practice of allergy and asthma patient care across Europe together with lack of knowledge about these diseases which can be genetically based. However, the GA²LEN initiative should have a major positive effect on public perception of allergy as more information is publicised, more doctors are trained as specialists resulting in an improvement of the quality of healthcare services for allergy sufferers.

 

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Notes to Editors

 

GA²LEN The Global Allergy and Asthma European Network is an EC initiative formed from a consortium of research organisations across Europe to combat the prevalence and effects of allergies and asthma in the population.

 

30% of sufferers are undiagnosed but endure a poor quality of life The Allergy - Living and Learning Survey (2000), in its public perception study, determined that 30% of those who suffer from respiratory symptoms and who were identified as experiencing allergic asthma and/or rhinitis through a series of clinical screening questions, had never been tested for allergies. Respiratory allergies affect the day-to-day life of individuals and their families with over 70% of sufferers feeling limited in their physical and social lives. They tend to accept their diminished quality of life is as “normal”.

 

Smoking Research conducted through a grant from the European Commission (EC) discovered that in a sample of European cities, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) was very high in nearly all public places. Because ETS is a major contributor to allergies, asthma, and cancer, EU countries should be encouraged to follow in the footsteps of the US and Republic of Ireland by imposing stricter legislative measures and enforcement to combat the problem (EFA News, 2003).

 

Chemicals Due to exposure to toxic and cancer-causing substances such as formaldehyde, radon gas, asbestos and benzene the rates of allergy and asthma have increased alongside the rates of cancer. People are increasingly exposed to sensitising agents from household items such as cleaning products. This exposure can occur at home, in schools, in workplaces and at social gatherings. In industrial environments plastics, paints, wood working, metal working, electronics can expose individuals to a wide range of chemicals and materials that affect allergy and asthma. Severity of symptoms can be related to the amount of time spent at work, becoming less severe and improving on days off and during vacation times.

 

What is an allergy? An allergy is an over-reaction (hyper-sensitivity) by the body’s immune system to a substance it recognises as foreign (an allergen). This over-reaction triggers the production of antibodies (or immunoglobulins), proteins in blood and body fluid, to help the immune system destroy the allergen. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is one of the five different types of antibodies and is important to the allergic response. Respiratory allergies and eczema are the most common symptoms caused by contact with an allergen that has been inhaled, ingested, or injected.

 

 

 

 

References

 

• European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients association (EFA) http://www.efanet.org/

 

• GA²LEN, The European Community’s network on allergies and asthma http://www.ga2len.net/press/BackgrounddocumentPress.pdf

 

• The Allergy - Living and Learning survey (2000) http://www.efanet.org/imgs/pdf/respiratory_allergies.pdf

 

• ETS in a sample of European Cities http://www.ensp.org/files/Ch7_ETS_in_European_cities.pdf

 

• Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) http://www.ginasthma.com/