TRUE OR FALSE. Do one in four French people suffer from allergies and are they “related” to global warming?

This is a real public health problem. The national secretary of Europe Écologie-Les Verts affirms that “one in four French people are victims of allergies, which are linked to air quality and the climate”. It’s true.

The month of May is one of the months most dreaded by allergy sufferers. The nose is running and the throat is scratchy. “You see, I’ve been sick since this morning, I have allergies”launched Marine Tondelier on franceinfo. “One in four French people are victims of allergies, which are linked to air quality, and also to the climate, which reinforce these allergies,” denounces the national secretary of Europe Écologie-Les Verts. True or false ?

It’s true. 25 to 30% of French people are allergic, according to estimates from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). The majority of these are respiratory allergies, caused primarily by dust mites, pollen and animal hair. Food allergies affect around 2% of adults and 5% of children. There are also allergies to the venoms of bees, wasps or hornets, allergies to medications or even contact allergies, with our jean button or our spectacle frames, accessories containing nickel or chromium.

The prevalence of these allergies, that is to say the number of people suffering from them, has “increased significantly over the last 20-30 years in industrialized countries”, underlines Inserm. Allergies are primarily genetic but “the increase in the frequency of these diseases is much too rapid to be explained by a change in our genetic makeup”writes the institute.

As Marine Tondelier says, global warming does play a role. For example, it lengthens the pollination period and increases the quantity of pollen in the air. The areas of production of allergenic pollen are also moving towards the northern regions. Air pollution is also put forward to explain the increase in the frequency of pollen allergies. According to research carried out by Inserm, pollution increases the severity of allergic rhinitis.

Other hypotheses are put forward to explain the increase in allergies, such as new lifestyles, including processed foods, the proliferation of medications and even improved hygiene. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that half of the world’s population will be allergic in 2050. All developed countries are affected. Allergy is already considered the fourth chronic disease in the world.