Over the past thirty years, the number of people affected by allergies has exploded. If a third of the population is allergic today, in 25 years it will be half of the world’s population, according to the World Health Organization. franceinfo asked the question to specialists.
Many allergists no longer hesitate to speak of a “epidemic”. We are now allergic to animals, dust mites, drugs, pollens or even food. Most scientific studies explain it by our urban way of life.
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“We see that we are going to have more allergies in urban areas and that it is multifactorial, explains Professor Frédéric de Blay, President of the French Federation of Allergology. VSthat is, there is surely diet, outdoor pollution, indoor pollution or maternal stress during pregnancy.”
“In China, in the space of ten years, they have increased their allergic diseases in an incredible way. It is ultimately this urban lifestyle that we have which is a contributing factor. And there is not a factor, it’s multifactorial.”
Frédéric de Blay, President of the French Federation of Allergologyat franceinfo
According to health professionals, it is difficult to say what the impact of climate change is on allergies. One thing is certain, advances Dr. Pascale Beaumont, pollens cause new allergies to appear, in particular food allergies, explains the vice-president of the allergy vigilance network: “We are seeing more and more severe reactions with fruits or vegetables that have cross-reactions with pollens. This is linked to a change in pollination, global warming and increasingly aggressive pollens. Hazelnut , carrot and soy are the ones that cause themore severe reactions. They represent more than 1% of reported reactions and are increasingly frequent.
The consequences of allergies are often benign. These are rhinitis, sneezing or skin reactions, but it can also lead to death with anaphylactic shock or an asthma attack. Because, sometimes, of a simple contact with an object of everyday life.
Moreover, the fact of replacing plastic everywhere, worries Pascale Couratier, director general of the French Association for the prevention of allergies: “For example, we can have cling film made from legumes or leftover fruit as well. There are, for example, straws made from wheat, toothbrushes made from bamboo and wheat. There are also milk based containers and milk based clothing ok but if i am allergic to milk what happens yes its great and eco friendly but unfortunately for one person allergic, you can see a reaction.”
“He couldn’t breathe”
It is difficult to prevent the arrival of new allergies, but we can try to live a little better with them. In Strasbourg, Martine Ott has been an indoor environment consultant for 35 years. This is a position funded by the CHU and the Regional Health Agency.
At the request of doctors, she goes to patients’ homes to try to understand where their health problems come from. Dust nests such as carpets, pets, broken ventilation: nothing escapes his lynx eyes, not even the mold in Ayaz’s room.
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Mold that despairs the mother of this 7-year-old boy, who recently suffered an asthma attack. “He couldn’t breathe. My husband, who doesn’t usually panic, said to me: ‘Call the Samu!’ It’s still a 7-year-old kid who suffers, it hurts my heart as a mothershe confides, pointing to the damp spots on the ceiling. He sleeps two days in this room and the next day, it’s over. Since 2017, I’ve been trying to move, to find a solution”despairs the mother.
“We have to look with the landlord and find a solution”replies Martine Ott.
“You have to clean mold with bleach. It works best and it’s the cheapest. So one glass of bleach and nine glasses of cold water.”
Martine Ott, interior environment advisorat franceinfo
Martine Ott also tries to warn about indoor chemical pollution which amplifies the symptoms of respiratory allergies. These everyday “irritants” are, for example, home fragrances, essential oils or even incense: “It releases what are called volatile organic compounds: benzene, formaldehyde, terpenes which are, for example, citrus smells, alpha-pinenes which are pine smells. Often, cleaning products have also these smells and these perfumes. It is not because it is natural, and even because it is organic sometimes, that it is not dangerous.”
It is better to clean up its interior, while outside begins the pollen season. Alder, ash, hornbeam and poplar pollens are already present and soon, the dreaded birch pollen.