Britain facing an 'allergy epidemic': report

[Sharmarkee]

LONDON (AFP) - Allergy sufferers are receiving confusing advice and a network of specialist clinics are needed to combat an "allergy epidemic" in Britain, an influential House of Lords committee recommended Wednesday.

 

The House of Lords science and technology committee warned that Britain has a shortage of allergy consultants and GPs are giving patients poor health advice which has contributed to a 300 percent rise in the number of allergy sufferers over the last 20 years

 

Severe allergic food reactions can kill many sufferers and the report was particularly critical of the guidance given to pregnant women not to eat peanuts. The peers said the advice should be withdrawn because it is counterproductive in preventing peanut allergy.

 

The cost of treating allergies has risen to more than a billion pounds a year, and committee chairman Baroness Finlay called for new allergy centres to be created in every health authoritity.

 

"We have a severe shortage of expert medical provision to deal with allergies. The government must now take steps to deal with that problem," added the Baroness.

 

The committee also recommended that all packaged food should specify the amounts of allergens it contains to improve on "vague and defensive" information such as "may contain nuts".

 

The British Allergy Foundation welcomed the report.

 

"The problem is clearly at epidemic levels, which the House of Lords report has recognized, said spokeswoman Jules Payne.

 

"It also recognises that there's an appalling lack of allergy services within the NHS in the UK. Now at the moment we've got people who wait for months, if not years, for a referral to see an allergy specialist, so that really does need addressing."

 

Health Minister Ann Keen said the government would carefully examine the recommendations of the report.

 

She told the BBC that allergy care had "firm foundations" with more than 90 allergy clinics operating in England and more money was being made available to increase specialist allergy training.

[Sharmarkee]

^^JIIrshhkooo, am sneezing right now - I need caano geelo to fight this allergy.

[-Nomadique-]

^Jiirshhkoo??

 

 

You need more than caano geel for a sneeze like that.

[Sharmarkee]

^^Stop sneaking behind my neck Gabadh, aan ka hindhisno ee xagaa u joogso.

 

Nice to see you nomadique

welcome back adeer !

[Ibtisam]

Loool ^^^ Nomadique lool, you can say that again. Angiabah hindhiso ayaa naaf issuki keenti. Seriously It is annoying. Can you imagine each time you sneeze you nearly die, or rather nafta aayah kaa yaar taagtah.